Miami Dolphins will have multiple defensive looks according to Graham

Last week the Miami Dolphins new defensive coordinator talked about the upcoming scheme of his defense and put to rest whether it will be a 3-4 or a 4-3.

Since the hiring of Brian Flores as the head coach and the announcement of Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator, many have wondered if the Miami Dolphins would switch from a 4-3 defensive alignment to a 3-4. We might be a little closer to knowing what it will be. It will be multiple.

This is what Patrick Graham is saying and it echoes the comments of Brian Flores and it was showcased during the Super Bowl. The Dolphins are going to try to create a defensive unit that runs multiple schemes depending on the team they are playing and how the game is going.

If you want to know if they will be running a 3-4 or a 4-3 don’t bother. We will see both throughout the year and likely beyond.

"This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to do whatever Coach Flores wants us to do that week and what we’re going to try to do is try to teach the guys the concepts of the defense, what the coverage is, what the rush is – whether we’re rushing three, four, five or six, it doesn’t matter. How we deploy those guys in different spots and the outside looking in, you guys see it, it’s going to look multiple. It is going to be multiple. Are we talking in terms of 3-4 or 4-3? It’s just going to be multiple. We’re going to do what we’ve got to do that week and that game. We’re going to try to win that situation, whatever we have to do. If it requires all 11 guys to be on their feet, it requires all 11 guys to be on their feet. If it requires all 11 to be down in a three-point stance, it’ll look weird, but we’ll do it if that’s what we think is going to win the game.” – Miami Dolphins released transcripts"

The Patriots have been very good at mixing up their defensive strategy and Brian Flores and Graham are going to try to build something similar with the Dolphins.

Graham also shot down the notion of size requirements for a specific scheme. In a 3-4 the defensive lineman are traditionally bigger while a 4-3 doesn’t require that kind of size. Graham doesn’t buy into that mentality because as he states, it’s about how you space the guys to fit what you are doing on that play.

Graham said the team will build on player attributes that they value such as use of their hands and footwork as well as how well they see the play unfold and react to it. The Dolphins are going to have to find players that can make that happen and it is unclear how many Graham and Flores believe are currently on the roster.

With the start of free agency a couple of weeks out, it shouldn’t be long until we find out how many spots need replaced.