The Miami Dolphins roster is now spread out around the country, maybe the world. OTAs and mini-camps are over, and the team will not officially meet again until late July, when training camp starts.
Fans will get a much better idea of how good, or bad, this team will be once the pads go on and the physical sessions begin. Jeff Hafley wants a team filled with bullies, but he hasn't seen that yet. How could he?
Despite the no-contact practices, one position group disappointed one beat writer the most. Chris Perkins wasn't impressed with the Dolphins' edge rushers.
Miami Dolphins edge rushers show there is a lot more work to be done before the season starts
Typically, defensive units dominate offseason practices, and this year was no different. The highlights, however, came from the linebackers and secondary. The edge rushers? Not so much.
Miami is banking on Chop Robinson taking a massive jump forward. Heading into his third NFL season, the Dolphins' 2024 first-round draft pick started his career on fire, but last year showed far less promise.
Through the open sessions of OTAs this offseason, Chris Perkins came away unimpressed. No, there were no pads and no contact, but that also was true for the offensive linemen.
Perkins points out that Josh Uche had 11.5 sacks last season. Robinson is supposed to be taking a step forward, and David Ojabo has a lot of promise, but neither of them has shown consistency in practice. That has some worried.
With Austin Jackson sitting out, Perkins' observation is more telling. The edge rushers may be a problem. If they couldn't generate consistent pressure without pads, would it make a lot of difference when they are on? Training camp will answer that.
Another average-at-best year for Robinson may be the catalyst for his departure after the 2027 season. The Dolphins will need to decide on picking up his 5th-year option, but Paul has to give them a reason to. At this point, potential isn't going to be enough.
What makes this all worse is the fact that Miami used to have stellar edge rushers. It was a position of inherited pride. Consider Trace Armstrong taking Jason Taylor under his wing. Taylor taking Cameron Wake under his. Wake is trying to help continue that trend.
The Dolphins have had some of the best edge rushers throughout their history, but failed reaches in the draft have left them without depth and limited starting production.
Robinson should have learned from Jaelan Phillips, but Phillips' inability to stay healthy hindered that progress. The Dolphins are hoping he will find his stride this year, a return, if you will, to the highly productive second half of his rookie year.
If Robinson can't overcome the problems he had last season, the Dolphins will struggle at the position all year long.