More of this please.
The next position we will be taking a look at in our Dolphins Roster Breakdown is linebacker.
The quarterback of the defense is unquestionably veteran MLB Karlos Dansby. Dansby signed as a free agent last offseason. Some might say that he had sort of a down year in 2010, however he still was right around 100 tackles even though he struggled with injuries for part of the year. He is now back healthy and poised to lead the Dolphins defense to another top ten statistical finish.
The likely starter alongside Dansby at the MOE LB spot looks to be recent acquisition Kevin Burnett. Burnett was signed this offseason as a free agent after spending the first 6 years of his career in Dallas and San Diego. Head Coach Tony Sparano is familiar with Burnett from his days on the Cowboys coaching staff. Burnett had a very good year in 2010, nearly reaching 100 tackles for the first time in his career while registering 6 sacks to go along with 2 interceptions. Burnett brings a different aspect to the Dolphins defense as he is very good in coverage, something many of the current LBs they have cannot say.
Cameron Wake has seemingly taken the NFL by storm since he came into the league 2 years ago. In just 30 games (and many of those just as a part time player), he has 19.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Wake was an undrafted player out of Penn State and made a name for himself in the CFL before catching on with the Dolphins. Wake is certainly one of the best rushing LBs in the NFL today and will look to wreak havoc on backfields across the NFL.
Starting at outside LB opposite Wake will be 2nd year man Koa Misi. Misi was taken in the 2nd round (40th overall) in the 2010 draft. He joins fellow Utah alums Paul Soliai and Sean Smith as starters on the Miami defense. Misi had one of the better rookie seasons among all LBs last year in the NFL, totaling 41 tackles and 5 sacks.
The Dolphins have brought back arguably the best defensive player in the team’s history in Jason Taylor. Taylor will likely see time in strictly pass rushing situations in 2011. Many have said that he does not have much left in the tank, but he had a decent season last year with the Jets totaling 5 sacks for one of the AFC finalists.
The Dolphin LB depth after these 5 is fairly thin. With the release of talkative veteran Channing Crowder, Miami does not have any other players with significant experience at the LB position. 2nd year players Austin Spitler (7th round, Ohio State) and AJ Edds (4th round, Iowa) look to be the primary backups at the MLB positions. Edds missed all of 2010 with a torn ACL but has impressed so far in the preseason. The Dolphins also brought in Jason Trusnik to compete for playing time at outside linebacker.
Tags: Cameron Wake, Karlos Dansby