Which Post-Jaelan Phillips Path Should Miami Take?
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
During the second quarter of the Miami Dolphins matchup against the Tennessee Titans, safety Jordan Poyer struck Jaelan Phillips’ knee while trying to tackle Tony Pollard. Jaelan was able to walk under his own power to the locker room, which initially seemed like a good sign. However, tests revealed that Phillips suffered a partially torn ACL which requires him to undergo season-ending reconstructive surgery on his right knee.
This is a crushing blow for the Miami Dolphins who are struggling to remain competitive without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have been dependent on their defense to keep them in games, and Jaelan Phillips is the team’s best pass rusher. To make matters worse, starting edge rusher Bradley Chubb has yet to return from his injury and Miami can no longer rely on Andrew Van Ginkel who signed with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.
The Dolphins are now left with two options. Chris Grier can either stand pat and trust the remaining edge rushers on the roster to collectively replace the production of Phillips. Or they can try and acquire another pass rusher who can take some of the pressure off the unit as a whole. So which post-Jaelan Phillips path should Miami take moving forward?
Riding things out with Emmanuel Ogbah and Quintion Bell isn’t a bad choice. Ogbah is a veteran on this team who is capable of leading this unit, while Bell has the highest PFF grade among Dolphins pass rushers. Plus, Phillips’ absence gives rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara more valuable snaps which is key for their development. Lastly, the Dolphins won’t need to spend any more money or future draft capital adding another pass rusher into the mix. You can make a great argument that the Dolphins don’t necessarily need to make a big move at outside linebacker.
Judging by the coaching staff’s comments, this remains the most likely scenario. “They get to collectively put forth a lot of work that they’re absolutely positively prepared for,” Mike McDaniel said.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver also expressed confidence in Quinton Bell, citing his versatility. “I think Quinton is very versatile in the fact that he can drop into coverage, you can rush him from multiple spots, he is a firm edge-setter,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “I think he’s still trying to refine and figure out who he is as a pass rusher, but he does a lot of things well.”
“The key thing is that you’re not trying to be Jaelan Phillips and just one person be that. I think as we understand each other as a defense and how we utilize personnel, you adapt and it’s strength in numbers. It’s a collective step up, and it’s kind of directly in relation to what the whole team is trying to do right now.”
However, this is a team that had win-now aspirations heading into the season, and they still have enough talent to compete in the AFC East. Outside of the Buffalo Bills, no other team has really asserted themselves as true playoff contenders. The New York Jets are 2-2 and are set to face off against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings in London, and the odds of them winning that game are not in their favor which would put them at 2-3. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are a complete trainwreck and there’s reports circulating that there’s a mutiny in the locker room.
Miami may be down, but Mike McDaniel still has the support of his players. If the Dolphins are able to beat the Patriots on Sunday, they’ll enter the bye week with some positive momentum on their side. In Week 7, the Phins face off against a very beatable Colts team that’ll likely be starting Anthony Richardson who led the league in interceptions thrown prior to his injury. After that, Tua Tagovailoa will be cleared to return which will be a major morale boost if the Dolphins can get through these next two games.
So trading for someone like New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari gives the Dolphins flexibility by not being reliant on Bradley Chubb to return by a certain time and provides them additional injury insurance. Ojulari is currently the Giants third edge rusher behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but he was a starter last year. Trading for a 24 year old who is entering his prime that has starting experience would put less pressure on Chop Robinson to perform right out of the gate.
The Miami Dolphins are now in a precarious situation entering Week 5 with both starting pass rushers injured. Chris Grier must decide whether or not he has faith in the rest of the outside linebacker room and act accordingly. How the Dolphins navigate this injury will tell us what the front office’s outlook for the rest of the season is.
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