Training camp is only weeks away for the Miami Dolphins, which means the month long absence of anything that involves hitting, and the violence of football, is about to end.
But with training camp comes the traditional camp battles, and the roster cuts as well. Like any other team, the Miami Dolphins have their strengths and weaknesses.
The main weakness for the Fins, or question mark some may say, is the pass rush. The Dolphins will go into the season lacking a true go-to guy to go out and get the crucial quarterback pressure, or sack for the first time in over a decade.
The Dolphins have always had either Jason Taylor or Joey Porter to rely on for that big time sack. Now they will place their fate in the hands of raw prospect Cameron Wake and talented veteran Charlie Anderson, along with the promising rookie, Koa Misi.
The Dolphins have a huge question mark at the outside linebacker position, with Cameron Wake expected to be the Opening Day starter at weakside linebacker, as Misi is expected to get the nod on the strongside.
Wake was predicted by Sporting News Magazine to be this years breakout player, after registering 5.5 sacks last year in limited time.
Anderson on the other hand, disrupted the quarterback every chance he got with limited snaps as well.
Misi was never a pass rusher at the University of Utah, but will be looking to register a couple of sacks, to give the Dolphins production to compliment Wake/Anderson.
The pass rush does not have to just come from the outside linebacker position though.
Last year, the Fins had some of their best pass rushers on the defensive line, with Randy Starks stacking up 7 sacks, and both Kendall Langford and Phillip Merling racking up 2.5 sacks each.
But after that, the rest of the pass rush is a mystery, with the Fins two top pass rushers, Porter and Taylor, who brought in 16 of the Fins 44 total sacks, absent from the training camp roster.
Once camp starts, the battle for the starting weakside linebacker position will begin, but the truth is, both Wake and Anderson will be splitting time at the position all throughout the season anyway! Both are now the teams top pass rushers, with Starks moving to nose tackle, and will be expected to contribute at least 6 sacks each, with Wake expected to reach double digits.
With the arrival of hotshot defensive coordinator Mike Nolan to Miami, the Fins will look to rejuvenate the defense, after a disappointing season the previous year. The Dolphins will undoubtedly look to rush the pass from all the positions on the field at any time, to compensate for the lack of a experienced, proven pass rusher.
Misi will end up helping out some, but he is no double digit sack threat.
Cameron Wake has the potential to fill this role, but his weakness in the run game is a huge blow to his production, but with the team not real deep at the position to begin with, the Fins will likely end up naming Wake as the starter. Anderson will serve as a serviceable backup who will get close to 30-40% of the snaps at the weakside spot early in the season.
It will ultimately be up to Wake though as to if the question on what the Dolphins are to do with their weak pass rush is answered by the end of the season.
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