The Miami Dolphins spent the 2009 off season neglecting the middle of their defense, the starters are solid but their understudies may not be ready for the big stage.The middle of the defense will be tested early and often this year with games against premier rushing offenses.  Their out of conference schedule includes Atlanta, San Diego, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Tennessee.  Any one of these teams is capable of exposing the lack of depth and experience Miami is carrying in the middle of their defense.Since Bill Parcells took over last year the defensive tackle position has been a point of concern.  Last year Jason Ferguson filled in admirably after being traded from Dallas, he finished with 22 tackles but slowly digressed as the season wore on.  Ferguson turns 35 this year and the Dolphins must find his replacement soon. His backups have very little NFL experience.  The most promising is Tony McDaniel, a free agent who spent the last three years in Jacksonville.  He finished with 16 tackles and half a sack in 10 games last year, but he has battled injuries throughout his career including a wrist injury that limited him to four games in 2007. Paul Soliai ended last year with three tackles and two one-game suspensions.  He has been a disappointment since his arrival in 2007 and has gained the reputation of a lazy player.  The Dolphins need Soliai to step up in training camp.  If his attitude and production do not improve he might be looking work soon.The final two defensive tackles on the roster Joe Cohen and Louis Ellis are long term projects.  Cohen has spent two years in the NFL without recording a single statistic, Ellis is an undrafted free-agent who played two seasons of Division II football at Shaw in Raleigh, N.C. were he led his team in tackles with 64 during his final season. Ferguson must remain healthy this year because there is no replacement for him on the current roster.  The 3-4 defensive scheme needs a big space-eating tackle in the middle.  If the Dolphins lose Ferguson there are very few options left on the free agent market. Last year the inside linebacker tandem of Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele accounted for 188 tackles.  They also accounted for only two interceptions, one and half sacks and one forced fumble. 

In this defense their job is to make tackles but the lack of big plays had the Dolphins looking for an upgrade.  They made a run at free-agent Bart Scott but lost out to their division rivals the New York Jets.

Reggie Torbor is the most experienced backup but he can not replace Crowder’s production on the field or his leadership in the locker room.  The other reserves, William Kershaw and Eric Walden could contribute on special teams but neither is ready to step into Crowder or Ayodele’s shoes.

Crowder is the most irreplaceable of the duo.  His ability to make tackles in the middle will allow Jason Taylor and Joey Porter to attack the quarterback.   Ferguson, Crowder, and Ayodele will get very little rest this year.   The middle of the defense could be greatly impacted by one injury.