The Miami Dolphins' 53-Man Roster Part II: The Defense & Specialists

LB1 - Channing Crowder

Channing is possessed this year. Outspoken (crazy) as ever, it seems Crowder has dedicated himself to living up to the legacy of Zach Thomas. A tall order, but Crowder is a young guy who has been in the league a while now (came in a junior). He is making plays all over the field and with the much improved play up front he should be set for his best season to date. Triple digit tackles this year. I’ll say… 123.

LB2 - Joey Porter

The news of Joey’s demise has been much exaggerated. I feel somewhat irresponsible, running with what has since been identified as sensationalism by certain members of the South Florida media. Joey does have a back problem, but he will be the starting outside linebacker.

He openly admits that he will have to play with a lot of pain this year and probably have to take the first couple days of each week to rest. I still think he will be able to have a better year than last, especially playing in his birthright, as outside linebacker in a 3-4.

LB3 - Akin Ayodele

A draft-day trade brought Akin Ayodele and Anthony Fasano to the Dolphins for a fourth-round pick. Akin has been a solid linebacker in the league but never anything spectacular. He has very good size and speed, and with Crowder being the head bulldog, Ayodele should have plenty of opportunities to contribute without carrying too much.

LB4 - Matt Roth

Another instance of me being wrong...so far. When the Dolphins traded Jason Taylor, I felt they had made a big mistake. Outside of the nose tackle holding the line of scrimmage, the weak-side OLB’s pass-rush responsibilities are incredibly important.

A 3-4 needs a pass rush to take pressure of the secondary, more so than most 4-3 schemes. When they said that Matt Roth would be working as that OLB (now on the strong side), I nearly fainted (not really).

The idea was that putting a 280-pound DE on a tight end would be a mismatch. Roth has some wheels and quickness, but in the past, he had only one pass-rush move: the bull rush.

He has some more tools now and seems to be playing very well. He is has been a stud against the run, and in blitzing, he has been very solid (running backs less likely to successfully pick up the big guy on a blitz). We’ll see how this works as the year goes on.

LB5 - Reggie Torbor

Wearing his 2007 Super Bowl ring, Torbor is the everyman linebacker for the Dolphins. He has been playing, and playing decently, at almost every spot in the linebacker corps. He is a very solid role-player and can start if need be (see last year’s Super Bowl if you need a citation).

LB6 - Rob Ninkovich

Ninkovich is essentially Matt Roth-lite. Ninkovich is a defensive end that has been learning to play at the outside-linebacker position, and though not as productive as Roth, he has certainly not been lost.

The Dolphins need as much depth here as they can possibly get, and Ninkovich is a guy that can play either end or OLB, as well as special teams, and that should keep his foot in the door.

LB7 - Quentin Moses

The former Georgia Bulldog struck me as the best replacement for Jason Taylor. His not starting is less an issue of him not doing something that it is Matt Roth doing something more.

Moses has had somewhat of an odyssey since being drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2007 draft. He was cut before the season started, signed by the Cardinals, and then cut again. The Dolphins picked him up, and Moses played very well for them in limited action.

I think Moses stays because he is a fast DE that will probably transition into a decent 3-4 OLB. Look for him to get in on some plays this year and make a contribution to special teams.

LB8 - Charlie Anderson

Anderson was the first choice at OLB after Taylor was traded but injuries opened up opportunities for Matt Roth. Anderson won’t get Roth’s job, but he should stick and play for Porter when Porter’s back is too much for No. 55.

SS1 - Yeremiah Bell

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