What Gary Guyton Signing Means for Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots

Former New England Patriots linebacker and special teams contributor Gary Guyton signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.

Luckily, I get to cover linebacker Gary Guyton going and coming. 

So let's break it down from both angles:

What It Means for the Patriots

Guyton has started 14 games in the past two years, mostly when injuries or suspension have befallen the likes of Jerod Mayo or Brandon Spikes respectively. 

Although he had a lot of experience in the system, things just never seemed to click for Guyton. He was lauded for his coverage, but he was picked apart at times and allowed over 75 percent completions on passes his direction in 2011 according to Pro Football Focus.

Dane Fletcher, Bobby Carpenter and Tracy White are the only names that could potentially fill his role, but how effectively is another question. Fletcher has been a preseason wonder in the past two seasons, and he may be asked to step up into a bigger role with Guyton gone.

What It Means for the Dolphins

As the Dolphins switch to a hybrid defense in 2012, they want to keep their options open at linebacker. Guyton has a good deal of experience playing in a hybrid defense, as the Patriots have gone back and forth between the 3-4 and 4-3 over the past couple of years. 

Guyton has the speed a lot of teams like to see in a 4-3 linebacker, but he takes bad angles at times and struggles in pass coverage.

There's work to be done before Guyton can be counted on, and the Dolphins already have two solid linebackers in Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby. As they try to find the third piece, picking up Guyton provides low-risk depth for the Dolphins.

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