Miami Dolphins: It Cannot Be Avoided, the Secondary Is a Problem

While the Dolphins continue to establish their identity in the first few weeks of the season, there are a few things that are becoming a reality.

They have an incredibly dynamic running game that consists of Reggie Bush, Daniel Thomas, and rookie Lamar Miller. Ryan Tannehill has showed tons of promise and maturity as a starting quarterback. The run defense is incredibly solid, having limited the likes of Arian Foster (to a certain extent), Darren McFadden, and Shonn Greene.

However, the secondary has been a whole different ball game.

Throughout the first three games of the season, the Dolphins secondary has been torched by opposing quarterbacks. Matt Schaub threw for 266 yards. Carson Palmer threw for 373 yards. Mark Sanchez, the pretty boy of the NFL, threw for 306 yards.

Frankly, the thought of the great quarterbacks in the NFL like division-rival Tom Brady taking on this secondary twice this season is incredibly alarming.

Miami has focused all its effort on drastically limiting the production of opposing running backs. And under Joe Philbin, the Dolphins have succeeding in this protocol.

But, in the process, the Dolphins secondary has only gotten worse. The loss of Vontae Davis was not necessarily a huge blow. However, the fact remains, that this secondary is incredibly vulnerable to opposing offenses.

A leader has to emerge. Analysts figured Sean Smith would rise to the occasion in a contract season, but he has not been the premier defensive back on the squad.

This is not a problem that will be fixed this season. The Dolphins have accumulated a plethora of draft picks and hope to pair the secondary up with the lack of receivers and address it for the future.

Only then, can the Dolphins rise to prominence and shed the label of another "rebuilding" season.