What Will the Dolphins Do at Linebacker Without Dannell Ellerbe?

Timing is everything.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Dannell Ellerbe injured his left hip in the Dolphins' 33-20 Week 1 win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, and he will be placed on injured reserve, according to head coach Joe Philbin. His season is over, but the Dolphins season is in its infancy.

No one ever likes to see a player suffer a season-ending injury, but if it has to happen, it's better early than late. At least this way, the Dolphins have the rest of the season to figure out their contingency plan, and Ellerbe will surely be ready to go for the 2015 season.

"Dannell is a heck of a player," defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said on Monday, "and we were excited about the prospects of him moving back to the Will position and playing as effectively as he could. But that's part of the game and we move on and, like every team in the league does when you have injuries, you have to have people step up, fill in and we'll do that and we'll move forward."

Player	Snaps	Snap %
Jason Trusnik	67/86	78
Jelani Jenkins	59/86	69
Dannell Ellerbe	18/86	21
Koa Misi	17/86	20
Chris McCain	16/86	19
Jonathan Freeny	14/86	16

At present, the contingency plan consists of young backups and a veteran castoff Kelvin Sheppard, a former Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts linebacker. 

Ellerbe played only 18 snaps before being injured, according to the NFL game book. It should also be noted that the Dolphins are without linebacker Philip Wheeler (thumb) for the time being, and they also lost linebacker Koa Misi (ankle) during Sunday's win; Misi and Wheeler's availability remains uncertain.

In their absence, linebackers Jason Trusnik, Jelani Jenkins and Chris McCain all earned playing time.

Sheppard is the most likely candidate as a middle linebacker in the Dolphins' 4-3 scheme, while Trusnik projects as a strong-side linebacker and Jenkins' athleticism makes him a good candidate for the weak-side responsibilities. McCain played defensive end against the Patriots, but he could also stand up and play strong-side linebacker.

After being drafted in the third round, Sheppard has struggled in his three-year NFL career. He has spent most of his time on the field defending the run, often being taken off the field when his teams were in a nickel package on defense. He will probably have a similar role with the Dolphins, but we'll have to wait to see exactly how he fits into their plans.

Trusnik, Jenkins and McCain combined for 312 snaps in the 2013 season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) but played 351 in the 2014 preseason. The three played 142 combined snaps against the Patriots.

The coaching staff deserves credit for having those guys ready to play a big role, and be effective.

"I can't say enough about those guys and the job that Coach (Mark) Duffner and Coach (David) Corrao did to get those guys ready," said head coach Joe Philbin. "Those guys stepped in. (Jason Trusnik), he was out there calling the defense, he was playing on special teams, he did it all and did a great job. Jelani, you noticed him because they were trying to throw the ball to the tight end, they tried to pick him on the wheel route and get the back down the sideline.

"You're going to have to have your backup players step up when the time comes and they certainly did that. I was really impressed with the entire group."

Think about that: Trusnik was wearing the green dot, calling the signals for the defense, despite playing less than 20 percent of the Dolphins' snaps in 2013. That speaks volumes, in and of itself. That being said, Brady wasn't going to let the young, inexperienced linebackers get off the field without being tested a few times. 

Source: NFL Game Rewind

On 2nd-and-8 in the fourth quarter with 13:30 remaining, Brady went to running back Shane Vereen (circled in yellow) on a wheel route to the right. Vereen started in motion from left to right before the snap, building momentum into the route.

Patriots wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins (circled in black) ran a stick route on the right, with the intent of creating some traffic so that Jenkins (circled in red) couldn't get to the play to break up the pass.

Source: NFL Game Rewind

Source: NFL Game Rewind

Brady was hoping for a rookie mistake, but what he saw unfold was nothing short of veteran savvy. Jenkins was able to get over the top of the "rub" or "pick" being set by Thompkins, allowing him to stay with Vereen stride for stride—a feat in and of itself simply by virtue of Vereen's notorious speed.

Down the sideline they went, with both men tracking the ball floating through the air and trying to time it just right to make a play. The moment of truth arrived, and Jenkins was ready. He raised his right arm at just the right time to defend the pass without drawing pass interference.

For folks who complain about a defender failing to turn his head when the ball is in the air, this is a textbook demonstration of how to defend a pass without losing sight of your assignment.

Jenkins wasn't the only unheralded linebacker stepping up for the Dolphins. McCain made his impact felt within minutes by blocking the Patriots punt on their opening drive, and he heard his name called once again when he sacked Brady with 47 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Dolphins aren't ready to put him in the Hall of Fame just yet, but they are preparing him for a bigger role in the defense.

"He's a work in progress," Coyle said. "He's getting better every week. We're preparing him to play. He prepared to play both defensive end and linebacker last week and he'll do the same this week. It's pretty amazing to be in your first NFL game as an undrafted free agent and first snap block a punt and then come on later on one of his first rushes in the game he gets a sack of Tom Brady. I think he'll remember that game for a long time."

Trusnik, Jenkins, Sheppard and McCain will be thrust into the spotlight with Ellerbe out for the season and Misi and Wheeler out for the time being. If their performance against the Patriots is any indication, the Dolphins may not be dead in the water without their veterans at the second level of the defense.

Unless otherwise noted, quotes obtained via team news release.

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