Ndamukong Suh Could Prove Stark Contrast to Joe Philbin Coaching Style

The world was watching. We all knew what would happen, but we were all watching anyway during the eighth season of HBO's Hard Knocks, as Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told wide receiver Chad Johnson that he would be released following his arrest on a domestic violence charge.

He wasn't the first character-flawed player to be jettisoned from Miami at the drop of a hat. He wasn't the last, either. 

The Dolphins suspended and later released guard Richie Incognito following news that he was involved in the harassment of teammates Jonathan Martin and Nate Garner. They traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall, a "ticking time bomb" who had police called to his address "on a semi-regular basis," almost immediately upon Joe Philbin's arrival in Miami.

Free-agent defensive tackle Jared Odrick has not been re-signed, and defensive tackle Randy Starks was released on Wednesday, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald; it can't be a coincidence that both men have been vocally upset with Philbin in the past. 

Yet, despite a trail of high-profile players who have been sent packing for their transgressions, the Dolphins were willing to drop $114 million and $60 million guaranteed over six years for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The same Suh who introduced himself to the NFL by bodyslamming Jake Delhomme using his helmet as leverage. The same Suh who stomps on guys, has been fined in excess of $200,000 for his transgressions and was voted the dirtiest player in the NFL by his peers. The same Suh whose trips to the commissioner's office are more regular than the bowel movements of someone drinking a gallon of Metamucil every day. 

This does not sound like the kind of player Philbin would want anything to do with, period, much less a player who Philbin would willingly spend millions of dollars to acquire. 

There aren't very many opportunities for a team to add a generational player to their roster, and there are arguably only two—Suh and cornerback Darrelle Revis—who were available this year. The Dolphins decided to put their need for top talent ahead of their desire for high character.

That's a stark contrast to their previous philosophy on the matter, but Suh is the kind of transformative player that simply can't be passed up. 

Stats	Hurries	Hits	Sacks	Pressures
2010	24	6	11	41
2011	27	4	4	35
2012	29	20	9	58
2013	56	14	10	80
2014	37	12	8	57
Total	173	56	42	271

Suh has dominated the NFL for years, with 36 sacks in his five-year career. According to Pro Football Focus, Suh has ranked among the top 10 most productive pass-rushing defensive tackles in each of his five years in the league. He notched 57 total quarterback pressures in 2014 (37 hurries, 12 hits, eight sacks), the most pressures for any defensive tackle.

Basically, his disruptive capabilities are second to none among interior linemen in the NFL. 

Put him on the line next to Cameron Wake and/or Olivier Vernon, and opposing offensive coordinators had better begin picking up all the heads-up pennies they find on the ground because they'll need all the luck they can get in order to avoid having their game plans completely ruined by a fierce Dolphins pass rush.

Losing Odrick and Starks won't help, but Suh could have the kind of impact on his own that those two players had combined—albeit at a price tag that is probably higher than what both Odrick and Starks would earn together. Suh also has the potential to create the kind of headache on his own that those two could create together.

That's the risk the Dolphins will take with this move. 

If Philbin can keep Suh on the field, and if Suh can keep from eating Philbin, the two sides could be winners on this deal. But in order to live up to the price tag, Suh is going to have to stay as productive as he was with the Detroit Lions and stay on the field more often than he was with his former team.

Only then can he reach the value the Dolphins have placed on him.