The 5 Biggest Issues Facing Miami Dolphins with OTAs Wrapped

The Miami Dolphins have taken extraneous measures to improve their roster this offseason. Now, with organized team activities (OTAs) wrapped, head coach Joe Philbin is getting his first look at the roster and how it's assembled.

The Dolphins need these practices to help bring the pieces together, and with so many new faces in the fold, the chemistry-building aspect of these workouts is as important as ever. Brand-new starting lineups at wide receiver, linebacker and defensive tackle are all trying to learn the system while learning each other.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins' coaching staff must sort through everything to find out what the biggest issues are left to tackle. 

At this point, though, they may already know what those issues are.

Who Will Start at Guard?

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Sep 26, 2014; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin (right) holds a formation playbook to center Mike Poncey (51) and guard Billy Turner (left) at practice at Allianz Park in advance of the NFL International Series game between the Miam

For two years, the Dolphins' biggest concern has been on the offensive line. Just 12 months ago, Mike Pouncey was the only holdover from the previous season, and he wasn't even available to start the season due to an injury. Fast-forward to the team's OTAs, and while Branden Albert has been missing while rehabbing a torn ACL, there's a remarkable amount of consistency up front.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the starting offensive line has been (from left tackle to right tackle) Jason Fox, Dallas Thomas, Mike Pouncey, Billy Turner and Ja'Wuan James. Thomas, Pouncey and James are all returning starters from last year's group, and if Albert were available to practice, he would make No. 4. But the biggest question is: Who will be the starting guards?

Thomas may be a holdover, but that doesn't mean he should be starting. There should be a three-way competition between Thomas, Turner and Arizona State rookie Jamil Douglas. Douglas and Turner should be the front-runners, but right now, it's anyone's guess.

DeVante Parker Missing Important Chemistry-Building Opportunity

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Let's put it this way: The Dolphins didn't draft Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker with the No. 14 pick because they wanted to bring him along slowly, but that may be what they have to do.

Parker had surgery on a screw in his foot recently. These are precious opportunities that Parker is missing where he could be learning the offense, building chemistry with his teammates and (most importantly) quarterback Ryan Tannehill and laying the foundation for a bright start to his NFL career.

There's an eight-week timetable for his return, which would make him available sometime during training camp, but according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, that could be an unrealistic expectation. 

As one of the more NFL-ready wide receiver prospects in this year's class, the time off isn't going to kill Parker's chances of contributing as a rookie. That being said, he could be facing an uphill climb when he finally steps on the field, and he could be jumping straight out of the frying pan and into the fire. 

It may be in the Dolphins' best interests to keep his early expectations low, but ultimately, they'll want to work him into the system as soon as possible.

Who Will Start at the Linebacker Spots?

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Jelani Jenkins (53, right) could resume his starting role from 2014.

The Dolphins gutted the top of their depth chart at linebacker this offseason by parting ways with both Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler. The Dolphins thrust second-year linebacker Jelani Jenkins into a starting role when Ellerbe suffered a season-ending injury, and he's getting the top reps at one linebacker spot, while Koa Misi is still the most likely to start in the middle.

According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, however, the other spot is up for grabs, and there's a bit of a competition brewing between Spencer Paysinger and Chris McCain. After moving back and forth from linebacker to defensive end, McCain should be the one who earns the most opportunities, but a strong training camp could quickly change the playing field at the position. 

As Beasley noted, "although Misi remains the odds-on favorite to start in the middle, don’t discount the possibility of Kelvin Sheppard stealing some playing time."

The Dolphins spent an exorbitant amount of money to address the front line of their defense, but nearly none at the second level. They appear to have things under control, though, and the last time they spent big money on linebackers was what led them to this spot. 

Brent Grimes and Who Else at Cornerback?

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There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Brent Grimes will be one of the Dolphins' two starting cornerbacks this coming season. But who will play the Ricky Ricardo to Grimes' Lucy, the Murtaugh to Grimes' Riggs, the Bert to Grimes' Ernie?

During OTAs, third-year cornerback Jamar Taylor was the primary defensive back tasked with covering the opposite side of the field, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The Dolphins made Taylor a second-round pick in 2013, and he's yet to live up to that billing, but there's still plenty of time for him to do so. 

And if he doesn't, there's still plenty of competition waiting to dethrone him.

Perhaps veteran cornerback Brice McCain could challenge for the No. 2 spot, or maybe even rookie Bobby McCain. There's also seven-year veteran Zack Bowman and backups like Will Davis and Walt Aikens who are probably hungry for significant playing time.

Taylor can't be content, and the Dolphins can't be, either. 

Who Starts Next to Ndamukong Suh?

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Ndamukong Suh fills one spot on the interior of the Dolphins defensive line, but the other spot remains a mystery. 

It could be rookie Jordan Phillips, drafted in the second round presumably because the Dolphins' scouts and coaching staff felt he has starting potential; it could also be veteran Earl Mitchell, who has never been more than a part-time player in his career; it could even be C.J. Mosley, who started next to Suh with the Detroit Lions and was recently signed to a contract by the Dolphins, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Jackson's co-worker, Armando Salguero, reports that Suh and Mitchell will remain the starters at defensive tackle regardless of the addition of Mosley. That being said, if there's a truly open competition in training camp, there's still plenty of time for things to change.