5 Biggest Obstacles Facing Miami Dolphins in 2015

The makeup of the roster of the Miami Dolphins shows you a team that should contend not just for a playoff spot, but for an AFC East title. 

A great defensive front, a young and talented corps of wide receivers, two running backs that complement each other well and the presence of a quarterback that improves every season are the reasons for hope and optimism in Miami. 

On the flip side, the Dolphins are the Dolphins and have been in this position before—filled with promise with high expectations—only to fall flat on their face in embarrassment while causing their fans to cry those seemingly annual December tears. 

Will 2015 be any different? We'll have to find out soon; however, we can look at the five biggest obstacles the Dolphins must overcome in order to break through. 

5. Questionable Secondary

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

The fifth-biggest issue for the Dolphins is their secondary. 

The unit boasts a Pro Bowl cornerback in Brent Grimes, a safety in Reshad Jones who should be in the Pro Bowl in 2015 assuming everything goes right, and an important player in Louis Delmas. 

After that, there are loads of question marks. 

The No. 2 cornerback will be a player who is entering their third year in the NFL, has yet to record his first interception in the league and has been hobbled by injuries. 

That applies to Will Davis and Jamar Taylor. 

There is experience in the slot with Brice McCain, who should be an upgrade over Jimmy Wilson, but after that there's nothing but youth and inexperience. 

By the end of the season this obstacle might turn into a boost that leads Miami to the playoffs, which is the upside of having such a young and inexperienced group. But as of right now, it's not exactly the team's biggest strength on defense. 

4. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

If we're discussing obstacles to the Dolphins winning the AFC East, the defending champion New England Patriots have won the AFC East the last six seasons and 13 of the last 15 years. 

The Patriots, post-Super Bowl, haven't had the best of offseasons. Every team in the division (including, and especially, the Dolphins) has improved in terms of talent, and some situation having to do with equipment arose which has their star quarterback Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season (appeal pending). 

With that four-game suspension, one would think the Dolphins have a better shot at winning the division. 

You're incorrect. 

Not one of the games Brady is suspended for is against Miami as the Dolphins don't play the Patriots until Week 8, and unless the Dolphins start 4-0 and the Patriots start 0-4, in the long run the suspension won't matter. 

What does matter: two games against the Patriots. 

Miami has had success against the Patriots in Miami, winning their last two home games. On the other side, the Dolphins haven't won in New England since 2008, when the Wildcat was unveiled. 

Honorable mentions in terms of obstacles go to the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills (especially the Bills), but the biggest obstacle from within the division still remains the Super Bowl champions. 

3. A Shallow Pool at Linebacker

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Miami's secondary is unproven, but there's greatness mixed in with the unproven players. 

The linebackers are a different story, as most of them are unproven. 

As for the starters, you have Koa Misi, who we know is a decent middle linebacker. Would he be better on the outside? Absolutely, but due to the lack of depth, he's playing up the middle. 

Next to him on the weak side is Jelani Jenkins. Jenkins is the best linebacker the Dolphins have, and I expect big things from him in 2015 based on the leap he made in 2014. 

The other starter: Chris McCain, who didn't play too often in 2014 but was effective while on the field. 

The rest of the linebackers will be undrafted free agents fighting for a roster spot or special teams specialists. If one linebacker gets hurt, it could get ugly for the Dolphins. 

2. Joe Philbin

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

This is to be expected, as Joe Philbin hasn't exactly earned my trust in four seasons as Dolphins head coach. 

He has shown flashes in the last three seasons, as there are times when the Dolphins look like the most disciplined team in the league and every unit is firing on all cylinders. Player development has also been a plus, with the first player to come to mind being quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who, despite two different offensive coordinators, has gotten better every season. 

The downsides are much more though, and enough of them had me questioning why he was brought back to coach the team in 2015. 

Ian Wharton explains the issues Philbin has had in this piece, writing: 

"

Despite having enough talent to win the AFC wild card in each of the last two seasons, the Miami Dolphins crumbled down the stretch instead. Their inconsistent play and identity must be brought back on the coaching staff.

Head coach Joe Philbin doesn’t come off well in media sessions as he’s dry and seems aloof. His in-game decisions leave the same feeling. This is largely why 2015 is a make-or-break season for Philbin and the Dolphins.

"

Wharton would then praise Bill Lazor, who has been one of the two best coaches to work under Philbin (the other being former defensive line coach-turned Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers), but this isn't about the assistants. 

This is on Philbin, currently 23-25, sitting on a seat hotter than a leather seat in a car with untinted windows in Miami during the summer. 

1. The Guards

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

By far, the biggest question mark for the Dolphins is at guard. 

There's a good chance the Dolphins will start a player at guard who has no prior NFL experience. 

That's a scary thought, especially since the downfall of the offense has been the offensive line. 

The contenders for the starting jobs (yes, it's plural) are Billy Turner (19 snaps in 2014), Jamil Douglas (entering his rookie season), Jason Fox (minus-7.2 grade in 138 snaps), Jeff Linkenbach (primarily a bench player throughout his career) and Dallas Thomas (much maligned due to his tackle play, but at guard was just as bad with a minus-12.4 overall at guard). 

Scary times up the middle, so much so that ESPN's James Walker wondered if Miami's guards are "good enough."

According to Omar Kelly of The Sun-Sentinel, the Dolphins are comfortable with their guards, with head coach Joe Philbin saying: 

"

"There's no question in my mind that they'll be capable of doing the job. I think they just need experience, they need repetition, they need exposure, they need to work with [center Mike] Pouncey and the guy next to them and get it figured out.

"It may not be as pretty as we want it day one of training camp, but I think they are great guys. Football is important to them. These guys have been working extremely hard.

"You just never know, you have to have some patience and kind of a long-term view of this thing."

"

Despite that, Kelly reports the Dolphins are still interested in signing Evan Mathis, provided the price is right. 

That would be an extremely great idea, but he might be too expensive for them going forward. Despite that, I advocate spending the money and getting it done since it will solve the biggest obstacle Miami will face this season. 

Advanced stats provided by Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. 

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