2010 Miami Dolphins Offseason Overview: Defensive Line

The Dolphins have plenty of holes to address this offseason, but none larger than the sport’s biggest position: nose tackle.

With incumbent starter Jason Ferguson on the wrong side of 35 and set to be a free agent in March, Miami needs to find a replacement in the middle of their defensive line.

While the defensive captain has stressed he will only play for the Dolphins next season if he doesn’t retire, the team can’t count on him as the answer.

Beyond Ferguson, the Dolphins have no one to rely on for extended stretches, and it really showed at the end of last season after he was put on injured reserve with a quad injury.

Paul Soliai, Ferguson’s current backup, has proven so far he’s incapable of handling the lion’s share anchoring the unit.

While Soliai has played well in limited spurts, his off-field approach is troubling. The career backup has consistently reported to camp overweight and was even suspended one game last season over conditioning issues.

Right now, the roster doesn’t currently have an option at the nose, and it is by far the most glaring weakness on the team. The situation will have to be addressed in free agency or the draft; the Dolphins have no other choice.

To the left and right of the defensive line, things are looking up, however. Starting right end Randy Starks was listed by Scouts Inc. as the best 3-4 defensive end in the NFL in 2009. He is joined by second-year starter Kendall Langford as the Dolphins powerful one-two punch on the ends of the Dolphins’ line.

At 6’3” and 305 lbs, Starks is extremely large for an end, even in the bigger 3-4 schemes. He is capable of playing both left and right end as well as clocking time at the nose. Starks is extremely versatile and has developed into one of the premiere players at his position following an impressive 2009 campaign.

He recorded 56 tackles and 7 sacks, doubling his average production over the last five seasons. Against the run, Starks is elite and sets the edge on the line like clockwork. Opposing teams generally don’t run his direction.

As for the team's two young guns, Langford and Philip Merling, both of the 24-year olds have improved steadily in their two years on the team. Langford has started every game for the Dolphins since being drafted in the third round in 2008. Merling lost his starting role to Starks at the start of last season, but that was more to do with Starks' performance than Merling’s.

The former Clemson standout has shown a knack for big plays—he returned an interception for a touchdown in week 16 during the '08 season. At 6’4” 295 lbs, Merling is very tough against the run but struggles as a pass rusher. As the team's primary defensive end backup, he will excel in 2010 though.

Beyond those names, guys like Tony McDaniel, Lional Dotson, and Ryan Baker round out the Dolphins defensive line, but their contributions are minimal. Dotson and Baker have shown potential, but their skill sets and decision-making are still very raw and will need a lot of work.

As a whole, the unit has a lot of strengths, but one massive weakness. Without a solution at nose tackle, the Dolphins will struggle to hold ground defensively for the entire 2010 season, and general manager Jeff Ireland will be looking to make several additions to supplement the lack of bodies on the roster.

Defensive Line Grade: B-