2011 NFL Free Agency Preview: Outside Linebackers

however, Roth and this FO had a falling out I fear cannot be mended which leaves Lawson.

I would sign him, Misi can learn under this guy who is a real solid SOLB for a 3-4.

and moving Misi inside next to Dansby. Kiwanuka or Umenyiora, could both excell in Nolans 3-4 scheme.

So there are no pass rush specialist in FA. Going off the stats none seem to be a upgrade over.

Misi is fine as the starter, but depth isn’t bad at all. I wouldn’t mind Lawson, but I think some team will pay him starter’s money thinking he can be their full-time OLB. I’d rather Miami go for depth and I do like the Barnes.

Thomas Davis is another player I like at OLB, but I think there will be some competition for him and it may drive his price high. Because of Davis’ athletic abilities though, I think he has the potential to wreak havoc when matched up with Wake. This is assuming he beats Misi for the job of course.

He’s got a good relationship with the dolphins right??? :P

He seems to fit the prototype they look for.

I don’t mind signing Kiwanuka to a one year deal and seeing what happens. I would like us to snatch JT as well.

Moses hasn’t developed as a pass rush specialist and I think it is time to move on.

OMG this would be Christmas Morning, dude is a STUD.

LAWSON DANSBY MISI LAWSON

We could even move Misi inside.

Ikaika Alama-Francis will (hopefully) make significant improvements to his game. He was the victim of the inexplicable 12-monkeys virus that took over the Dolphins locker room last season.

If healthy, I can see IAF playing a significant role in 2011 for the Dolphins. And here’s something else to consider:

The Dolphins are already there defensively. Quentin Moses was servicable as a backup, and he’s still young with upside. Why not give him the chance to see some playing time as a backup?

To play devil’s advocate, it would make sense to bring in someone for “insurance”. There would be a significant dropoff in defensive production at the OLB position if Misi or (god forbid) Wake were to go down with an injury. Someone like Mathias Kiwanuka or Antwan Barnes would make perfect sense.

I’m particularly intrigued by the possibility of bringing Antwan Barnes in as a role player. He’s the type of guy that could provide some level of pass rush if we did lose Wake to injury.

for an upgrade to outside linebacker. I dont personally have as problem with the players that we have in place now. I am thinking that a reshuffling may take place once jared odrick is able to start producing. Maybe Misi to inside LB could be a good move…i just dont know,

Move Vontae Davis to outside linebacker.

Is a bad ass OLB, he was amazing in the run..watch video and when he was on the field they ran toward Wake..lol misi is strong line backer..he’s not gonna get as many sacks as we would like but he will be a double digit sack player this year..mark my words..he’s bad ass against the run and can get too the QB..he ligit

Everybody learns the Pro game a little slower, Wake played so so first year then went into sick mode,WOLB is alot easier than SOLB , easy job, get the QB. Give Misi one more year before we want to burn him.

I’d like to see JT retire as a Dolphin. He happened to be a class act and may even have one more season left in the tank. I agree with Matty. With Parcells in the rear view mirror, Taylor may be a cosideration.

JT was a class act. Miami (Parcells) didnt want him. The Jets did. You go where people want you. Taylor would have gladly stayed in Miami and probably for a home town discount. He was a class act in our community as well. Received awards from several South Florida charities and organizations which I’m not about to Google that and accumulated his Pro-Bowl and likely HOF creds while playing for the Dolphins.

There are younger players on our FA radar that might meet our immediate needs better than Taylor however I hope we get him back at some point to see him retire as a Dolphin.

He was a 2nd rounder for a reason. He was a ‘force’ until some bug got him and hopefully next season will have recouped and have Edd’s or Dansbys back.
Moving Misi….a guy who, in his first year, and never played the position before, who has more ‘upside’ then ‘almost’ any FA out there, is….well, stupid! People kept bitchin last year about juggling the offense…. Let the flower blossom!

I say “almost” any FA, because IMO, the most under-rated OLB out there is “James Anderson” …not Charlie! Not so much as the Pass rusher that Misi will become…but the ‘solid’ depth he would bring.
When we were discussing Chowder at ILB…where most running tackles are made… it was a head shaker….because of the low #’s.
The Panthers are run at allot… and Anderson…..at “OLB”, has 130 tackles!
O…did I mention that was just last season?

We need a situational pass rusher who can rush the passer either standing up on with his hand in the dirt. We don’t need to replace Misi unless we can get a dynamic pass rusher and there are none to be had at this point. Lawson is an older, more expensive version of Misi (a good run stuffing OLB who can get disruptions, but doesn’t get a lot of sacks). Misi is more than adequate at OLB, but wasn’t as effective in the nickel package. In our nickel package, we generally have a 4 man front, with Wake rushing from the LE position. We need a good pass rusher who can rush from the DE spot. We don’t need to replace Misi.

IMO, the ideal solution is to get a guy like JT or Kiwanuka. These guys will be cheaper than Lawson and will not be as concerned about starting. These guys can rush the QB with the hands on the ground and would work in our sub package.

So Misi would be in the game as a SOLB during rushing situations and as a OLB pass rusher. In our nickel package, Crowder would leave the field, Misi could slide over to the ILb spot (better in coverage than Crowder and we don’t know what we are getting with Edds yet), and JT or Kiwi would be the RE. So we would have a DL of Wake at LE, Odrick and Starks at DT, and JT/Kiwi at RE; Dansby and Misi as our LBs and then our secondary. That would be a tough defense to throw against; two dynamic end rushers, dynamic LBs who can cover or blitz and of course, our improving secondary.

Misi played plenty OLB in college, he also played ILB as well.

and if we picked up Lawson that would put us in a position to do exactly that.

I’m all for it!

He’s a good fit for what we need, I like his upside, and he’d be fun to root for, coming off the injury and all.

The others . . . meh. If we could pick one of them up cheap, just for depth, that’s fine, but that’s about the extent of my interest. I wouldn’t give much for any of them.

JT might be a decent situational rusher this year, and it would be kinda nice to have him retire as a Dolphin, but I can’t help feeling he’s hit that point in his career where his effectiveness is about to nosedive.

I mean Kiwanuka

Leaps & bounds after only one year!