Dolphin Shout Miami Dolphins Fan Question - "DE Depth" From Barry

 This will be my final fan question for now because training camp is finally here and there will be more to right about.

This question is from, once again, Barry West in London. Thank you Barry for yet another question. I really appreciate it. Here it is:

Do you think we have adequate depth at DE now merling is out? And, is Douglas a good enough replacement?

My Answer

The addition of Douglas gives the Miami Dolphins depth at the defensive end position. I'm not sure who will be the starter, but you can be confident that the backup will be capable to step in if needed.

If I had to predict the starter I would say that it will probably be Douglas because he is more experienced and gets a whole lot of tackles. He is also a better run stopper than Odrick.

The only downside to Douglas starting is that he doesn't get to the quarterback near as well as Odrick.

Other than that, Douglas has more advantages than Odrick. While Odrick is the long-term solution, Douglas will hold down the spot well and help Odrick develop.

I also believe that Douglas is a much better replacement than some people think. Douglas had almost twice as many tackles as Merling did last year. So, we are looking at an upgrade for this year on the d-line.

So, don't worry at all. Not only do we have a better player than we had originally, we also have depth at the position for when Douglass retires.

Thanks for the question Barry, and be thankful that training camp is finally among us.

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Dolphin Shout Miami Dolphins Fan Question - "Jared Odrick" from Barry

Here is yet another question from Barry in London, England.

It really is great to hear from committed Dolphins fan from around the country. As much as I would like to see an NFL team in England for it's growing fan base, I am afraid Miami will lose fans like Barry.

Anyway, here is his question:

Hi Paul,

How big a loss is Phillip Merling now that he's out for the season? Is Jared Odrick ready to start, or do we need to move for a veteran?

My Answer

I am confident in Jared Odrick this year. From everything I have heard about him, he is great at penetrating. He can get to the backfield and disrupt the offense very well. He is also very tall at 6'5", which is great because you can't teach height. You can expect to see Odrick deflecting a good number of passes thrown by the quarterback thanks to his height.

The biggest weakness for Odrick is when he isn't able to penetrate the defense and get into the backfield. He isn't the greatest at stopping a runner coming his way on the line, and that is why he wasn't drafted higher this year.

One thing that Merling wasn't able to do well that Odrick will is that he couldn't get to the quarterback nearly as well as Merling. That is a huge thing for me, and it is why I like Jared Odrick a lot.

As for signing a veteran, I think you can predict the future. Miami has just signed a veteran, and I will get to that in my next blog post, so stay tuned.

But back to Odrick, I am confident in his ability and believe he is a great replacement for Merling.

Thanks for your question Barry, and for anyone who has a question please email them to me at paul@dolphinshout.com.

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Miami Dolphins DE Phillip Merling Is All But Done Now Because Of Injury

In a post a few days ago I answered a question on whether I thought the Miami Dolphins would release DE Phillip Merling because of an assault charge.

I wanted the Dolphins to release him, and I still do. But, I didn't think they would because they haven't shown any signs of wanting to get rid of him. Well, now they have another reason to cut him.

He apparently has an injury to his Achilles Tendon injury and will be out for an unannounced amount of time.

This is just another reason for Miami to cut him, and I would be extremely surprised if they don't. Not only will cutting him clear up another roster spot and give the team a better image, but it is also possible that the injury wasn't football related. If that is the case, then it is possible that Miami will also not have to pay Merling his salary of $600,000 from last year.

Normally, you wouldn't want to get rid of a starter, but thankfully Miami went for Jared Odrick in the draft. Odrick and Merling were competing for the starting defensive end spot, so we know Merling can be replaced.

Aren't you guys glad that Miami traded down in the draft and was still able to get Jared Odrick?

Let me know with your comments.

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Dolphin Shout Miami Dolphins Fan Question - Phillip Merling from Anthony

We have another question from our man in the heart of enemy territory. Anthony Bertolini from New York has a question about Philip Merling. So, here it is:

Paul I have a tough time dealing with 6' 4" 305 pound Phillip Merling hitting his pregnant girlfriend. Do you think if he's found guilty Miami will cut him automatically?

Paul I'm far from an angel myself but hitting a pregnant woman, or any woman for that matter is inexcusable.

Thanks & Regards as Always,
Anthony

My Answer

I, like you, am not on Phillip Merling's side on this one. Hitting a woman is never acceptable, but hitting a pregnant woman is five times worse.

While I would like Miami to get rid of him if he is guilty, I am not really sure if they will. They really didn't say or do much when the story first came out. I don't think they will do a whole lot more, either. They may suspend him for a certain amount of time, but that won't be likely for one reason: the NFL will probably get to him first.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell enjoys giving out big fines and suspensions. That is why the NFL will probably suspend Merling for at least part of the season and hand him a nice fine.

While he deserves all of the suspensions and fines, I think the one thing he deserves most (being cut from Miami) might not happen. Merling is a talented player, and with Randy Starks moving to Nose Tackle Miami may try and keep him because of his skill. It may not seem right, but it is a possibility.

Let's hope that Miami does cut him. I would rather just depend on Kendall Langford and Paul Soliai than having to follow Merling. We will see, though.

Thanks for the question and keep them coming guys. Also, don't forget about my fantasy football league. Email me for details about it or to ask a question about Miami at this email address:

paul@dolphinshout.com

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Have the Miami Dolphins Become a "Thug" Team?

Nobody wants their favorite team's players to be arrested, and especially not multiple players in the same offseason.

Well, that is what has happened to the Miami Dolphins this offseason. The most recent was Phillip Merling who was arrested for hitting a pregnant woman.

I am wondering if you guys think the Miami Dolphins are becoming a thug team.

I know that you may not think that they are but think about this:

Multiple players have been arrested this season and the Dolphins also signed Richie Incognito, who isn't exactly a nice player to play against. They have shown a couple of times that they don't care about fan favorites.

I am not saying that they are thugs, it is just something to think about. I personally am fine overall with the Dolphins right now, with the exception of Phillip Merling. Never in my life could I support somebody who hit a woman, especially a pregnant one. I would be happier if Miami releases him. Nevermind that he could have possibly been starting. He is someone that I do not want to root for.

I also do not support the DUI's, but as long as they can learn from their mistakes then I am ok with it. If any one of the players who got a DUI has another run-in with the law, though, I would want them out of Miami.

Let me know what you guys think.

To leave a comment click on the link that tells how many comments have been left. It is right below this next to the email link

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