The Miami Dolphins have been searching for answers amid their struggling season. Despite a slow 3-6 start, they are not out of the AFC wild card race. As the team looks high and low for consistent contributions to winning efforts, they looked toward the waiver wire following a surprising release from an NFC opponent. Will the Miami Dolphins be able to make a late playoff push?
Miami Dolphins Sign LB Tyrel Dodson
The Miami Dolphins claimed Linebacker Tyrel Dodson off waivers, and the move might prove pivotal in the middle of the season in solidifying their defense. Having started for both the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills, Dodson brings a load of experience into the group, as he has started all nine games this season with Seattle. Surrounded by such a rare and unexpected release, Head Coach Mike McDaniel says the team is eager to add depth and talent to their defensive ranks.
His presence can be a welcome solution to the problems the Miami Dolphins defense has, and with their inability to get constant plays against the run and pass, Dodson could add some much-needed depth. Through nine games, Dodson has 71 tackles and two sacks, briefly showing his pass-rushing ability that might give the Miami Dolphins some flexibility in their defensive game plans. However, he has an average PFF grade for his run defense at 52.0, which Miami needs to consider as they try to get the most out of him.
How He Can Help Miami
The timing of Dodson’s arrival coincides with the Miami Dolphins seeking to crawl back from their 3-6 start to the season and into playoff position. Against a backdrop of disappointing play from starting Linebacker David Long Jr., the addition of Dodson brings added competition to the unit. It perhaps signals a reimagining of the linebacker corps altogether. Prone to forcing turnovers and providing quality coverage of receivers in the middle of the field, Dodson gives the Dolphins a chance to pick up some defensive flexibility and playmaking ability.
Dodson’s signing also comes with Miami’s offense facing the loss of Right Tackle Austin Jackson for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his knee, underlining the roster challenges the team is managing. The loss up front on offense is not ideal, but his addition could continue to help the team take significant steps on defense. If he proves a good fit, there is every chance that Miami will consider keeping Dodson beyond this season as they look to build a competitive roster.
Tyrel Dodson’s Surprising Release From Seattle
The release of Tyrel Dodson by the Seattle Seahawks has been a significant surprise to many around the league, particularly given his role as a starter through much of the season. Dodson was leading Seattle in tackles and had two sacks across nine games, so seemingly had been a big part of their defensive plans. The fact they moved on from him midseason reflects a dramatic change in the Seahawks’ belief of what they have at linebacker and just how poorly they feel it performed, especially against the run.
Indeed, what the Seattle Seahawks have done with their linebackers this season has been really questionable. It started by losing Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks and adding Dodson and Jerome Baker in the process. After trading away Baker and then waiving Dodson, the Seahawks jettisoned two major pieces of their offseason linebacker rebuild relatively quickly. Such extreme moves at the season’s midpoint just speak to how poorly that initial plan fared. Even Seahawks legend Richard Sherman chimed in to discuss some apparent miscalculations in the process.
Dodson’s release also accentuates how important scheme fit and coaching perspective is in assessing a player’s value. While Dodson has proven an able tackler and asset in coverage, Seattle’s coaching staff, which wasted little time in hiring Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald, have now identified some key flaws, particularly against the run. The changes moved at breakneck speed. This is evidence that Seattle was changing course, passing the baton to Ernest Jones IV and rookie Tyrice Knight, finally acknowledging its mistakes in roster construction.
Final Thoughts
Signing Tyrel Dodson with the Miami Dolphins is both an opportunity and a gamble at a vital stage of the season. He has starting experience with the Seahawks and Bills, and that experience might bring some veteran leadership, physicality, and playmaking to this Miami Dolphins defense. Miami hopes his presence will improve their inconsistent run and pass defense. The key to maximizing his impact, though, comes in fixing his issues related to run containment. If Dodson can play to his strengths and mesh well into Miami’s system, he might just become a real key to that team bouncing back from a poor start.
This release by the Seahawks shows just how wrong roster projections can go and how important scheme fit can be. In letting go of one of their leading tacklers in the middle of the year, the Seahawks are essentially admitting that their reworking of the linebacker corps didn’t work out as planned, and their defense needs a different look. The swift move to Ernest Jones IV and newcomer Tyrice Knight serves as an attempt to course-correct, but with a very uncertain result. That is also a pointed reminder that sometimes even good players must fit into a team’s system for success.
