Has Benito Jones locked up a starting role on defense? This Question led to the roster changes
Three important decisions the Dolphins must make before regular Coming off season their second late-season collapse in as many years, the Miami Dolphins are out to prove they’re more than just a Super Bowl pretender. While Miami has one of the more talented rosters in the AFC, the team still has several questions to answer during training camp.
With that in mind, here are three important decisions the Dolphins must make before the regular season.
Should edge-rusher Chop Robinson be a Week 1 starter?
The Dolphins’ pass rush will be undermanned to start the regular season. Edge-rushers Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles), both of whom suffered late season-ending injuries in 2023, are on the PUP list, and there’s still no timetable for their respective returns. Even so, Miami knew this would be the case and acted accordingly during April’s draft, selecting Robinson with the 21st overall selection.
Robinson, who began his collegiate career at Maryland before transferring to Penn State in 2022, was considered to be arguably the most explosive edge-rusher in his draft class. The Dolphins hope Robinson can be a Week 1 starter for the team, though his start to training camp hasn’t instilled a ton of confidence that he’s capable of handling that role. Although Robinson’s impressive quick first step has been on display, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that the 21-year-old has been easy to block, particularly on run plays.
Considering the draft capital the Dolphins invested in Robinson, a lackluster training camp probably won’t cost him a starting role. However, if his inability to defend the run continues to be an issue throughout the preseason, Miami might have to temper its expectations about Robinson and use him more as a rotational piece to begin his career.
Miami enters the season with arguably the deepest running back room in the NFL, which could make distributing the workload somewhat challenging. Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and Jeff Wilson Jr., all return from last season’s team and fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright was added to the mix this offseason.
In all likelihood, Wilson will end up being the odd man out in the backfield, though Miami still faces a difficult decision about how to split up the carries between Mostert, Achane and Wright.
Mostert, who signed a two-year contract extension this offseason, is the unquestioned starter after posting his first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career in 2023 while scoring a league-high 21 total touchdowns. However, Achane proved as a rookie last season that he is a dynamic weapon on offense, rushing for 800 yards and eight touchdowns on only 103 carries, and deserves an expanded role.
