Three important decisions the Dolphins must make before regular season

Coming off 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.

“While Robinson’s first step is a game changer, and gives Miami’s offensive linemen troubles regularly, he’s easily blocked,” Kelly wrote. “And not just by offensive linemen. He’s been Metrorailed downfield by tight ends more than would be ideal, which raises concerns about his ability to set the edge.”

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.

How will the backfield rotation look?

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.

Wright, one of the fastest running backs in the 2024 draft, could also see a decent amount of playing time during his rookie season, given that Miami traded up to select him.

Seeing as though Mostert is already 32 years old and has an extensive injury history, Miami might be better off scaling back his workload from the 50.55 percent of snaps he played last season. A 45-45 split between Mostert and Achane (with the other 10 percent of carries going to Wright) might be the most effective rotation Miami can utilize to keep every tailback fresh and effective.

Should Miami add depth at center?

Reports out of Dolphins camp indicate that the team has a major snapping problem, which isn’t necessarily surprising since there’s a new center in town. After letting Connor Williams walk in free agency, Miami brought in ex-Titan Aaron Brewer on a three-year, $21 million deal to serve as its starting center.

Last season marked Brewer’s first as a full-time starting center in the NFL, and the results were mixed. Despite being the 14th-highest-rated center by Pro Football Focus last season, Brewer — a former offensive guard — allowed the second-most sacks (six) and third-most pressures (34) at the position. His snapping issues were evident at times as well.

While there’s still time for Brewer to clean things up and improve his connection with QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami might need to explore adding depth at center if he doesn’t do so soon.

According to Kelly, the door isn’t closed on Williams returning to the Dolphins, though the reporter doesn’t believe a reunion is in the cards. Still, Miami would be wise to offer Williams a new deal, as he is undoubtedly the top free-agent center on the market.