With the 2024 NFL season officially in the books, it’s on to 2025 for the Miami Dolphins, and not soon enough.
2024 was a year of unpleasant surprises for the team. The combination of another Tua Tagovailoa concussion, underperforming units along the offense, and untimely injuries was more than enough to knock the team out of contention. Thus, Miami finished 8-9 and missed the post-season for the first time under Mike McDaniel.
With a month of non-Dolphins-related NFL football to close the season, it’s important to mark trends and where the league is headed to see where Miami could look in this upcoming off-season. When you take a peek at the last few Super Bowl winners a couple things stand out.
Take a Page from the Champs
Everyone knows about Philly’s ability to win up front on both sides. Their offensive line led Saquon Barkley to a 2,000-yard season, and their front four wreaked havoc on every team they faced in January and February.
But those are the obvious observations. NFL games are still largely won up front, and Miami must meet that standard entering 2025 if they have any intention of a long postseason run.
However, there is a lesser-known pattern that, although likely not atop Miami’s list of needs, is certainly worth observing when comparing the current iteration of the Miami Dolphins to champions of years past.
That pattern is the rise of the nickel position in the modern NFL and the vast impact it has had on capping some of the league’s most potent off-seasons.
The Importance of the Nickel
Looking at the perennial contenders, it’s no mistake that this is a position they attacked heavily. For example, look at the two Super Bowl competitors. Kansas City has Trent McDuffie, whom they spent a first-round pick on in 2022 after trading up. Since then, McDuffie has become one of Steve Spagnuolo’s key chess pieces. The standout played a bulk of KC’s nickel reps in 2023 and moved all over in 2024.
The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles also traded up to get the nickel of the future, who ended up playing a crucial role in Super Bowl LIX: Iowa’s Cooper DeJean. Although a different style of player than McDuffie, DeJean showed his instincts in zone coverage with a pick-six on Sunday.
Beyond those teams, other perennial contenders also have studs in their nickel spots. Under Mike McDonald in 2023, the Baltimore Ravens ravaged offenses with Kyle Hamilton playing the big nickel spot.
Miami’s all-too-familiar foe, the Buffalo Bills, also has an elite nickel in Taron Johnson, who has been a force at that apex defender spot.
With this, the natural next step is to look where Miami could go next, for which I present a logical scenario
Where does Miami go Next?
The simplest explanation is allowing Jalen Ramsey to roam freely. One of the reasons Ramsey detested playing under Vic Fangio was his static alignment as an outside corner. Under Anthony Weaver, this was drastically different. Ramsey saw snaps both outside and in the nickel, where he enjoyed success in the run game as well as rushing the passer. I’m a firm believer that the best use case for an aging Ramsey is one where he is treated like a chess piece. There’s reason to believe this is where the Dolphins pivot, but it requires a leap of faith.
With Miami being up against the metaphorical salary cap wall, development is crucial. However, it becomes even more permanent when moving Ramsey inside. In doing so, the team opens a hole at perimeter cornerback. Miami gave rookies Storm Duck and Ethan Bonner significant reps last year. Is it possible for either of them to take the leap to earn undeniable reps? The answer is unclear, but may have a drastic impact on Miami’s results defensively.
Regardless of what Miami does, it’s clear there is a page to take out of the champions’ playbook. The Dolphins have plenty of needs, and it will be intriguing to see how they address each of them, including that of a standout nickel defender.
