For years, the Miami Dolphins have failed to truly turn over their stagnant offensive attack. Now, with head coach Cam Cameron at the helm, it is fairly clear that the franchise is set to undergo a metamorphosis in virtually ever facet of its offense. However, it's a specific aspect of Miami's defense -- the secondary -- that has to be a concern for the team's fans.
The Dolphins fielded one of the most inept defensive backfields in the NFL last year. How bad? Here's a hint: Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas had a combined three interceptions in '06. That's just two fewer than the entire secondary. Miami's secondary was also notorious for giving up touchdowns last season, ranking near the bottom of the league with 22 scores allowed. Some of those TDs can be attributed to linebackers in coverage, but the vast majority were the fault of the secondary.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Starting right cornerback Andre Goodman underwent shoulder surgery for the second time in six months. His backup, third-year man Travis Daniels, battled injuries all of last season. Third-stringer and potential nickel back Jason Allen, last year's first-round selection, also has a history of injury issues. To be fair, however, he was healthy throughout his rookie campaign.
Granted, veteran left cornerback Will Allen has been solid if not spectacular, but clearly the rest of the position is just an injury or two away from having to resort to no-name veterans and unproven youngsters -- a fate the CBs experienced just a season ago.
At safety, meanwhile, starters Renaldo Hill and Yeremiah Bell won't be mistaken for All-Pros anytime soon, but both are solid tacklers and able defenders. Bell actually displayed momentary flashes of brilliance last season and seems to have the potential to turn into a household name.
But once again, depth could be a concern.
Travares Tillman is the top backup, which is not really very promising considering the lackluster performances he turned in last year. Tillman was so ineffective that he was benched prior to Miami's midseason matchup with the Chicago Bears . He's not exactly the kind of player who inspires confidence should he be pressed into emergency duty. The aforementioned Allen could also be forced into service at safety, but he has little experience and will likely suffer through his fair share of growing pains if he were placed into a starting role.
With that said, what does Cameron plan to do about this perceived lack of ability and dearth of depth? Nothing, apparently.
Cameron was recently interviewed on the Dolphins' official Web site and was asked about any possible plans to continue reshaping the roster.
His response was, "Not a lot in how it relates to this year. There is a lot of development that needs to happen with the guys we already have, which is not uncommon."
While youngsters like Allen, Bell, and Daniels are capable of developing into legitimate starters in the league, knowing the injury woes that have plagued the secondary over the past year and recognizing that new, unforeseen ailments could spring up, it would seem wise to shore up this facet of the defense.
Evidently, Cameron is counting on this beleaguered group to get it together in '07, and he's probably banking on the ferocious front seven to help cover up the secondary's deficiencies.
Hopefully, for Cameron's sake, that somewhat complacent attitude won't come back to bite him in the defensive backside, err, backfield.
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