Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Miami Dolphins No. 47 Kiko Alonso

The Countdown to Kickoff series continues with a glance at Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso, who is looking to make a major impact on his new team.

There are exactly 47 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we count down the days to kickoff.

The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).

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The players who wear number 47 in the NFL are pretty underwhelming. I considered taking a look at linebackers like Jon Bostic and Jake Ryan, but I decided on a different player at the position who has changed teams this off season.

Let’s take a look at new Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso.

The Dolphins acquired Alonso along with cornerback Byron Maxwell in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles this off season. In exchange for Alonso and Maxwell, the Dolphins swapped first round picks with the Eagles, dropping their selection from eighth overall to 13th.

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I must admit that I was not a big fan of the trade for the Dolphins at the time. Maxwell was awful last season, Alonso was injured, and the Dolphins took on a lot of cap space in the deal. That being said, the fall of Laremy Tunsil allowed the talented offensive lineman to drop into the Dolphins’ lap at number 13.

Getting Tunsil at 13 helps the trade look better. That being said, it is hard to figure out what kind of impact to expect out of Alonso and Maxwell this season. For now, let’s focus on Alonso.

Alonso’s NFL career started off with a bang, as he made an immediate impact with the Buffalo Bills. Alonso showed big-time play-making skills from the linebacker position as he played his way to the 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

While he showed massive upside that season, Alonso’s career has had many struggles ever since. He tore his ACL in prior to his second NFL season, forcing him to miss the entire 2014 campaign. The Bills then traded Alonso to the Eagles prior to the 2015 season.

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In the second week of the 2015 season, Alonso partially tore his already repaired ACL. The injury did not force him to miss the entire season, but he was a limited participant of the Eagles’ defense for the rest of the season.

Now, Alonso looks to stay healthy and get his career back on track with the Dolphins. The Eagles played a 3-4 scheme that did not seem to fit Alonso’s skill-set very well. However, he is set to play the middle in the Dolphins’ 4-3 defense this season; the same position he played when he dominated for the Bills as a rookie.

The injuries may have affected his ability to move as well as he once did, but Alonso is still an incredibly talented linebacker who could come in and make a massive impact on the Dolphins’ defense.

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Getting him in a familiar system at a position where we know he can succeed should help Alonso get his career back on track.