Miami Dolphins: How does defense look without Rey Maualuga?
The Miami Dolphins have reportedly released starting middle linebacker Rey Maualuga following an arrest last night on battery charges.
In what has been a nightmare season, the Miami Dolphins once again find themselves in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. As has been reported by multiple sources this morning, the team has released starting middle linebacker Rey Maualuga following his arrest late last night on battery charges. While more details are to be uncovered in the following hours, the Dolphins reacted swiftly.
Maualuga came to the Dolphins this offseason from the Cincinnati Bengals after having briefly retired. The move was brought on, at least in part, due to the season-ending injury suffered by Dolphins second-round draft selection Raekwon McMillan in the first preseason game this year. Maualuga missed the Dolphins first four games of the season as he recovered from his own injury, a nagging hamstring. Once Maualuga was healthy and inserted into the lineup, the change in Miami’s defense was drastic.
Miami was one of the worst defenses in the league to start the season, getting gouged repeatedly over the middle. Maualuga was a spark for the Dolphins, helping solidify the team’s run defense and providing a physical presence in the middle, allowing the more athletic linebackers on the outside to roam free and make plays. Now the Dolphins are once again left with a massive void in the middle of the defense. With Maualuga gone, what does the team do to plug the hole?
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The most likely scenario is that either starting weak-side linebacker Kiko Alonso or strong-side linebacker Lawrence Timmons slides over. Alonso would seemingly make the most sense, as he has patrolled the middle for the Dolphins in the past, and done an admirable job for the most part. With Alonso sliding to the middle, the weight falls likely falls on Chase Allen to step into the starting lineup and fill the void on the weak side.
The other option the Dolphins have would be to leave both Alonso and Timmons where they are and put the middle linebacker responsibilities on the shoulders of perennial backup linebacker Mike Hull. Hull has seen playing time for the Dolphins before, in a limited role, and has played well when his number has been called. The biggest question is whether or not Hull has what it takes to be a consistent middle linebacker week in and week out. In his three-year career to date, Hull has started four games for the Dolphins, notching 20 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Another potential option for Miami to fill the void in Maualuga’s departure could be to finally insert Stephone Anthony into the lineup. Anthony was brought over from the New Orleans Saints earlier this season in exchange for the Dolphins fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Anthony has yet to see the field for the Dolphins, leaving many fans wondering what, exactly, the point of giving away draft capital was. If ever there was a time for a return on that investment, it would seem to be now.
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Whatever route the Dolphins decide to go on Sunday versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and for the remainder of the season, the departure of Maualuga leaves a void in the defense that’s going to be difficult to replace. For a team that’s already floundering, this could be the blow that seals the Dolphins fate for the season.