The Dolphins have played primarily a 4-3 defense in recent seasons. It sounds as if new coach Brian Flores plans to mix in some 3-4.
Miami needs pass-rushing linebackers if it’s going to make a 3-4 work.
“It’s a little bit of a challenge because you are always looking for different pieces and parts, but a lot of teams bounce back and forth,” General Manager Chris Grier said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “It will be a little bit of a project in terms of finding those pieces. There are some pieces here. [Flores] said he likes some of our pieces obviously going against us a couple years, especially some of the offensive pieces he liked a lot.”
The Dolphins can save $12.9 million in cap space by cutting defensive end Robert Quinn, and defensive end Cameron Wake is scheduled to become a free agent. So Grier and Flores have some work to do in free agency and the draft to get some needed pieces.
Flores said on WQAM that “I’m unable to say I’m 3-4 or 4-3. I’m not wired that way. You have to be scheme versatile. We want to do that.”
“Each game is different. Each opponent is different,” Flores said during his press conference. “Their strengths, their weaknesses are different every week, so every week we’re coming up with a different plan. A lot of that is tied to who you have personnel-wise, what we can do versus what they can do. It could be different every week. I think in this game, you have to be multiple. If you sit in one thing, the coaches are too good.”
“They’ll find a weakness; they’ll take advantage of it. I think you have to be multiple and we’re going to try to do that.”
