New Dolphins defense counts on veterans, breakout players for improved toughness

MIAMI, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The Miami Dolphins are leaning on louder veteran voices, impact rookies and unheralded breakout stars to find a new, tougher, defensive identity amid injuries, key player departures and a defensive coordinator switch.

Last season, coach Mike McDaniel said that defensive tackle Christian Wilkins "embodied" what he expected of Dolphins players. The veteran defensive lineman, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in March, is known as much for his boisterous personality as he is for his relentless motor and intensity.

But big No. 94 is now in silver and black, and filling his void with aqua and orange alternatives is a work in progress.

"It's a new team and your eyes are wide open to see what they want to be and how they're going to be it," McDaniel said. "And you have different people step up that decide that their voice is going to be a dictating factor in the direction you're going."

Benito Jones and Calais Campbell were among the defensive lineman listed alongside Zach Sieler atop the first depth chart released by the newest edition of the Dolphins, who owned the NFL's No. 10 defense a season ago.

Campbell was one of several veteran defenders the Dolphins brought in this off-season. That list also included Jones, fellow defensive tackle Teair Tart, safety Jordan Poyer, linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Anthony Walker Jr. and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

Miami also brought back outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah and spent major draft capital on first-round pick Chop Robinson, who could be thrusted into action early as starting edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb work their way back from injuries.

That won't only be tasked with replacing Wilkins' production and presence, but also with filling voids left by departures of cornerback Xavien Howard and linebacker Jerome Baker, among others.

The revolving door of talent and experience -- paired with the arrival of defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver -- prompts many questions that will be answered in the coming months.

Campbell remains confident in the personnel -- and Weaver's scheme -- despite the flood of new faces.

"I think [with] the scheme, the way we put ourselves in position to do better against the run on early downs, and I think that's a combination of a little bit of everything," Campbell said. "I think we're building something here.

"Obviously, I think this defense has had a lot of really good success stopping the run because of they way we play things and make it hard on teams, but at the same time it's players that have to go out there and make the plays. I think we have a combination of both."

McDaniel cited cornerback Jalen Ramsey as a player who wants to "dictate the terms" for the direction of the team through a leadership role. Campbell's leadership has been lauded throughout his 16-year career.

"He is what I call a force multiplier," Weaver said of Campbell. "So the affect that he has on a team -- not just a defense, but a team -- is immense.

"It's like having another coach in the locker room, on the field, because there isn't a situation he hasn't been in and hasn't seen. The one thing we need to do collectively to kind of stamp his career, is get to New Orleans and win a Super Bowl and hopefully we can get that done."

The Dolphins' defense aims to change a narrative and become tougher, according to Campbell. Poyer -- who spent the last seven years with the rival Buffalo Bills -- said earlier this off-season that the Dolphins previously had a reputation that "they might fold" if they fell behind in games.

"There's a narrative that I think we're trying to change," Campbell said. "We want to be tough guys and that's just part of it, just going out there and showing that we're not going to take nothing, but overall though, it's about the work."

The Dolphins appear well-stocked in the secondary, with plenty of experience at safety, including Jevon Holand, Poyer and fellow newcomer Marcus Maye.

Ramsey leads the cornerback unit, which also features Kader Kohou and Fuller -- who were all listed as starters on their first depth chart. Cornerback Ethan Bonner, who has been touted as one of the fastest players on the team, continues to impress at training camp and could find a bigger role.

Brooks and Long are cemented central in the linebacker group, while the Dolphins lean on Sieler, Campbell and others up front and on the outside.

Quenton Bell also has flashed at training camp. The journeyman linebacker, who was listed as a starter on the Dolphins first depth chart, appears in line for a competition for snaps early on, amid the Phillips and Chubb hiatuses.

Robinson said he plans to keep learning as he prepares for his first season, but going against the league's top offense in practice has eased the process.

"I've been getting information from the veterans," Robinson said. "I've been getting information from the coaches and all the guys in the room, all the guys on the team. I've just been picking brains and just learning every day. I just keep my mouth quiet and learn. That's it."

The rookie pass rusher speaks with Chubb and Phillips on a daily basis in further efforts to speed up his development. He could remain a rotational player until he provides better production as an edge-setter.

The Dolphins remain somewhat mum about when Chubb and/or Phillips can return. Both players remain on the PUP list. If a player remains on that list by Aug. 30, when NFL teams cut rosters down to 53 players, they can be placed on the reserve/PUP list.

That designation would result in that player being sidelined for at least four regular-season games.

Weaver's previous experience as a defensive-line guru should give Dolphins fans confidence. The former Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills defensive line coach played a key role in the development of many star defenders, including J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Justin Madubuike, among others.

How exactly Weaver plans to use his new weapons is still to be determined, but the progress of rookies and breakout training camp performers, paired with increased veteran leadership, should help the first-year defensive coordinator feel more comfortable about his arsenal.

Like his players, Weaver also is determined to give the Dolphins a tougher reputation.

"I think with the guys we have on defense, it certainly is innate," Weaver said of the Dolphins' mentality.

"So it's our job to make that come to life and you do that through your actions daily, just going out there on the practice field and trying to be purposeful and have clear intention of what we're trying to get done and trying to solve all our problems with our pads.

Ultimately, we get an opportunity to do that 17 times this year. Hopefully at the end of the day, they say we are bullies."

The Dolphins will start their preseason campaign against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday in Miami Gardens. They will host the Washington Commanders on Aug. 17 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami will then play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason finale Aug. 23 in Tampa, Fla. It will open the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8 in Miami Gardens.