‘A collective effort.’ With Jaelan Phillips out for the year, the Dolphins look for a replacement

One player can’t replace Jaelan Phillips.

At least that’s what the Miami Dolphins coaches think.

“It going to be a collective effort,” outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow said, later adding that “we need everybody to step up. Everyone in that room.”

“They get to collectively put forth a lot of work that they’re absolutely positively prepared for,” coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. Many of Phillips’ replacements potential received several reps during training camp, which gave him confidence. “The key thing is that you’re not trying to be Jaelan Phillips and just one person be that. I think as we understand each other as a defense and how we utilize personnel, you adapt and it’s strength in numbers. It’s a collective step up, and it’s kind of directly in relation to what the whole team is trying to do right now.”

The loss of Phillips, whose partially torn ACL will require reconstructive knee surgery, will open up opportunities for several players. Rookies Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara as well as Quinton Bell will be the biggest beneficiaries of Phillips absence. The Dolphins also signed linebacker Tyus Bowser off the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad on Thursday. Of the four, Bell has the most experience, however, Robinson will be relied upon heavily as will Kamara, who has yet to be on the active roster come gameday.

“I think Quinton is very versatile in the fact that he can drop into coverage, you can rush him from multiple spots, he is a firm edge-setter,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “I think he’s still trying to refine and figure out who he is as a pass rusher, but he does a lot of things well.”

Added Weaver: “The two rookies, they’re still trying to feel their way and trying to understand the league a little bit. Chop has obviously had more at bats at-that, and you see his confidence growing with what we’re asking him to do weekly… obviously when you lose a Jaelan Phillips where he needs to be most impactful, which is the primary reason we drafted him, is to affect the passer. Sometimes you don’t necessarily see that in sack production, but he needs to be there and that guy needs to feel him. Then Mohamed, I see Mohamed like you want him to be an enforcer. He’s a guy that’s rugged, tough. You talk about he should be a firm edge-setter, be able to reduce him to a three technique and rush him there if need be, but he needs to be like your topflight security of the world.”

Bell has the highest Pro Football Focus grade of the three at 70.5. The Prairie View A&M graduate hasn’t had the same opportunity as Robinson — 61 snaps to Chop’s 91 — yet he has been much better at stopping the run than his rookie counterpart. Bell’s 71.5 grade on run defense ranks 15th among all edge rushers.

“It would be amazing just to go out there and play meaningful defensive snaps,” Bell said Wednesday. “But whatever role that the team gives me I’ll be grateful for it and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

As Weaver mentioned, Robinson was selected primarily due to his pass rushing ability yet, similar to his final year at Penn State, it hasn’t necessarily shone through statistically. Through five games and more than 90 defensive snaps, Robinson has registered only four combined tackles. Edge-setting has also been an issue for the former Nittany Lion, something that Weaver explained will improve with better “hand usage, getting extension and then violently shedding blocks.”

“I know from a numbers standpoint maybe the production hasn’t been there, but when you watch the tape, you realize just how close he is,” Weaver said Sept. 19.” And his production, again, all he can do is give energy and effort and try to execute his technique and then ultimately through the law of the numbers, the production will come and I believe that’s going to happen, wholeheartedly.”

An eight-year veteran with 19.5 sacks, Bowser has appeared in 91 career games with 24 starts during his career with the Baltimore Ravens and Seahawks. One big advantage: he spent 2021-2023 with Weaver on the Ravens and most recently played in a similar defensive scheme in Seattle.

Regardless of who starts the game, it’s clear that a committee will likely handle the outside linebacker position. And as the Dolphins continue to prepare for Sunday’s divisional matchup against the New England Patriots, Weaver — like everyone else in the locker room — knows that the NFL waits for no man.

“This is the National Football League,” Weaver said. “Last time that I checked, I don’t think I’m going to be getting any sympathy cards from anybody on the Patriots. It’s our job to collectively as a group, both coaches and players, to step up our game to fill that void with him not out there, and I think we got the guys that can go out there and do that.”