It’s a question the Miami Dolphins coaches and players have gone to great lengths to avoid answering this week.
Maybe they want the element of surprise for Sunday’s 1 p.m. game against rookie quarterback Zach Wilson and the New York Jets?
But more than likely, they simply don’t have the final answer just yet to who will replace Jevon Holland as Miami’s free safety, the player who works as the center fielder in Miami’s hybrid scheme, the last line of defense in the Dolphins’ aggressive defense.
Holland, the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round pick, has become the leader of Miami’s secondary, and one of the team’s top playmakers after recording 51 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and recovering three fumbles in the 13 games he’s played this season.
He’s clearly one of the NFL’s rising stars, therefore, won’t be an easy player to replace if he’s unable to provide two COVID-19 negative tests by 4 p.m. on Saturday.
“This is why we practice guys in multiple positions,” Flores said earlier this week, addressing the possible replacements. “If this situation occurs, the next guy will step in and play. That may be a variety of players, but I know we feel good about the guys in that room. But it’s about preparation. It’s about how we practice.”
It’s also about how those players fit into the game plan and the style of play the Dolphins want to feature on defense.
For Flores’ defense, that free safety spot is like the star at the top of the Christmas tree. It’s the cherry that accentuates the sundae, the finishing piece.
And the position has caused quite a bit of controversy the past three seasons.
First, the Dolphins shunned two veteran safeties — Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald – and used a cornerback in that role because Bobby McCain’s skill set suited it best.
Then Miami upset Minkah Fitzpatrick, their 2018 first-round pick, because Flores wouldn’t allow him to play that free safety role. After two games under Flores in 2019, Fitzpatrick demanded to be traded and got his wish. Miami shipped him to Pittsburgh for the 18th pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which turned into starting left guard Austin Jackson.
Fitzpatrick has turned into an All-Pro free safety for the Steelers.
Then this offseason, the Dolphins dumped McCain, releasing him days after selecting Holland to serve as his replacement.
That decision turned out to be the right call from a big-picture perspective, considering Holland was blossoming in the second half of 2021.
But now with him potentially sidelined because of COVID-19 and missing the entire weeks’ worth of practice, the Dolphins need to come up with a replacement plan.
“We’re definitely going to miss Jevon out there,” said linebacker Jerome Baker, the team’s leading tackler. “He’s a young guy, but he stepped up for us this year. We’re definitely going to miss him out on the field. I don’t know the difference just yet. We’re going to see.”
Fortunately, Miami has used four safeties — Holland, Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe and Jason McCourty — to start games this season.
At this point, only Jones and Rowe are the viable veteran starters available, because McCourty’s on injured reserve. That is, unless Miami considers starting Clayton Fejedelem, a special teams standout, or Will Parks, who the Dolphins signed off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad late last month.
The way I see things, there are three possible options to replace Holland.
Jones is set to return from the elbow and ankle injury that has sidelined him for two games, but this second-year safety has primarily worked in the box, up close to the line of scrimmage. He has contributed 54 tackles, three sacks, forced one fumble and recovered another two.
Going back to last season, Jones was heavily criticized for his limited understanding of Miami’s schemes, and some of his mistakes led to breakdowns in the secondary.
He’s growing out of those errors, blossoming into a reliable player this season. But will Miami’s coaches trust him to serve as the last line of defense, the communication leader of the secondary this week?
“Brandon is eager to get out there and play,” Flores said about Jones, a third-round selection in 2020. “He’s doing everything he can from a rehab and training standpoint. We’ll see how this week goes.”
Rowe has the most experience in Miami’s defense, going back to his days with Flores in New England, before joining the Dolphins in 2019.
He fits the former-cornerback-turned-safety mold these coaches use to fill that deep safety role. But free safety is not a role he’s played during his seven-year NFL career.
The last time Rowe was a free safety was during his early college days at Utah.
“I just stay in the strong safety role and then I still have my role whenever third down comes around,” said Rowe, who ranks second on the team with 64 tackles, and has also contributed three forced fumbles. “If they want me to man on tight end or play zone, I still have that role.
“It’s been the same. It’s just [that] people change.”
He’s right, because there have been recent games when Miami has used third-year cornerback Nik Needham as a pseudo safety in specific packages, and the same goes for Justin Coleman, who has split the nickel role with Needham this season.
Converting another cornerback is an option.
The Dolphins will likely experiment with all those defensive backs working as Holland’s replacement this week to see what works best against the Jets.
While the answer isn’t clear at this time, the options are intriguing.
