Tag: Emmanuel Ogbah

These were PFF’s 5 highest-graded Dolphins vs. Patriots

Miami got some solid performances in their win.

The Miami Dolphins, led by new head coach Mike McDaniel, defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday 20-7 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

In the season opener, Miami had some impressive performances from veterans and some surprising ones from some of their young up-and-comers.

McDaniel’s team forced the Patriots to commit three turnovers, two fumbles and an interception, that led to either a score or the end of the game completely. Offensively, while there were a couple of mistakes that were close to turnovers, they were able to keep from giving the ball up.

Here were the five highest-graded Dolphins in their first win of 2022, according to Pro Football Focus.

WATCH: Emmanuel Ogbah discusses his upbringing and giving back

The defensive end grew up quick.

Before Emmanuel Ogbah made it to the NFL as a second-round selection in the 2016 draft, and before he signed a massive four-year, $65 million contract this offseason, he was an immigrant whose family moved from Nigeria to Texas.

Ogbah and his family discussed their journey and the Miami Dolphins’ defensive end’s upbringing in a team-produced video on YouTube. The peek behind the football life of Ogbah shows his compassion and work ethic, as they talk about some of the sacrifices he and his family made as well as how much he cares about giving back to his family, community and home country.

When Miami paid Ogbah this offseason, they locked up a high-character individual, who also produces on the football field. That’s a win-win scenario.

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15 Dolphins to watch during joint practices with the Eagles

15 Miami Dolphins to watch during joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles at Baptist Health Training Complex

After trimming the roster down to 80 players on Tuesday, the Eagles are in Miami for two days of joint practices with the Dolphins before the preseason finale on Saturday night.

Philadelphia’s improved defense will face a test against the speedy and athletic Miami offense that features Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the outside.

On offense, quarterback Jalen Hurts will look to continue building chemistry with his group of receivers, and he’ll have to prove himself against a talented group of Miami defenders.

With the first practice set to begin, here are 15 Dolphins to watch over the next few days.

Dolphins defense primed for big 2022 as team heads to Tampa Bay

Notes and reminders regarding Josh Boyer’s unit.

The Miami Dolphins will kick off their preseason on Saturday, Aug. 13 in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers. Miami’s new coach Mike McDaniel and his Dolphins traveled to Tampa early for what will be a series of joint practices leading into Saturday night’s preseason opener.

While this is McDaniel’s first season as a head coach, he has 16 years of NFL coaching experience, and since his first appearance in Miami has stated his version of the Dolphins will be “all about passion and energy.”

McDaniel is known for his offensive wizardry and schemes, as he coached the 2021 San Francisco 49ers offense to be the seventh-ranked unit in the NFL, averaging 375.7 yards per game. When McDaniel was brought on board back in February, he stated to the media, “You should be able to turn on the TV and know who the team is, even if the color is distorted, by the energy that they play with, by how they bond together.”

2022 will mark the 11th season the Dolphins begin with a new head coach. On four occasions, a first-year head coach led the Dolphins to the playoffs – Don Shula in 1970, Dave Wannstedt in 2000, Tony Sparano in 2008 and Adam Gase in 2016.

Helping McDaniel will be a Dolphins’ defense that returns 95% of their 2021 unit, a group that finished fifth in the NFL in sacks with 48. Despite a rough start to the season, the second half showed this defense’s potential, as in the final nine games, Miami ranked second in scoring defense, giving up just 15.6 points per game.

Additionally, during that span, they ranked third in total defense, allowing just 275.9 yards per game, fourth in passing defense, giving up 171.3 passing yards per game and 10th in rushing defense, where they allowed only 104.6 rushing yards per contest.

13 Dolphins defensive players started at least five games for Miami in 2021, and each of those core pieces is back for coordinator Josh Boyer’s crew. Boyer, who was an apprentice to Brian Flores and his defensive scheming and has stayed on with McDaniel. With Flores fired following the 2021 season, the blueprints were left for Boyer, and clearly, his manpower remains virtually unchanged.

To add to this impressive continuity, all 11 defensive players that Miami started during last season’s Week 18 win against the New England Patriots were under the age of 30, and eight of those 11 were drafted by the Dolphins. More so, Boyer will have several defensive coaching lieutenants return. Defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and safeties coach Steve Gregory all return to Boyer’s and McDaniel’s defensive staff.

A major returning player is, of course, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who has led the Dolphins in sacks the past two seasons. Not only has he gotten to the passer, but he’s also set a mark of excellence in the passes defended category. His 12 batted passes were the highest in the NFL in 2021 and most by a defensive lineman in a single season since 2016. In total since 2016, Ogbah ranks second in the category among defensive linemen, behind only Carlos Dunlap.

Remarkably, Ogbah had a streak of seven straight games with a batted pass, which, according to FOX,  is the longest streak by an NFL defensive lineman in more than 20 seasons.

On the other side of the pass-rush, second-year rising star Jaelan Phillips looks to build off his 8.5 sacks, which was a Dolphins rookie record. Phillips had a stretch in 2021 where he became the first NFL rookie since Julius Peppers in 2002 to record at least six sacks in a three-game span. Phillips ranked behind only Micah Parsons last season in sacks, as the Dallas Cowboy recorded 13.

Andrew Van Ginkel, who finished with four sacks in 2021, actually was among the league leaders in quarterback knockdowns, ranking eighth, and set his teammates up on blitzes, finishing second in the league. Van Ginkel was sent on 115 blitzes last season, behind only Tampa Bay’s Devin White. In an interesting statistical trend, in Van Ginkel’s top seven games in terms of the amount the Dolphins sent him on a blitz, Miami was 7-0.

The Dolphins also add veteran pass-rusher Melvin Ingram, who spent 2021 in Pittsburgh as well as Kansas City. While the best years from his San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers days could be behind him, he’s just a few seasons removed from a Pro Bowl appearance (2019) which capped a three-year run of earning that honor. He brings 51 career sacks to a fearsome Miami front line, which also includes Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler.

Wilkins had a tremendous 2021, leading defensive linemen with 89 tackles, a mark he tied with Steelers’ All-Pro Cameron Heyward. That mark was actually the most by a defensive lineman since 2013, and it was the most tackles by a Dolphin at the position since Jeff Cross recorded 93 in 1993.

Jerome Baker and Elandon Roberts will man the inside of the Dolphins’ linebacking corps, giving Miami a formidable front-seven rotation mixed with young talent and veterans nearing or in their prime.

Speaking of prime, it’s arguable that Xavien Howard is one of, if not the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL. Since being selected by Miami in the second round of the 2016 draft, Howard leads the league with 27 interceptions, despite missing a total of 25 games due to injury in that span.

Opposite Xavien Howard long-term this season is PUP-listed Byron Jones. When healthy, he pairs with Howard to form perhaps the league’s top cornerback duo. Listed as cornerback two on this week’s initial depth chart is Nik Needham, who will return to his natural boundary corner position in Jones’ absence. Needham shifted to slot cornerback last season and adjusted into one of the league’s rising lock-down slot corners. According to PFF, Needham’s 272 slot coverage snaps in 2021, all without allowing a TD, were the most among all cornerbacks.

Rounding out the secondary, and defense as a whole, are the young safety duo of Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland. Miami selected Jones in the third round, 70th overall, of the 2020 draft and Holland in the second round, 36th overall, in 2021’s selection process. They started 11 games together last year, and Jones led all NFL defensive backs with five sacks. Holland was among just five safeties who graded at 75 or better in both passing and running plays last season, according to PFF.

Holland finished 2021 with 68 tackles, ninth among NFL rookies, and his 10 passes defensed were tied for fourth. He was the only AFC player with multiple sacks, interceptions and fumble recoveries last year.

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Emmanuel Ogbah discusses expectations and changes for Dolphins

There weren’t many new pieces added, but the unit could still get better.

Miami Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was set to hit free agency this offseason after two strong years in South Florida, but general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel knew they wanted to build around him.

The two sides agreed to a four-year contract worth $65.4 million that will keep Ogbah in Miami Gardens. In his two seasons in aqua and orange, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy has recorded 83 tackles, 45 quarterback hits, 18 sacks, 17 passes defended four forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles.

This week, Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson got a chance to speak to Ogbah at his annual youth football camp at his former high school. When Wilson asked about what Ogbah’s side of the ball could look like in 2022, the defensive end showed his excitement.

“The defense, for sure, can be scary this year because we all know each other,” Ogbah said. “We all know what each other are capable of, our strengths and our weaknesses. We’re all going to help each other and compete with each other. It’s an exciting time for the defense. We’re excited.

“We’re looking good right now, but we’ve got to compete. You shouldn’t sleep, but we’re just going to do our job. You can keep sleeping on us, but we’re just going to keep handling our responsibilities.”

Miami didn’t add a ton of players to that side of the ball this offseason. Veteran linebacker Melvin Ingram and rookies Channing Tindall and Cameron Goode are really the only newcomers to the defense. Special teams ace Keion Crossen, who was also signed in recent months, could also make an appearance, but those would probably be few and far between.

So, why could the defense be scary this year? According to Ogbah, it’s Ingram’s presence and the growth of second-year linebacker Jaelan Phillips.

“Jaelan surprised me this offseason,” Ogbah said. “He has the mentality. I’m excited to see his growth this year. I’m excited to see him work, and we got Melvin (Ingram), too. I’m excited for him to be a part of the team.”

Last year, Phillips broke the franchise record for sacks by a rookie, recording 8.5 in 17 games. He also had 42 tackles and 16 quarterback hits. His development could take them to the next level.

For Ogbah, he’s working on a little bit of everything, but he wants to take on more of a role with the veterans.

“Just be more of a leader this year and keep doing what I’ve been doing: leading the team,” Ogbah said. “Thinking of me as a vet, I’m back there, helping the younger guys and just speak up when I need to and be a captain of the team. You can always get better at everything. The sacks, the batted balls, or just tackling — go back and watch the film and improve on the little things.”

He, like everybody else, is glad to have McDaniel in the building running things. The energy in the facility last year appeared to feel tight at times, and that’s changing now.

“It’s exciting,” Ogbah said. “Coach Mike, he’s different. He brings that different mentality to the offense. He doesn’t really say much to the defense. He does his thing. I know Tua [Tagovailoa] loves him. I can’t wait to see the offense grow.”

If Miami’s defense can live up to Ogbah’s expectations, and the offense takes a step with McDaniel running things, this whole season could be scary, but there’s a lot of work to do before we get to that point.

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Here are ratings for Dolphins EDGE and LBs in Madden 23

The highest-ranked Dolphin at these positions might be a bit surprising.

With the end of another NFL offseason insight, football fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the newest installment of the Madden video game series, Madden 23.

After the release of wide receiver and tight end ratings on Monday, EA Sports, the publishers of the game, released EDGE defender and linebacker ratings on Tuesday. The Dolphins have a top 10 linebacker and a top 10 defensive end, according to Madden.

Here’s a look at most of Miami’s EDGE defenders and linebacker ratings for launch and how they compare to other players at the same position

  • Melvin Ingram – 84 overall (No. 9 LOLB)
  • Emmanuel Ogbah – 83 overall (No. 7 LE)
  • Jerome Baker – 79 overall (No. 18 MLB)
  • Andrew Van Ginkel – 77 overall (t-No. 15 LOLB)
  • Jaelan Phillips – 76 overall (t-No. 20 ROLB)
  • Brennan Scarlett – 71 overall (t-No. 26 LOLB)
  • Elandon Roberts – 70 overall (t-No. 53 MLB)
  • Sam Eguavoen – 70 overall (t-No. 39 ROLB)
  • Adam Butler – 69 overall (t-No. 33 RE)
  • Channing Tindall – 68 overall (t-No. 67 MLB)
  • Duke Riley – 66 overall (t-No. 84 MLB)
  • Porter Gustin – 65 overall (t-No. 58 ROLB)
  • Cameron Goode – 63 overall (t-No. 71 LOLB)
  • Darius Hodge – 61 overall (t-No. 83 ROLB)
  • Calvin Munson – 59 overall (t-No. 130 MLB)

There will be more ratings coming out before the game’s release on August 19.

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2022 Dolphins position preview: Breaking down DLs ahead of camp

There probably won’t be too many changes this year.

Entering the first training camp under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins don’t have Brian Flores to rely on for their defense.

Flores, with his defensive background, was given a ton of credit for the team’s success defensively, but without him, they’ll turn to defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who is returning despite the change at head coach. Most of the same players on defense are also returning for 2022 and are ready to compete for their roles.

We’ve talked about quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and the offensive line, but now, we’re jumping over to the other side of the ball and breaking down the defensive lineman.

Dolphins DL Raekwon Davis discusses Connor Williams’ presence at practice

The two big bodies have been feeding off of each other so far.

In one of the last media sessions before a summer break, the tallest Miami Dolphins defender, Raekwon Davis, spoke in a short and sweet way to South Florida reporters.

Standing at 6-foot-7, the Alabama product was a second-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft and 56th overall. A commanding force in the middle of the defensive line, Davis had a solid rookie season tallying 40 tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit.

2021 started with a scare for Davis, as he went down with a scary-looking injury in Week 1 against New England, forcing him to miss the following three games. Returning sooner than many initially thought, Davis continued his solid play and finished the season with 28 tackles and his first career half-sack.

Consistently double-teamed, Davis has helped teammates statically and, of course, as a whole for the Miami front-seven. Davis has a higher value than his numbers indicate, and he himself referenced that to reporters.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a goal to get my stats up,” he said. “But I’m not too worried about that right now. I’m focused on getting better this offseason and that’s about it.”

Davis had a chance to publicly share his opinion, like a number of his teammates, on his new head coach, Mike McDaniel.

“He’s a funny guy,” Davis said. “He’s got a lot of character; he’s just hilarious.”

A component that McDaniel has brought to the Dolphins is the bestowing of the coveted orange practice jersey. A reward Davis recently received.

“It wasn’t nothing special,” he said humbly. “Just effort. Running to the ball. I’m just an effort guy.”

Moving to discuss a new teammate, and one that he sees a lot of in practice is newly named potential-starting-center, Connor Williams. The free agent from the Dallas Cowboys was advertised as a penciled-in left guard, but news has him as the front runner for Miami’s man in the middle of the offensive line.

Davis gave his eye-witness account of Williams’ progress.

“He’s been great,” Davis said. “We’ve been going back and forth and really competing and challenging each other every day. He’s been pushing me, I’ve been pushing him. It’s kind of like a fair match right now.”

Heading into year three, Davis is part of a rotation of defensive linemen that seems to be the deepest in a number of years for the Dolphins. With players like Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler on the interior, mixed with pass-rushers Emmanuel Ogbah and Jaelan Phillps, Davis was asked about the defensive continuity heading into the season.

“It helps us a lot,” he said. “Everybody knows each other, we know what to expect, we know the goals. It’s a blessing to have everybody back.”

When asked more about his fellow linemen and how they set the tone up front Davis said, “Pushing each other, competing as a unit, sticking together, everybody on one head. That’s it.”

Then a question was asked about the pressure on this unit, being that everyone is back this season. Davis kept that answer as short as possible saying, “No. We know the goals. We know what we’ve got to do.”

Pulling the thread a tad more, Davis was then asked what those goals are.

He closed by saying, “Just competing. That’s it.”

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Emmanuel Ogbah compares one aspect of Dolphins’ offense to Chiefs’

He spent time with both teams.

When the Miami Dolphins looked around this offseason and saw a number of AFC teams improve, some of which were already better than them, they knew they needed to acquire more talent.

While hiring an offensive-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins also went out and brought in key veterans in free agency like Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, Alec Ingold, Cedrick Wilson Jr. and others before trading for wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

On paper, the offense looks deeper, but the one area that they really improved is their speed. Edmonds, Mostert and Hill are among the fastest players in the NFL, and they’re joining Jaylen Waddle who has a claim to that group as well.

Everyone is talking about how fast the group is, including Emmanuel Ogbah, who, on Tuesday, compared them to his former team.

“[Their speed] is kind of similar to Kansas City, but we have way more speed now,” Ogbah said during his final media availability of OTAs.

Ogbah spent 2019 with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in 10 games before suffering a torn pectoral which cost him the remained of the season. That team went on to win the Super Bowl.

At the time, Andy Reid’s offense not only had Hill, but they also had Mecole Hardman, who ran a 4.33 40-yard-dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2019.

Between the added speed, improved offensive line and new offensive system, the Dolphins are hoping that the side of the ball, led by Tua Tagovailoa, will take a jump. Ogbah’s crew is probably hoping the same, so they don’t have to keep teams to under 19 points every week to win.

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Xavien Howard, Emmanuel Ogbah discuss their new contracts, teammates and coaches

They had a lot to say during their first meeting with the media of the season.

Following the opening of the 2022 offseason program in Miami earlier this week, a pair of veteran Dolphins met with the South Florida media on Wednesday afternoon.

Star cornerback Xavien Howard and sack-master defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah spoke about the new energy and excitement that’s palpable in Miami Gardens since the hiring of Mike McDaniel.

“I met him this offseason when he got here,” Howard said. “It was probably like the third day I met him. Like I said, the energy was there. I was excited to meet him, he was excited to meet me. Just to touch base, understand each other and what we expect from each other.”

Fresh off a renegotiated renegotiation of a previous extension (that’s no hyperbole), Howard’s contract leads many to believe that previous trade rumors can be gone forever.

“The whole process was a great process,” Howard told reporters. “I’m just excited to be a Dolphin and continue to play here and hopefully retire (here) and hopefully win the Super Bowl here too.”

Howard’s deal basically helped Miami’s 2022 cap number and gave Howard a $10 million raise. Overall, the Dolphins have the NFL’s highest-paid defensive backfield.

When you mix in Miami legends in former cornerbacks and current coaches, Sam Madison and Pat Surtain, Howard can actually improve if you could believe that.

“I love that. Especially a couple of guys that played in the league. They’re Miami greats.” He said when asked how he felt when the Dolphins greats were hired. “Just learning from them guys and picking from those guys’ brains, I feel like they can help me take my game to another level.”

Inevitably, the question had to be asked about the cheetah in the room, as Howard fielded a question about his newly acquired teammate, speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

“I think we’ll get each other better,” Howard said. “I played against him in college and also in the league. I just want to focus on getting each other better. That’s really it.”

Ogbah is another very happy Dolphin, as he’s fresh off a brand-new contract with $32 million of guaranteed money. The four-year, and 2022 salary cap friendly, deal is a major win-win for player and team.

Despite rumors of market exploration immediately following the 2021 NFL season, Ogbah made it clear there was never really a conflict in his decision-making.

 “Yeah. I’m very happy,” He told media members. “Like I’ve told you guys during the season for the past two years, I’ve always looked at myself being here long-term, and I’m glad we made it happen.”

Despite an offensive make-over on the coaching staff, several defensive coaches remained in Miami, including coordinator Josh Boyer and defensive line coach Austin Clark. Ogbah cited that continuity and his teammates as further reasons he chose to remain a Dolphins.

“I also wanted to be here for my brothers,” He said. “We started something special two years ago and I want to keep building on that. It definitely helped with the coaching staff still retaining the defensive side of the ball too.”

Ogbah spoke of his new head coach as well, saying, “I didn’t know a lot about him, but he’s definitely unique. A good players coach. He knows, he understands the game. He’s very smart, I will say that. He knows what he wants to do with the offense.”

When it comes to the energy that Howard referenced has been infused since the McDaniel hire, Ogbah concurred with his defensive teammate.

“I would say it’s more fun,” Ogbah stated. “Everybody is really excited, the whole locker room really, to build off of last season because we finished strong. We’re trying to start strong on a fast note too.”

Speaking of starting fast, in terms of impressions and personnel, the tide in Miami may be turning at a quicker pace than in other situations in the recent past. Speed has been added all over the place, and that’s exactly what’s needed in South Florida these days.

Speed in a football sense, as well as in time. While patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait, you might as well toss those cliches out with the Dolphins fanbase these days.

The wait’s over, and the time’s now for results, and they’ll want them quickly.

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