Something the Miami Dolphins are doing in free agency that shouldn’t be overlooked

Dolphins chatter two days into free agency:

▪ When considering Miami’s defensive line/linebacker signings, the first thing that comes to mind is how much improved the pass rush will be after adding Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson - who each had 6.5 sacks last season - and Emmanuel Ogbah, who had 5.5 in just 10 games. That’s a boon to a defense whose 23 sacks were worst in the league.

But here’s what’s potentially even more significant: The Dolphins have improved significantly in their run defense, particularly on the edges, where they were often delinquent last season.

Consider that Pro Football Focus ranked Van Noy fifth among all NFL edge defenders against the run last year, behind only Calais Campbell, Von Miller, Carlos Dunlap and Arik Armstead.

And both Lawson and Oghab rank very high among edge defenders in PFF’s telling “run stop metric,” which credits a player for a stop if the offense fails to produce a successful play. (For example, on a 1st and 10, any run four yards or less would be a stop. Any third down run stop that doesn’t get a first down would be called a stop.)

In that nuanced metric, only two NFL edge defenders - Detroit’s Trey Flowers and Oakland’s Josh Mauro - had a higher run stop percentage than Ogbah among players who were on the field for more than 100 running plays. In the run game, only nine players with as many snaps had a higher run stop percentage than Lawson.

Run defense up the gut remains a concern, but no longer should we see the Dolphins giving up as many substantial gains on runs to the perimeter. The Dolphins last season allowed 2166 yards rushing (sixth most in the league) and 4.5 per carry (10th worst from a defensive perspective).

▪ Just 15 months ago, then-Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams told Peter King that Ogbah is “a rising star in this league. He’s got a chance to be Chubb.” That’s Bradley Chubb, who had 12 sacks as a rookie for Denver in 2018 before missing most of last season with an injury.

Just three months later, Ogbah was traded to Kansas City, where he had his best NFL season before the injury.

▪ Ogbah’s long arms help him in several ways. Here’s one: He deflected 16 passes with the Browns from 2016 through 2018 - third most in league during that time.

He missed only three tackles in 2019, and only Dee Ford and Benson Mayowa had as many sacks as Ogbah last season in as few pass rush chances. (Ogbah had 5.5 in 236 pass rush chances, missing the final six games and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run because of a torn pec muscle.)

His versatility also is an asset in this defense: He can play defensive end, move inside to tackle on pass rush downs and has experience at outside linebacker, too.

▪ According to this feature in ocally.com, the first few minutes of Ogbah’s life in Nigeria were harrowing: “When Emmanuel Ogbah was born, his parents were shocked to find him alive.

The umbilical cord was coiled around him like a boa constrictor. They feared their baby would be strangled, gone before they had a chance to meet him.”

Ogbah emerged from that with no longterm effects and his father, Richard Ogbah, concluded that “Emmanuel, from his conception, he is just a child of destiny.”

Ogbah and his family moved to Texas when he was 9, and he starred at Oklahoma State, where he was Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Browns selected him with the first pick of the second round in the 2016 draft.

▪ Lawson, who started only 17 games for four seasons for Buffalo, and Ogbah (a former Browns starter who started 4 of 10 games for Kansas City last season) project as starters or major rotation players here, with Ogbah, Lawson, Christian Wilkins and Davon Godchaux forming the defensive front when Miami plays four linemen (they often play three) and more additions likely.

Van Noy and Jerome Baker assuredly will start at linebacker, with newcomer Kamu Grieger-Hill (who started 16 games for the Eagles over the past two seasons) competing with Raekwon McMillan, Vince Biegel, Andrew Van Ginkel and others for linebacker snaps. Grieger-Hill has good speed.

▪ Even though New England cut Grieger-Hill four months after drafting him in 2016, Dolphins coach Brian Flores thought highly of him and said as much in a conference call with Eagles media late last November, before the teams played.

His comments tell you why Miami signed him: “First, he’s a great kid,” Flores said. “He’s smart. He’s very coachable. As a player, he’s athletic, he’s got good speed, he can play multiple positions, good in the kicking game. I really liked him. I’m not surprised he’s done a good job over there in Philly.”

▪ Lawson didn’t start a game for Buffalo last season, started only 17 times in four years and there and was on the field only 47 percent of their snaps last season. But he’s likely to start with Miami. And he comes with a strong recommendation from his former position coach at Clemson, Dolphins defensive line coach Marion Hobby.

Here are some of Hobby’s comments about Lawson over the past several years, none since he joined the Dolphins: “He has a special talent. His competitive edge comes out when he practices, it comes out in the game — he really does — and he has that natural ability. So when you have that natural ability and the love of the game, it’s hard to defeat one of those guys.”

Hobby says you can see Lawson’s relentlessness in the way he practices. He doesn’t mind getting out there and getting to work. He’s an easy guy to coach.”

Who does he compare to? “I don’t want to label that guy as a pass rusher. He’s an every-down player,” Hobby said. “The guy I’m familiar with that he reminds me of is Shaun Ellis. Shaun Ellis has that great size and great twitch. He played a long time in the NFL. Could’ve played 4-3, could’ve played 3-4. [Lawson] has that versatility.

“He can drop into coverage as flat dropper. He can go after the quarterback. You can slide him inside and play some bear — he can do that, too. He’s just versatile.”

Ellis had 73.5 sacks in a 12-year career that ended in 2007.

“Most defensive guys, they like to be mean and stuff,” Lawson says. “Me, I’m just happy because I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”

▪ Last month, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said of Lawson: “Shaq’s still an up-and-coming player. Hasn’t had just a breakout sack season, but has been very solid and a steady, improving player. He’s 25 years old. That’s a guy you would like to say is hitting his prime.”

But Lawson has said he was motivated last season by the Bills declining the fifth-year option on his contract last spring.

▪ Quick stuff: The Dolphins never pursued either running back Melvin Gordon or coveted defensive tackle D.J. Reader (who committed to the Bengals)... The Ted Karras discussions remained in a holding pattern Tuesday. He and Matt Skura are the best centers left in free agency. The Ravens placed a low tender on Skura; there was nothing percolating with Miami and Skura as of Tuesday...

Miami inquired about Jets free agent offensive tackle Brandon Shell on Monday... The Dolphins also called on Colts free agent offensive tackle Joe Haeg but they’re not among the final teams in the mix.

Here’s a Tuesday day overview on where the Dolphins now stand, from me and Adam Beasley.

Here’s more from me on Tuesday’s acquisition of running back Jordan Howard.

Here’s my late Monday night piece with lots of nuggets on the Dolphins newcomers.

Here’s my Tuesday UM six-pack.