What are the Miami Dolphins doing with Dion Jordan?
On the heels of his enigmatic rookie season, the second-year pass rusher resurfaced at the team's OTAs this week as a hulked-up behemoth.
After clocking in at 248 pounds at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, Jordan took the field Tuesday at a beefy 265 and looking "like he took an air pump to his arms and shoulders," per Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald.
The weight increase comes in response to the team's insistence on using Jordan as a 4-3 defensive end. In a perfect world, he'd play the edge rusher role in a 3-4, one reason a trade to the Eagles made so much sense.
Salguero reported that Joe Philbin and his coaching staff considered moving Jordan to outside 'backer, but chose against it to save the player from having to drop into coverage when his focus should be sacking quarterbacks.
So, instead, Jordan's a square peg in a round hole, forced to bulk up to survive at a position that doesn't jive with his natural talents.
"I was definitely too light to go out there against some of those offensive tackles," Jordan said Tuesday of his first NFL campaign. "This year I had the opportunity to have an offseason where I can take care of my body. I'm trying to move forward and continue to try to better myself in a few areas."
Slowed as a rookie in his recovery from shoulder surgery, last year's third-overall pick rarely saw more than 20 snaps per game. With Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon lodged ahead of him on the depth chart, it's on Miami's brain-trust to get Jordan more involved.
Playing him at his proper position would make for a nice start.
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