A big question with new Dolphins linebacker Brooks

A six-pack of notes on new Dolphins defender Jordyn Brooks: ▪ Say this for the Dolphins’ new starting inside linebacker: He’s a high-volume tackler (456 combined over the past three seasons), durable and tough. He was ready to play by August of last year after sustaining a torn ACL in a Week 17 game in the 2022 season. He’s solid against the run and made 152 career defensive stops in Seattle (plays viewed as a positive for the defense), using Pro Football Focus’ formula. The question is whether the dramatic improvement in his pass coverage carries over from a year ago. Last season, Brooks allowed a 93.2 passer rating in his coverage area; he was often given a difficult assignment in pass coverage and handled it far better than earlier in his career. He had first career interception last season and returned it for a touchdown. But in his four NFL seasons in totality, he has allowed a bloated 118.4 passer rating in his coverage area — with 202 completions in 242 targets for 2160 yards, 12 touchdowns and that one interception, per PFF. If last season’s pass coverage is reflective of how he will be as a Dolphin, this should be a very good signing. If it’s not, it’s a decent signing, not awful but not great. “Brooks was a liability in coverage during his time with the Seahawks, and while he had his best season in 2023, this seems like one of the positions where Miami could have waited and found a cheaper option later,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell said. But former Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner, Brooks’ teammate in Seattle, told the “Locked On Seahawks” podcast last October: “He’s been amazing. He’s fast, physical, all over the field. He’s gotten so much smarter. He’s done a tremendous job.” Brooks moved to middle linebacker in 2022 to replace Wagner, when Wagner went to the Rams. Brooks finished sixth in the league in tackles in 2022 (with 161) but wasn’t thrilled with his play. When Wagner returned to the Seattle in 2023, Brooks moved back to weakside linebacker and told reporters he wanted to “redeem myself from last year as far as making more impact plays and my overall game. That was my biggest thing coming into this year: redemption.” Brooks was better last season than in 2022, with more tackles for loss (eight compared to three) had more sacks (4.5, a career high, compared with two) and tackles against the run for no gain (nine compared with three). ▪ Former Seahawks coaches – including head coach Pete Carroll and Clint Hurtt (the defensive coordinator the past two seasons) – appreciate Brooks’ growth as a player. He had the dot on the helmet, meaning he had the responsibility of relaying play calls to teammates. “He has come so far, and he commands so much information,” Carroll said during their time together. “He is the conduit from the coaching staff to the rest of the guys on the field. He has really taken it seriously, and he really cares. He’s growing, getting better and doing a million things that he’s going to do even better. “He has done it in such a good fashion because he cares so much, and he really respects the work and that responsibility in a great way.” Hurtt said: “To see his maturation as this thing has been going has been cool to see.” ▪ After the Seahawks declined his $12.4 million fifth-year option for 2024, Carroll said last May: “He’s got a long, long future for us. We love the way he plays and what he brings and all of that.” But a year later, the Seahawks did not outbid Miami for him. Here’s how Seattle Times writer Matt Calkins described Brooks earlier this offseason: “Then-Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and current general manager John Schneider took him 27th in the 2020 NFL draft hoping he’d be the linebacker of the future. “What ensued was a solid but not quite stellar four seasons on a defense that has been among the NFL’s worst since he arrived. So as he wades in free agency, it’s worth asking if he’s worth bringing back. “As it stands, Brooks is ranked as the 50th-most-desirable free agent by analytics site Pro Football Focus. In other words, he’d be most teams’ second-best free agent and the third or fourth on a few others. This unlikely is what the Seahawks or Brooks envisioned when he was drafted – and certainly not what either hoped for – but he has done little to prove himself as an elite linebacker. “It wasn’t until last season that Brooks nabbed the first (and only) interception of his career. He has forced two fumbles (one in 2022, and one last season) and has tallied 6.5 career sacks – 4.5 of them coming in 2023. In 2021 he led the league in solo tackles with 109. “But that was the season Seattle finished last in time of possession (nearly 1½ minutes less than the next-to-last team) meaning Brooks was just perpetually on the field. “Of course, the fact that Carroll wouldn’t take him off the field spoke to a relative level of productivity. Brooks was never the flashiest player – and his impact never reached the heights of Wagner. But his starting spot wasn’t in question. “Still, when you’re ranked 69th out of 82 linebackers by PFF, as Brooks was last season, you come off as expendable. His ranking was even worse the season before, when he replaced Wagner at middle linebacker. “Brooks… has held himself accountable for the Seahawks’ defensive shortcomings, saying in December that they have greatly underachieved on that side of the ball and that he’s part of it. “Although he was never touted as a defensive savior the way, say, Devon Witherspoon was last draft or Jamal Adams was when Seattle traded for him, it’s fair to ask whether these past four years have been a disappointment for the 26-year-old. “To Brooks’ credit, he shocked a lot of people by starting in Week 1 last season, less than eight months after tearing an ACL. He has been durable, missing just five games in four seasons – no easy feat for a linebacker. Still, while he’s been a staple in the lineup, he hasn’t been a standout.” Again, all of the above quotes in this item were from Seattle writer Calkins. ▪ Besides the 184 tackles in 2021, what might be most impressive about Brooks was his quick return from the torn ACL after just seven months. “He’s not a regular routine guy,” Carroll said. “He goes over and above; he pushes harder than most.” Brooks said he always knew he would be back for the start of training camp last season. “I just attacked the rehab from day one,” Brooks said. “I know people were throwing numbers around in terms of what the return timetable would be. I just went off how I felt, and it’s been a great process of getting back.” ▪ The Seahawks drafted him 27th overall out of Texas Tech in 2020 and Carroll said “I was in the interview at the Combine, and he really blew us away there. He was awesome. Confident. “He’s looking you in the eye, and he’s talking straight to you and he’s telling you where he’s coming from.” ▪ Per PFF: Brooks missed 21 tackles overall last season, 10th most among linebackers and had 13 missed tackles on runs, tied for fourth most. If you missed it, here was my piece on the contracts for Brooks and all 12 new Dolphins free agent pickups. DOLPHINS PRO DAY TOURS Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, coach Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver all attended Michigan’s Pro Day last Friday, per Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy. The Wolverines’ top prospects: quarterback JJ McCarthy, receiver Roman Wilson, cornerback Mike Sainristil, linebacker Junior Colson and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. None of those players are projected for the range of the Dolphins’ first round pick at 21. But Sainristil, Wilson, Colson and Jenkins are all projected in the range of Miami’s second-round pick at 55. ▪ The Dolphins have maintained communication with at least one free agent guard who started for another team last season and said they might circle back to the player after the draft. The player asked not to be identified.