Dolphins give Koa Misi a look with first-team defense

The Miami Dolphins have been experimenting with rookie outside linebacker Koa Misi operating with the first-team defense during their weekend minicamp.

Drafted in the second round out of Utah with the 40th overall pick, Misi registered 206 career tackles, 11 sacks and 26 tackles for losses as a three-year starter for the Utes.

"I think it speeds his development up a bunch and that’s why we’re doing it right now with him," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said today in remarks distributed by the team. "You know, there’s some guys out here that we know, and then there’s some guys out here that obviously we don’t know yet. Koa is one of these players that we don’t know yet. We’re learning as we go along with it. It’s a new position for him, so, I think the more reps he can get against Jake Long and these type of people, the less guessing we’re going to have down the road when you’re getting closer to playing but you still haven’t seen him against that caliber player yet.

"He’s competing against these players everyday out here with this first group right now, so, I think from our standpoint it’s taking a little bit of the gray area out as far as any of the projection down the road. I think this guy is getting better playing against good people and that’s really what we want.”

The Dolphins aren't handing Misi a starting job.

He's c ompeting with Quentin Moses and Erik Walden.

 “Well, I mean honestly right now there’s nothing been done permanent by putting Misi up there," Sparano said. "It’s just been Moses was up there for three of four practices, Misi’s been up there for three or four practices now. You know, Walden’s gotten a few more turns as of late. Rep wise there all kind of pretty even. Koa probably has a few more reps right now than any of them do, but there all getting a pretty good amount of turns and all seeing the same type of people. You know, we’ll keep going round and round and I think the players understand right now that we’re just kind of shuffling people around.

"If I’m a player in that locker room, and a decision is being made on me, I don’t want that decision to be made on me if you’re playing against a third team guy and I’m playing against Jake (Long) every day. Okay, I mean I want to make sure that if you’re going to make a decision on me, and the decision is going to be fair that you’re playing against Jake too. So, I think that that’s important, and I think they’re starting to get the method behind some of that madness out there.”

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