Miami Dolphins Top Training Camp Battles No. 5: Backup Nose Tackle

July 28, 2010   ·   Chris J. Nelson   ·   Jump to comments


With the retirement of Jason Ferguson, who was facing a suspension for the first eight games of the 2010 season, the need for a quality backup to starting nose tackle Randy Starks is more important than ever.

The primary backup at this point looks to be, once again, 2007 fourth-rounder Paul Soliai.

Despite a monstrous frame at 6'4" and 355 pounds, the prototypical nose tackle hasn't established himself as a reliable start to this point.

With his professional career plagued by maturity and conditioning issues, Soliai is hoping to earn a backup role with the Dolphins at this point.

Soliai's primary competition should come from Ryan Baker, who made the switch from defensive end to nose tackle during his rookie season as an non-drafted free agent.

Baker (6-5, 295) is a completely different kind of player than Soliai. But the Dolphins obviously like what they've seen from him, because they've given him playing time on defense, ...

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