Ogbah discusses new role and what has changed for him. And two coordinators weigh in

The player with the Dolphins’ highest base salary this season likely won’t be on the field when Miami takes its first snaps in Sunday’s opener against the Chargers.

But Emmanuel Ogbah is fine with that.

He says he has embraced a role that involves coming off the bench and playing multiple positions in new coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense.

Ogbah — who is set to earn $15 million this season (highest 2023 base paycheck on the team, per overthecap.com) in the second year of a four-year, $65 million deal — said he will split time between playing outside (in a linebacker type role) and inside (as an interior lineman on passing downs).

The role is “a little bit different” from the way previous coordinator Josh Boyer used him.

“But it’s kind of the same concepts,” Ogbah said. “I’ll be rushing [still]. Now I’ll be dropping [into coverage, too]. That’s the different part about it. And I’ll play inside and outside.”

He said he will be standing up a “lot more” as opposed to being a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end, which is how Boyer usually deployed him. Fangio has said that Ogbah can play with his hand on the ground at times.

“I did it in Cleveland; I don’t mind it,” he said of standing up before the play. “I like my hand in the dirt, but I don’t mind it. I’m getting better every day in a two-point stat.”

How did Fangio explain the new role to him?

“His deal is he’s trying to put the best players in the best position where they do best,” Ogbah said. “He told me ‘your role will probably be a lot more edge, inside as well.’ I’m excited for the challenge. I’m getting better every practice.”

Ogbah prepared for the role by studying tape of others asked to carry out similar assignments in Fangio’s defense, including Aldon Smith, Von Miller and Dolphins teammate Bradley Chubb.

Ogbah earned the big contract after back-to-back nine-sack, high-impact seasons with Miami in 2020 and 2021. But he had only one sack and 11 tackles last season, before a triceps injury ended his season in Week 10 against Cleveland.

After starting 12 of 16 appearances in 2020 and 11 of 17 in 2021, he started just three times in nine games last season.

This season, he’s listed as a backup outside linebacker — with Andrew Van Ginkel — behind starters Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.

He said he’s fine with not starting “as long as I do what’s best for the team. Whatever they need me to do, I’m ready to do it. It’s not about coming off the bench or starting. Whatever I can do to help the team win games, that’s my plan.”

The Dolphins still list him as a defensive end on the team website but don’t list defensive end at all on the team’s depth chart. (Starting linemen Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis are all identified on the depth chart as defensive tackles, with rookie Brandon Pili listed as the only backup player to those three.)

Ogbah’s role can best be described as an outside linebacker, plus defensive tackle in some packages when the opposing team is expected to pass.

So what does Ogbah tell people who ask him what position he’s playing now?

“Playmaker,” he said, smiling.

Ogbah’s $15 million base salary for this season is fully guaranteed.

Next season’s $14.9 million salary is entirely non-guaranteed, putting him in serious jeopardy next March considering the Dolphins are $25 million above next season’s cap and need to shed tens of millions in cap charges to be able to fill out their 2024 roster.

THIS AND THAT

Tua Tagovailoa, asked this week about comparisons with Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert: “Justin is a totally different player than me. Justin can throw the deep ball as far as anyone in this league.

“There’s things that Justin does that I look at and go, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Sometimes you can’t help but fan over those plays.

“But we’re just different in our styles and who we are as football players. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him.”

▪ Offensive coordinator Frank Smith said second-year receiver Erik Ezukanma, who played only 10 offensive snaps last season, had a good offseason and has been used in a “variety” of roles.

“His ability to make plays in space” stands out, Smith said. “We are hopeful this season will showcase all the things he can do, which we feel confident about.”

▪ Smith said the Dolphins are determined not to reveal anything about their lineup so that everything is a “surprise” to the Chargers.

▪ The Dolphins led the league in presnap penalties last season, and Smith said: “We feel we’ve improved in that area.”

▪ Smith said no one person would fill all the responsibilities of tight end Mike Gesicki, who’s now with New England.

“Mike’s a great player,” Smith said. “We’ll use all the guys [we have] to attack the defense appropriately.”

▪ Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman indicated the loss of Keion Crossen (for the season), Elijah Campbell (for the next week at least) and Justin Bethel (iffy for Sunday) is hurtful for his coverage units.

That’s a “big impact,” Crossman said. “Three who are proven players. I feel so bad for Keion. We were so excited to get him heavily involved in the kicking game; it’s a big blow.”

As for Bethel and Campbell, “we hope they’re quick healers.”

▪ New cornerback Kelvin Joseph, acquired from the Cowboys for Noah Igbinoghene, has considerable special teams experience in Dallas. “He is a talented, talented player,” Crossman said. “Fast, physical. He’s been good.”

▪ Crossman, on new punter Jake Bailey: “The end of camp was the best he’s been, which you always strive for.”

▪ Crossman said “adding Braxton Berrios as a true combo return player is going to be big and pay dividends for us.”

▪ Left tackle Terron Armstead again missed practice with assorted injuries and his status remains very much in question for Sunday’s game at the Chargers.