How Compatible is Gibril Wilson with the Miami Dolphins?

As the Miami Dolphins continue to retool their roster and revamp their team, Bill Parcells and Company took the initiative to get some help for the secondary unit. Using the MSG Fin Meter, we take a look at the recent acquisition of veteran Safety, Gibril Wilson, in order to analyze how compatible he will be with the Dolphins.

Wilson played four seasons in New York under Tom Coughlin's Giants. He departed New York with a ring on his finger and experience under his belt. He secured a deal with the Oakland Raiders a season after, but was cut by the Raiders despite his team-leading tackle count (just another questionable move by the Raiders). In an effort to rejuvenate his career to that of his years in New York, Wilson comes to Miami to team up with the hard-hitting Yeremiah Bell under the Parcells/Sparano Administration.

Here is the criteria we will use to review the signing:

-Statistical Analysis

-Attitude/Behavioral Research

-Talent Evaluation

Statistical Analysis

Over the span of Gibril Wilson's career he's been able to record a total of 394 solo tackles, 105 tackle assists, 7.5 sacks, and 13 interceptions. His tackle count averages out to 78.8 tackles a season (without taking into account the small amount of minutes he played as a rookie in 2004). More recently, he's been considered a solid 100 tackle per season Safety, especially after he led the Raiders in total tackles (over any other Linebacker or D-Lineman). I'm sure that fits well with Yeremiah Bell's profile as a Miami Dolphin.

Yeremiah Bell led the Fins Safety unit with 100 solo tackles and 20 tackle assists (120 total tackles). Renaldo Hill was second to Bell with 63 solo tackles and 15 tackle assists (78 total tackles). Just based on Gibril Wilson's 2008 stats, he surpasses both Bell and Hill with 98 solo tackles and 34 tackle assists (134 total tackles). Based on these numbers, Wilson is definitely an upgrade at the Safety position.

Although he didn't record too many deflected passes with the Raiders, Wilson has racked up a total of 30 deflected passes throughout his career. If he can recreate the season he had with the Giants in 2006 (10 deflected passes), the Dolphins can expect some lock down defense from a Wilson-Bell tandem. Statistically speaking, this was a no-brainer for Bill Parcells and Company. Bottomline: Gibril Wilson is a Raiders loss and a Dolphins win.

Attitude/Behavioral Research

According to Giants.com, Gibril has been involved with various charitable organizations and foundations throughout his NFL tenure, including the:

-Boys and Girls Club of New Jersey
-Giants Foundation

-United Way
-Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New York City
-Lighthouse Feeding Ministry in Newark
-Habitat for Humanity International

Wilson was even a professor in the Giants Football 201 program for women. All of these endeavors show plenty of community involvement and overall genuine care on his part.

As for the stains on Wilson's record, there were no noticeable reports or claims that portrayed Wilson in a negative light. This is not to say that Gibril is a saint, but it's definitely good to know that he has does not have a bad reputation in the media and around the league. This kind of record is a great fit in the Parcells/Sparano "No Nonsense" system.

Talent Evaluation

The most noticeable talents that Wilson exhibits are his longevity, consistency, pass defense, and tackle ability. Over the span the past four seasons, Gibril has only missed four games out of 64 games. The reason I am not counting his rookie season is for obvious reasons - he's was a rookie (even then he played eight out of 16 games). That accounts for longevity and consistency, without even including his statistical consistency.

His pass defense is obvious particularly when you look back to his years in New York. A Safety that deflects 30 passes in five seasons is an impressive one. Deflecting passes is the primary objective of Cornerbacks. Safeties are just what their position name implies - to be a safety net in case Cornerbacks lose their Wide Receiver assignments. Wilson obviously goes beyond his duties and provides a solid pass defense for which ever secondary unit he plays in.

As for tackling, it may seem like a simple concept: drop the ball carrier to the ground. On the contrary, it isn't as simple as it sounds and any football analyst will tell you that Wilson has a knack for tackling. Let's hope that Gibril can continue his success in the tackle statistic and prove that the Raiders were not smart in waiving him.

There are no outstanding negative aspects to Wilson's game, other than the fact that he is no Brian Dawkins, Bob Sanders, or Troy Polamalu. In other words, he isn't a prime-time safety, but in a decent football team the unit is what matters, not the individual players.

Evaluation Score

Based on all the information we have gathered, we have gathered the compatibility between Gibril Wilson and the Miami Dolphins as follows:

Statistical Analysis: 5 / 5

Attitude/Behavioral Research: 2 / 2

Talent Evaluation: 2 / 3

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Total Score: 9 / 10

Conclusion

Wilson rates 9 on the MSG Fin Meter because of the upgrade he provides at the Safety position for the Dolphins. Now that the Dolphins will be facing receivers in the AFC East to the likes of Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, there is a much needed depth in the secondary. We hope that Gibril Wilson meets and exceeds the expectations he brings to the Fins. Keep your eye out for a follow-up article on Gibril's performance once the season starts.