Chubb Tops Dolphins Players in Early Defensive Player of the Year Odds
Because it's never too early for such things, we now have early odds for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors for the 2023 season.
Linebacker Bradley Chubb was the highest-listed Miami Dolphins player in early odds posted by BetOnline (www.betonline.ag), coming in at +100.
The Dolphins had two other players among the 59 listed overall with odds, with safety Jevon Holland and linebacker Jaelan Phillips each coming in at +150.
The top five favorites were Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt at 5/1, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons at 6/1, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett at 9/1, 49ers defensive end (and 2022 NFL DPOY) Nick Bosa at 10/1, and Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby at 12/1.
Chubb's total was tied for 24th.
Missing the list of 59 players was cornerback Xavien Howard, which is understandable given his uneven 2022 season (though he did get elected to the Pro Bowl) but also somewhat surprising given that he finished third in the actual voting in 2020 behind winner Aaron Donald and T.J. Watt.
CHUBB'S BIG OPPORTUNITY
Suggesting Chubb could make the biggest impact on the Dolphins defense in 2023 certainly makes sense given the arrival of Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator.
Chubb obviously is familiar with Fangio's scheme, having played for the Denver Broncos when Fangio was their head coach from 2019-21.
It was under Fangio that Chubb earned his first Pro Bowl invitation in 2020 when he had 7.5 sacks in 14 games.
After being acquired at the trade deadline in a trade that cost the Dolphins a 2023 first-round pick, Chubb had only 2.5 sacks in eight games for Miami while he dealt with some injuries.
The hope is that Fangio's arrival and good health will unleash the kind of production Chubb showed as a rookie in 2018 when he had a career-high 12 sacks and finished third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
"The three years I was with him in Denver, he was the victim of some injuries," Fangio said during his introductory press conference last month. "I believe he got hurt in the fourth game the first year I was there and was out for the season. He came back the second year and it took him about four or five games to get into the groove coming off the injury and then he had a good season that year. And then he really basically missed — it doesn’t say it statistically — but he missed most of my last year there because he had an ankle injury that kept him out and when he came back, he wasn’t himself. (He was) still recovering. He had two ankle injuries.
"So I’m anxious to get him rolling, keep him healthy and see the Bradley Chubb that we all know he’s capable of being.”
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