The Dolphins weren’t pleased with Phillips’s production and when he

In the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft Authentic Jeremy Kerley Jersey , the Miami Dolphins selected defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.was waived after four games in the 2018 season, he made sure everyone knew the feelings were mutual. Phillips penned a candid Instagram post containing quotes such as “Free at last” and “I couldn’t be happier to be out of there.” A change of scenery seemed to help, with Phillips quickly gaining a reputation for his energy and enthusiasm in Buffalo. A steady rotational player, Phillips was often seen pumping up the crowd between plays. That’s all great news, but does his talent match his newfound zeal in Western New York and the Buffalo Bills? Play 1Jordan Phillips is matched up with Anthony Castonzo as they fight for position heading sideways. Phillips has Jordan Poyer to his right to clog that lane and should look to shut down the gap to his left side. He’s not fast enough to flank Castonzo and not strong enough to drive Castonzo back. Castonzo gets a good push and while Phillips makes the tackle it’s a nine-yard gain. Play 2This isn’t to insinuate Phillips is weak by any means. He’s losing ground, but the quality of competition on this double team is through the roof. Anthony Costanzo releases from the block and Phillips twists and takes Quenton Nelson to the ground. Phillips shows flashes of power like this, just not enough to claim more snaps on defense. Play 3Like Star Lotulelei (who Phillips backs up), there isn’t a good statistic to tell you how he’s doing overall. Aside from the very unofficial metric “Thumbs up from Skare” Phillips’s role is invisible in the box score for this play. Without him, Braden Smith is there to do something about Tremaine Edmunds and Marlon Mack can scoot in for a short gain or maybe even a touchdown. Instead, Smith is delayed Cheap Tremaine Edmunds Jersey , Tremaine Edmunds shoots in and Mack has to bounce outside where Phillip Gaines tackles Mack for a loss of two. Play 4Whereas the first couple plays show Jordan Phillips getting pushed around a bit and then pushing someone else around a little bit, this play is more typical of Phillips’s play. He’s winning the one-on-one—but slowly. The good news is that he’s still there to plug gaps, however he’s unlikely to generate consistent interior pressure. Phillips shows good awareness, though, and ditches the block when he see the pass coming. As he’s no longer tied up, he’s in excellent shape to time a leap that nearly deflects the ball. Play 5This is a good victory for Phillips, getting Quenton Nelson to give ground. Like above, there’s no way Phillips is hitting home before Andrew Luck gets rid of the ball. Not straight through Nelson anyway. Phillips skirts around pretty well for a player around 340 lbs. Nelson twists Phillips to the ground, but it’s likely Luck gets the ball away regardless. Play 6Phillips takes another double team, which frees up Eddie Yarbrough to shoot in. Before Yarbrough can make the tackle Authentic Marcus Murphy Jersey , though, Phillips knifes in between the offensive linemen and makes the hit himself. This is some nice maneuvering in heavy traffic for Phillips. He doesn’t make a ton of splash plays, but he’s not someone that should be counted out. Play 7Here’s an even better version of how Phillips tries to disrupt passing lanes. The shove here is much more effective against an opponent who isn’t quite the caliber of a Quenton Nelson. The quick step back and jump is perfectly timed. Phillips usually reached playing time percentages in the 30s, never seeing massive amounts of time on the field. In 2018, Phillips recorded four defended passes. That doesn’t sound impressive but it places him in a tie for 12th place in the league among all defensive linemen. Many of the players ahead of him on the list are not backups, such as Cameron Jordan, Carlos Dunlap and Akiem Hicks. No defensive lineman had more than eight passes defended. And if we filter out defensive ends, the only defensive tackle with more passes defended is Chris Wormley. Ndamukong Suh and Stephon Tuitt tied Jordan Phillips with four. All three of these players are about 40 lbs lighter than Phillips. This is not an anomaly either, as Phillips has never had fewer than three in his four year career, despite never establishing himself as a starter. SummaryJordan Phillips turned out to be a productive in-season find and valuable backup for Star Lotulelei. While he’s not prone to bowling people over White Lorenzo Alexander Jersey , he can occupy a couple lineman and free up others to get the glory stats. In addition, he seems to have a knack for tipping the ball at the line. While that shouldn’t be a primary consideration for a defensive tackle, it’s a nice bonus skill. Phillips clicks in Buffalo and does an adequate to great job with his current role on the team. Unless the defensive scheme/game plan changes drastically, Phillips should be a player the Bills look to keep.Bills Links, 9/17: Buffalo falls to 0-2 after 31-20 loss to the Chargers The Buffalo Bills were handled by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, falling to 0-2 after a 31-20 defeat. There is plenty to discuss from the game in today’s links - including the bizarre retirement from Vontae Davis during halftime on Sunday. There are plenty of updates on Davis, Josh Allen’s first start, Tremaine Edmunds’ struggles and much more in this edition of the Bills Links.Vontae Davis officially retires, explains bizarre exit from Bills-Chargers game | NewYorkUpstate.com"Today on the field reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn't be out there anymore."Jason Wolf: Bills are better off without Vontae Davis – The Buffalo News“This isn’t how I pictured retiring from the NFL,” Vontae Davis said in a statement after Sundays game. (subscription required).Joe B: 7 observations from Buffalo Bills - Los Angeles Chargers (9/16/18) - WKBW.comThe Buffalo Bills dropped their second straight game to start the 2018 season.Bills' Allen showed what he was made of | WGR 550 SportsRadioAllen seemed to raise his level of play as the game went on.Sean McDermott calls the defense White Jordan Mills Jersey , and 6 Bills on defensive positives in 2nd half | NewYorkUpstate.comThe Bills defense allowed only three points in the second half after and McDermott starting calling the plays.Chargers' Philip Rivers thinks Bills' Josh Allen has 'the right approach' | NewYorkUpstate.com "One thing he's got is he can throw it a long way," Rivers said.Sean McDermott: "Didn't Make Plays" - BuffaloBills.comHead Coach Sean McDermott addressed the media after the lost to the L.A. Chargers 31-20 topics include; the slow start, QB Josh Allen's first NFL start, and the defense stepping up in the second half.Report card: Los Angeles Chargers too much for Buffalo Bills | NewYorkUpstate.comBuffalo fell short in their home opener to the Los Angeles Chargers.‘A big growth process’: Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds reacts after tough outing – The Buffalo News“It’s accepted -- maybe even expected -- that rookie quarterback Josh Allen will go through some growing pains.” (Subscription required.)Featured on Buffalo RumblingsFive observations from Buffalo Bills’ loss to Los Angeles Chargers includes Josh Allen opinion - Buffalo RumblingsSome good, some bad.Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis quits, retires during game - Buffalo RumblingsAs the Buffalo Bills hosted the Los Angeles Chargers, Vontae Davis elected to "retire."Buffalo Bills 20, LA Chargers 31: Bills shocked into submission - Buffalo RumblingsA smoking-hot start from the Chargers killed any hope of a Bills victory.