The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Very interesting season. We were both Superbowl worthy and fortunate to make the playoffs due to injuries and some weird play. That being said, it's hard to take a step back and not see the positive change in this team. We just need improvements in some areas.

1) RT and LG need to be addressed. No superstars needed, but league average is what we need. Austin Jackson is either the softest RT in the league or he pulled a Byron Jones because you don't miss 16 games with an ankle sprain unless surgery is required. LT, C and RG were all awesome, thus we don't need a $20 Million RT.

2) Work on Health. No idea how to do this as sometimes it's just bad luck, but we cannot have a repeat of this season where we're using 3rd and 4th stringers in a playoff game.

3) Tua throws the ball away. Put a shock collar on him and use it if he extends a play more than 2 seconds. No more hero shit, throw the ball away.

What else am I missing?

Top priority is a blocking/pass-catching tight end who can help the run game work but also be a threat to catch the ball and demand attention from the opposing pass defense.  That works to offset defenses' adjustment to the Dolphins' passing game, which shut them down during the latter part of the season.  Next is maturation from the pass rush such that somebody becomes Nick Bosa-esque and becomes a more reliable pass-rusher, so that the team can get reliable pressure on QBs with just a four-man pass rush.

George Kittle and Nick Bosa are what distinguishes this team from McDaniel's former team at the moment.

^^^

I'm assuming Hunter Long won't do the trick?

Free Agents the Dolphins have to make a decide on whether to re-sign

Salvon Ahmed, running back (RFA)
Justin Bethel, cornerback
Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback
Elijah Campbell, cornerback (ERFA)
Geron Christian, tackle
River Cracraft, wide receiver
Michael Deiter, guard
Sam Eguavoen, linebacker
Clayton Fejedelem, safety
Trey Flowers, linebacker
Eric Fisher, tackle
Myles Gaskin, running back
Mike Gesicki, tight end
Melvin Ingram, linebacker
John Jenkins, defensive tackle
Kendall Lamm, tackle
Greg Little, tackle
John Lovett, fullback (RFA)
Thomas Morstead, punter
Raheem Mostert, running back
Nik Needham, cornerback
Duke Riley, linebacker
Elandon Roberts, linebacker
Eric Rowe, safety
Adam Shaheen, tight end
Trent Sherfield, wide receiver
Brandon Shell, tackle
Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker
Jeff Wilson, running back
Justin Zimmer, defensive tackle

Defense and special teams. They both need upgrades. Not necessarily any one position but overall both of those were below average. Figure out a way to improve both of them. In my humble opinion I think we are needing a leader in the middle of the field, a linebacker that makes sure everyone is in the right spot and ready to play and then leads by example. Someone that everyone else on the defense rallies around. For special teams, both punt and kickoff returns were bad. Get a true punt/kick returner. Someone that strikes fear into opposing teams and maybe a flyer who can tackle.

There are a LOT of tough choices on that list.
My priorities would probably be:

Melvin Ingram, linebacker
Thomas Morstead, punter
Raheem Mostert, running back
Nik Needham, cornerback
Elandon Roberts, linebacker
Eric Rowe, safety
Trent Sherfield, wide receiver
Andrew Van Ginkel, linebacker
Jeff Wilson, running back

Full year of Raheem and Wilson would be awesome. Needham would probably be next because Byron is obviously done and we could use all the secondary depth we can get after this season.

Hope Grier knows how to manipulate the cap so we could do more than resign some guys.

Are there any free agents worth targeting for the positions we need since Ross boned us in the draft?

As I mentioned in another thread:

If Hunt stays at RT, then we need two quality guards - otherwise we need to find a starting RT and LG because what we have is not up to scratch.

We have ignored the need for a stud LB who can cover for years and it's killing us - this year we have given away the second most touchdowns in the league for TEs (which should not be a huge surprise to any of us). If we find some money, do we go after someone like Tremaine Edmunds who is a free agent this year? Or do we look to the draft? (where, oh yeah, we don't have a first round draft pick)

I think Thompson can be a capable (and cheap) backup, and having him as the designated second string with more reps will only help - I've seen enough of Teddy to know he ain't any better (IMO he's much worse) and he can leave along with his salary hit.

We're all assuming Byron Jones is gone (although I did read an amusing piece today suggesting we will be better next year with his return!) so do we actively hunt a replacement, or put our faith in that Kohou and/or (gasp) Noah will be a starter next season?

As for Gieseke, we franchised him this year and did not use him properly (as a receiver) and I assume he (and his big salary) will be somewhere else next season (where he will play extremely well). Do we even get a replacement at TE? I mentioned in another thread our offense under McDaniel is almost like the old Run-and-Shoot offenses of the early 1990s where the position is almost non-existent...

If that is the way we are headed, then fortifying the OL is even more important - as it is right now we are vulnerable to blitzes from the edges because our TEs and RBs won't/can't block. Then it's all on the starting five linemen to cover everything, and together with the QB, get the protection assignments and calls right to make it work.

I really think they have to focus on bringing in Brady or Rodgers to make a run at the Super Bowl.  With Hill and Waddle, among others, either of those guys could want to come play in Miami.  Then they could work on developing Skylar as the backup.  I think Tua was great this year when he played, the problem is he's just not durable enough to play a full season; and if they pickup his 5th season it could cripple the teams' salary cap for future years.

I agree with Pappy it would be nice to get a dominant middle linebacker to lead the defense, maybe someone's available in FA.  Otherwise need to draft some defensive secondary players.

Also need to look at replacing Boyer.

He said yesterday not to worry about what it looks like now. In 2 months there will be plenty of money.

I'm not good at picking individual names so I'll leave that to y'all.  But as a concept, I'd like to see us work on depth.

We seemed to lose a lot of guys this year and there's no reason to think that won't continue.  So, maybe put some stock and effort into what to do when that happens next time.  Retool those efforts.

Depth is important, but realistically no team can have 3rd stringers come in and play like starters. Ideally, your 2nd stringers hold down the fort or sometimes play well. We were way down on RT and Secondary this year, shocked they played as well as they did, even if they didn't play well.

Team needs to analyze if the injuries were bad luck or a bad training staff. Staff you can replace, luck you just have to hope it gets better the next season.

^  Yeah, you can't have superstars as backups.

QB is a good example.  There's every reason to believe that Tua won't be able to play 17 games next year.  There's also reason to believe that Bridgewater ain't it.  So, you gotta make some decisions there.

....same with secondary and maybe O-line.  Things weren't terrible and the backups did the best they could, but since both have been so susceptible to injury (especially secondary), maybe try to add one extra mid-grade player to the pool of guys to use.


I also think that getting rid of Jones might be a net positive.  It sucks to lose his talent, but at least you know he's gone, rather than planning for the guy to come back and it just never happens.

keep working on the O-line .. it was much better than last year and you can keep improving.
keep finding players for the secondary

Also, adding a good blocking TE will go a long ways in this offense.

Terron, Hunt and Connor were elite players. If we get just league average at LG and RT, that is a Top 10 unit. Hunt must be extended this offseason before we are forced to play him at RT next year due to injury and now he is worth $18 Million a year. RG contract would keep him around $10-12 Million.

Jackson will be depth and very likely Liam too. He just looks lost out there at every position, can't go into next season with him penciled in as a starter. Even a competition means he's fighting against other crap players.

Need a great back up for Armstead no matter what. Armstead missed an average of five games for nine seasons in New Orleans and didn't fare much better here.

I completely and whole-heartedly agree with every name on this list.  I made my own list (independently) and it was identical, with the exception of mine included Dieter as well.

I feel like I remember someone on the radio saying Dieter is the only offensive lineman who did not play a snap this year. Considering how many injuries we had that doesn't bode well for him.

We have an alarming number of former starters and draft picks who aren't even seeing the field when we are down to our 5th or 6th stringers the past few years. Who was even behind Dieter, T.D. the Mascot?

LMAO ... I heard TD was warming up to kick but Sanders finally came around.

Re-signing Van Ginkel may be one of the more expensive things Miami has to do, hopefully they can do that.

He's one of my favorite players but I don't think he gets signed. Once we traded for Chubb his playing time went way down. Van Ginkle will get much more money from someone else.