State of the Franchise - Miami Dolphins

2017 Record: 6-10

Last Playoff Appearance: 2016

Coach: Adam Gase (record 16-16)

GM: Mike Tannebaum/Chris Grier

2017 Performance

After a promising, playoff making 2016 season, Miami struggled in 2017 and, ultimately, ended the season with an uncertain future and a feeling of what could have been.

The season got off to an odd start when Miami were forced to postpone their opening game against Tampa Bay due to Hurricane Irma. The game was rescheduled to week 11 when both teams had a bye week. Before the season had started, Miami were on the back foot.

Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, went down with a knee injury in 2016 and then re-injured the knee in training camp, before the 2017 season, leaving the Fins with only Matt Moore as a possible starter on the roster. Miami decided to bring in ‘retired’ signal caller, Jay Cutler. Cutler knew Adam Gase’s offense from their time in Chicago and the initial outlook looked bright despite the loss of Tannehill.

Cutler, however, did not live up to expectations and regularly demonstrated the frustrating inconsistency that has dogged him through his career. When Cutler got injured, Moore stepped in but was equally, if not more, ineffectual.

Miami decided to trade away started running back, Jay Ajayi, to the future Superbowl Champion Eagles. Kenyan Drake replaced Ajayi and became one of very few bright spots on the team as the season developed.

Jarvis Landry led the NFL in receptions but his yards per catch, and his habit of giving away unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, were signs of an offense struggling to stay on the field and put points on the board. A receiving corps which looked good on paper did not produce on the field and Tight End, Julius Thomas, was never a factor.

Miami’s offensive line failed to perform with any consistency and, at season’s end, this looked like a group that needed improving/overhauling despite having 3 of Miami’s former 1st round picks manning the tackle positions (Laremy Tunsil & Ja’Wuan James) and the center spot (Mike Pouncey).

Defensively, Miami approached 2017 with optimism and a group of talented players headlined by ageless pass rusher, Cameron Wake, expensive d-lineman, Ndamukong Suh, and ball hawking Safety, Reshad Jones. Added to those were 1st round pick, Charles Harris, and 2nd rounder, Raekwon McMillan. McMillan landed on injured reserve before the season started by blowing out his knee in a pre-season game and Harris was disappointing as an undersized end struggling to make an impact in the pass rush.

Xavien Howard played well as a 2nd year corner and, at times, he looked like he could really be considered ‘shutdown’. In week 14, in a win over New England, Howard put in a masterful display to keep Brandin Cooks to only 1 catch whilst intercepting Tom Brady twice. Tony Lippett missed the season through injury but the other young corners, Cordrea Tankersley and Bobby McCain played well.

On a D-line headlined by Suh and Wake, Davon Godchaux emerged as a potential star but Miami regularly struggled to stop the run. In the linebacking corps, high profile free agent, Lawrence Timmons, went missing on and off the field and Kiko Alonso was often seen chasing tight end shadows.

Wake, Suh and Jones played well throughout the season but the defense, as a whole, was generally seen to be lacking in talent and with the offense failing to stay on the field for long periods there were times when they were simply overrun.

2018 Roster Moves

At the moment, it seems easier to talk about the players Miami has lost than about the players they’ve added. Due to a combination of trying to change the team culture and salary cap issues, Miami have already overseen somewhat of a roster overhaul in 2018.

Gone is leading receiver, Jarvis Landry, traded to the Cleveland Browns in a move designed to get some compensation for a premier player. Gone is veteran center, Mike Pouncey, who has battled injury through his career and ultimately asked for his own release. Gone is the highest paid defensive player in the league, Ndamokung Suh, not only because Miami’s cap could no longer take the weight of his salary but because he failed to give the defense the leadership they craved in the locker room and on the field. Gone is ineffective tight end, Julius Thomas, in one of the easiest decisions a front office will ever have to make. Gone is ageing Linebacker, Lawrence Timmons, whose career is surely over (again an easy decision).

In free agency, and with the main remit of improving the team’s culture, Miami has added well-respected veterans such as Danny Amendola, Frank Gore & Josh Sitton. Miami has also added defensive end, Robert Quinn, and center, Daniel Kilgore, through trades.

In the draft, Miami took Minkah Fitzpatrick with the #11 pick. Fitzpatrick is a great athlete with the play-making ability to instantly improve Miami’s secondary. In the 2nd round, Miami added tight end, Mike Gesicki, who may finally give the Dolphins the athletic, redzone player that the offense needs. Of the other draft picks, Durham Smythe (tight end), Kalen Ballage (running back) and Jerome Baker (linebacker) will look to see playing time early whilst kicker, Jason Sanders, was chosen to fill the gap in the roster left by the departure of Cody Parkey in free agency.

2018 Starters

QB – Ryan Tannehill

RB1 – Kenyan Drake

RB2 – Frank Gore

WR1 – Devante Parker

WR2 – Kenny Stills

WR3 (Slot) – Albert Wilson

WR4 – Danny Amendola

TE1 – Mike Gesicki (R)

TE2 – Durham Smythe (R)

LT – Laremy Tunsil

LG – Josh Sitton

C – Daniel Kilgore

RG – Jesse Davis

RT – Ja’Wuan James

DE1 – Cameron Wake

DE2 – Robert Quinn

DE3 – William Hayes

DT1 – Jordan Phillips

DT2 – Davon Godchaux

DT3 – Akeem Spence

WLB – Kiko Alonso

SLB – Stephone Anthony

MLB – Raekwon McMillan

NLB – T.J.McDonald

CB1 – Xavien Howard

CB2 – Cordrea Tankersley

CB3 (Nickel) – Bobby McCain

CB4 – Tony Lippett

FS – Minkah Fitzpatrick (R)

SS – Reshad Jones

K – Jason Sanders (R)

P – Matt Haack

LS – John Denney

2018 Outlook

Miami’s commitment to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback is admirable given his recent injury and, as yet, his failure to become the franchise QB they had hoped he would. It’s unfair to say Miami’s fate rests solely on the shoulders of Tannehill in 2018 but his play will be a major factor to their fortunes. Tannehill will have to improve his pocket awareness, take more chances with downfield throws and regain the confidence to use his athleticism if he is to be successful.

Kenyan Drake returns as Miami’s #1 runner and he’ll be aided by evergreen veteran, Frank Gore. Drake needs to turn his form at the end of last season into a fully productive campaign and, to do this, he’ll have to earn some hard yards.

With Jarvis Landry gone, Devante Parker will have even more pressure on to show that he is a true #1 receiver. The jury is out on Parker after 3 disappointing seasons so far. If Parker can stay injury free, he’ll have a chance as he clearly has the tools to do the job. Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson will give Tannehill some options underneath and both should be reliable options in Gase’s offense. Kenny Stills provides the deep-threat but he’ll have to be more involved than he has been in his time in Miami thus far. Jakeem Grant should see a little more playing time given his impact at the end of 2017 but he remains a gadget type player who shouldn’t be relied on as anything other than a 2-3 target a game type. Miami will have to rely heavily on 2nd round draft pick, Mike Gesicki, as the pass catching tight end. Gesicki clearly has talent but, given Gase’s love of using tight ends, this may be a lot to ask of a rookie.

The O-line is a work in progress and Miami will hope veteran guard, Josh Sitton, can improve the play on the interior which has been such a problem in recent years. Tunsil and James return as the bookends but Miami will want to see improvements from both. Daniel Kilgore comes in at center and, although he’s less talented than Mike Pouncey, Miami will see this as an upgrade given Pouncey’s recent decline and injury history. Jesse Davis is likely to get the first chance of starting at right guard and he certainly played well as a replacement last year. Miami lack real depth in this area which could be a major concern if injury hits at any time.

Miami will undoubtedly miss Ndamukong Suh in the middle of the D-line, as any team would, but they will feel an improved pass rush may well help with the expected decline in play from the interior. Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn and Charles Harris will provide the pressure off the edge added to Andre Branch and William Hayes playing in rotation and adding more support against the run. In the middle, Jordan Phillips and Davon Godchaux are young players with promise and Miami has added Akeem Spence from Detroit in a trade. With this group, Coordinator Matt Burke will have to get creative to make sure Suh’s loss is not a big issue.

The Linebacking group appears to present an area of weakness and, given 2017’s lacklustre performance, it may seem too little has been done to improve the situation. Kiko Alonso returns and he is a far better player than his 2017 tape would suggest. Alonso should not be asked to cover tight ends so often as he clearly can’t do it. Raekwon McMillan returns for what will be a delayed rookie season. If McMillan plays to potential then Miami may have finally found the player they’ve been missing in the middle for many years. Of the other linebackers, Stephone Anthony and Jerome Baker will seek playing time but this does seem a very thin group.

In the secondary, 1st round draft pick, Minkah Fitzpatrick, should slide in next to Reshad Jones to man the free safety position. Potentially, this could then give Miami the best safety tandem in the league. T.J.McDonald could/should move from free safety to play more as a nickel linebacker which would negate the need for Alonso to cover across the middle. At corner, Xavien Howard is the clear number one whilst Tankersley and Lippett will battle for the week one start opposite. Bobby McCain will continue in his Nickel back role in which he performed admirably in 2017.

Jason Sanders appears to have the inside track to be Miami’s kicker even though he’s a 7th round rookie although I wouldn’t be surprised if Miami adds veteran competition in training camp. Matt Haack returns as a useful punter whilst John Denney returns as the long snapper for what seems like his 100th year.

Bottom Line

Even though Miami may not have high expectations for 2018, there will be a number of jobs on the line if they fail. This will surely be Ryan Tannehill’s last chance to become ‘the man’ and coach, Adam Gase, will feel the pressure if Miami doesn’t show significant improvement from 2017. Along with Tannehill and Gase, the general management duo of Tannebaum and Grier will surely be on a short leash.

Miami, for the first time in a long time, had a clear remit this off-season to bring in players with strong characters and to improve the overall speed of the team especially on defense. Given the move to improve the culture, and the departure of some talented players, it’s hard to know what success would look like for Miami in 2018. I don’t expect them to make a serious push for a playoff spot but a losing season will not be acceptable. All-in-all, Miami will be an interesting team to watch in 2018 and, with what appears to be a favorable schedule, they will certainly be competitive.

NFL Analyst, Miami Dolphins, David Payne (The Bearded Twits Co-Founder)