How to fix the Miami Dolphins?
That’s been the question for two decades. My annual ideas haven’t been any worse than their reality. So here we go again this offseason.
Ten Simple Ways to Solve The Dolphins:
— 1. Re-do Xavien Howard’s contract. Yes, talks have begun and general manager Chris Grier says it’s a priority. But it’s not as cut-and-dried as that. Howard is set to make $13.7 million this year. He’ll want the $20 million the top-paid defensive back, Jalen Ramsey is making. You don’t want to hand new coach Mike McDaniel a headache his first training camp. So get Howard on board and ...
— 2. Make a run at New England cornerback J.C. Jackson if he gets to free agency. Cornerback Byron Jones will be 30 in September. He’s a good player making the most money on the team with a $16.5 million cap hit. You’d save $4.2 million by releasing him. The Dolphins actually would save millions against the cap by releasing Jones and signing Jackson with guaranteed money and smart structuring. Pair him with Howard and you have two game-changing cornerbacks and the best secondary in football.
— 3. Do some book-keeping to add about $10 million to your league-high cap space of $63.3 million (via overthecap.com). Contract revisions or outright releases can be made for the likes of Eric Rowe ($4.5 million cap savings if released), offensive lineman Jesse Davis ($3.6 million), receiver Allen Hurns ($2.6 million) and Clayton Fejedelem ($2.76 million). That bumps up your salary-cap space to $73 million.
— 4. Don’t over-think the running back position — just think better than recent years. Phillip Lindsay seems an inexpensive option to keep who fits this offense. The mid-round of the draft has plenty of options. McDaniel was the run-game coordinator in San Francisco and his top rushers were: Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and Carlos Hyde. They invested in the line.
— 5. Make a hard run at left tackle Terron Armstead. The New Orleans Saints free agent is the best tackle on the market and the Dolphins don’t know if they have one tackle, much less two. Get a sure piece. Two seasons ago McDaniel’s San Francisco got left tackle Trent McDaniel to solidify its line. Same thinking here. The competition will be heavy. Cost: More $20 million a year. A dollar-friendler option would be Jacksonville’s Cam Robinson. But if Armstead falls through ...
— 6. Go after at a top free-agent center like Tampa Bay’s Ryan Jensen or, maybe, Baltimore’s Bradley Bozeman. Again: Some position on that line has to be solidified with a good veteran. The 49ers also went out and invested heavily in a center, Alex Mack, when rebuilding the line in 2021. That tells the value McDaniel’s offense puts on a center. The best way to predict what’s needed here is what was needed there.
— 7. Draft a wide receiver at No. 29, and a middle linebacker with second- or third-round pick. “It’s a great wide receiver draft,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, as is said every year. Look at some of the top receivers picked at moderate draft slots the last few years: D.J. Moore (24), A.J. Brown (51), D.K. Metcalf (64), Deebo Samuel (36), Tee Higgins (33), Michael Pittman Jr. (34), Calvin Ridley (26). At 29, you can get someone to step in and help. It’s probably fantasyland to think Alabama’s injured Jameson Williams falls that low. But you can dream? At linebacker, Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal in the third round?
— 8. Pick up the fifth-year option of Christian Wilkins’ contract. A no-brainer, if just to watch him engulf McDaniel in hugs.
— 9. Value defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and tight end Mike Gesicki — but don’t overvalue them. Ogbah had nine sacks the past two years. That was a great signing at $7.5 million a year. Is it at double that as some think he’ll get? Gesicki is a good target and, like Ogbah, a good teammate. He can help. But at what price? A franchise tag is $11 million for tight ends. He’ll rightfully argue he played more snaps at receiver. So put a compromise at $14 million. I’m going for my home runs with the big money and if there’s a $10 million franchise tag left for him that works.
— 10. Keep clicking your heels and saying it’s quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s team. That got Dorothy to Kansas. That’s the mantra Grier demanded the new coach have. I would’ve got a quarterback to compete with Tua — maybe with the first pick if you’re in love. The path they’re going looks like Marcus Mariota and probably not even a mid-round quarterback to grow. They’ve anointed Tua, so go down that road hard and don’t look back. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home ....
