It’s likely that Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has touch-downed in Indianapolis with staff by now and is ready to begin the offseason process. What fans and supporters of the team are always ready to do is guess and speculate about that process.
So why not list some areas where it’s probable Grier will put close to the top of the 2023 to-do list?
Buy Dolphins TicketsAs we stand now, per Spotrac.com, Miami has 38 contracted Dolphins that are under contract and essentially part of full-time roster consideration. They have another seven signed to reserve/futures contracts. That’s a total of 45 players, while 29 members of the 2022 Dolphins could be former ones as they’re free agents with 25 of them being unrestricted.
So prior to breaking down what’s needed, let’s look at what the Dolphins have.
Perhaps the most top-heavy position would be at wide receiver, where targets Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle make up, arguably, the league’s premier tandem.
Last year’s free agent signing Cedrick Wilson Jr. was brought in prior to the Hill deal, so his utilization and playing time took a hit in 2022. It remains to be seen if Grier could inquire with other teams about Wilson, who not only came on late in the season to make a few key plays but proved he can be of value as a punt returner as well.
River Cracraft was brought in last year from San Fransisco with head coach Mike McDaniel, and his knowledge of the playbook and solid play makes him a quality depth player.
Rookie Erik Ezukanma played just 10 snaps last season. He did, however, see a target which he caught for three yards against the New York Jets. Whether it was a developmental issue on the field or absorbing the playbook, it remains to be seen what Ezukanma is fully capable of, as the 2022 fourth-round pick curiously never saw the field prior to that Week 18 cameo.
Inversely, the running back room is as vacant as that local restaurant that always seems to change ownership and cuisine year-to-year. Miami has yet to solidify a backfield with successful consistency in quite some time, and every single rostered back from last season is a free agent.
Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. averaged a combined, 4.84 yards per attempt on 265 rushes for 1,283 yards. If those two were listed among the NFL team leaders in yards per carry last season, it would be tied for the league’s fifth-best mark in that stat. Miami also was 31st in total team carries in 2022 which is interesting when placed against the prior figure. At least one returning to Miami is probable and viable in this offense. Both of course have a 49ers history with McDaniel and had spurts of great play in 2022.
Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin, who were college teammates at the University of Washington, were seldom used last year, so their return is anything but guaranteed.
Grier will certainly be looking into running backs at both the combine and in free agency. However, since he has been a Dolphins “executive” since 2007 and became general manager in 2016, there’s been a pattern of avoiding running backs early in the draft.
After the organization drafted Ronnie Brown with the second overall pick in 2005, Miami has not used a single first-round selection on a running back. Furthermore, they used a second-round pick only once (Daniel Thomas in 2011) and a third-round twice (Lorenzo Booker in 2007 and Kenyan Drake in 2016).
As for the free agency market, Grier tends to shop in a discount aisle, so while a loaded class is sitting in the premium section of the store, it’s unlikely he’ll include that in his budget. Players like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Miles Sanders all have market values of salaries beyond $10 million a year. Combined, Mostert and Wilson had contracts that were worth less than $6 million last year.
Helping any running game is the offensive line. Grier has been most successful in free agency, as opposed to selecting blockers recently, so searching for a few veterans to sign may be the best course of action here. A player to watch, and position overall in free agency, is left guard, namely Dalton Risner. That’s where money should be spent, as he’d likely cost in the $9-11 million a year range.
Regardless of the lack of homerun picks on the offensive line, Grier will likely explore the position, as depth is certainly needed when considering some holes, as well as some moderate health concerns in getting as close to a full season out of left tackle Terron Armstead.
Names to watch this week at the combine would be Syracuse right tackle Matthew Bergeron as well as Ohio State’s Dawand Jones and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright. Ryan Hayes of Michigan is a name to track too.
The defense is, perhaps, the most intriguing area for an upgrade, as now there’s a new boss in the room – Vic Fangio. The veteran defensive mastermind specializes in linebacking, so there’s a solid assumption free agents could be attracted to Miami such as Zach Cunningham, Devin Bush, Lavonte David or even the recently released Bobby Wagner.
Currently, in Miami, Jerome Baker is a free agent come 2025, and last year’s rookie Channing Tindall is essentially the defensive version of Ezukanma, having not seen much playing time. Bradley Chubb, of course, wasn’t only traded for last season, but he also signed a new contract with Miami, so he won’t hit the free agent market until 2028.
As for the outside grouping of linebackers, Miami has decisions to make on Melvin Ingram, Duke Riley and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Miami’s secondary is another strength of the team, when healthy. Too many injuries last season hit the group, but should players like Brandon Jones and Trill Williams return to form and join Xavien Howard, Jevon Holland and Kader Kohou the last piece of the puzzle could be the re-signing of Nik Needham.
Clearly, the Byron Jones situation is still ongoing but his days in Miami are likely over.
Grier could also explore the free agent market and draft class knowing Howard is on the back-nine of his career, and the aforementioned injuries would need any general manager to cover bases with players who can cover the quality targets of the AFC East.
Dolphin fans have been clamoring for former Buffalo Bill and now free-agent defensive back Jordan Poyer. He’d cost upwards of $10-plus million a year but perhaps would consider a bit less in certain states for tax reasons, as he indicated at the birthday party of nonother than Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this past weekend in Miami.
As for the quarterback room, there’s a looming decision to be made regarding Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option, which will be May 1. McDaniel told media at the combine, “both parties really want him to play at a very high level for a long time for the Miami Dolphins.”
Fresh off of a rookie season, backup Skylar Thompson could see some competition for that role, as a veteran backup could round out the room heading into training camp.
There’s certainly a slew of options for Grier to explore and an infinite amount of scenarios for Dolphins’ fans to deliberate and debate about in the coming weeks and months. In a league that had its season end less than a month ago, there is barely any time to catch one’s breath before next season.
The NFL Combine is in full swing and runs through Monday, March 6 as the rest of the 2023 calendar gets going officially in the next few weeks.
