As the madness of March nears its conclusion, the first wave of free agency and offseason movement saw a few splashes in South Florida. The Miami Dolphins have been busy and look to build on a 2022 season that, although it wasn’t without its share of controversy and disappointment, did include a playoff berth.
From the acquisition of defensive back Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago, to the re-signing of several important Dolphins, mixed with a handful of key free agent deals, Miami has, at the very least, improved so far this offseason.
Before even getting to the new Dolphins, players like Andrew Van Ginkel and Nik Needham had options of playing elsewhere, yet chose to stick around in Miami, each inking one-year deals to stay with the team that gave them their NFL shot. Van Ginkel was a fifth-round pick in 2019, and Needham was an undrafted free agent in the same year.
General manager Chris Grier, and his sou chef in front office football cooking, Brandon Shore, sliced and diced the salary cap to make room for several new entrees which were brought to the table for the Dolphins. Those include linebackers David Long and Malik Reed, defensive back DeShon Elliott and wide receiver Braxton Berrios to name a few.
Some complimentary additions to the menu are offensive linemen Dan Feeney, as well as punter Jake Bailey, tight end Eric Saubert and backup quarterback Mike White.
With the Dolphins entering the offseason well over the salary cap, a few restructures of contracts fixed that in what seemed to be a blink of an eye, and even Ramsey restructured his contract upon being dealt to Miami. Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead and Bradley Chubb all reworked their deals as well.
Including Ramsey in the offseason additions, Miami checked off several boxes, however, work still needs to be done in a few areas, and thankfully, there’s still plenty of time and options.
Any good cook aims to be consistent, and what Grier and Shore have done is bring back a great deal of Dolphins, namely the entire running back room, to keep continuity and consistency on a team that’s heading into Mike McDaniel’s second year.
Grier has shown he’s reluctant to spend big on running backs, but the foursome of Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin was rather decent in 2022, but the volume of rushes wasn’t there throughout the season. Miami ranked 31st in team carries, and McDaniel also had some rookie head coaching moments of deviating from the run in at least a few games.
While many big-name running backs became (and remain) available, it seems Miami is heading into April’s draft content at the position. In a deep class, there’s a chance they take a flier on a runner, but it’s to be noted that, as a general manager, Grier seldom spends high draft capital on running backs. The third round was the highest he selected a running back, which was Kenyan Drake back in 2016, and has since used Day 3 as a time to take a chance at that position.
What’s of major importance and still some concern is the offensive line. As per comments made by Grier and McDaniel at this week’s league meetings in Arizona, it seems right tackle Austin Jackson and left guard Liam Eichenberg are penciled in on the starting line, yet that shouldn’t mean it’s a forged in stone.
There are a number of right tackles that have been made available recently, as well as a few interior linemen still available in free agency. From a monetary standpoint, Miami is a bit cash-strapped right now, with roughly $1 million in flexibility for 2023. Keep in mind, $13.6 million will free up after June 1 when that Byron Jones money clears.
When that becomes available, added with a few other options of either restructuring or even trades, Miami will have money to spend heading into the summer. As player cuts occur around the league, the scrap heap of the aftermath could lead to some depth signings and added competition in camp for those linemen.
So, with a few names being available on the offensive line, it seems, namely Jonah Williams and free agent Dalton Risner, the book can’t be closed officially on Miami’s potential exploration of improving the group.
There’s also a solid list of draft prospects that could fall to Miami when they pick in the second round in the draft at No. 51 or even their third-round pick at No. 84. The first wave may be over, but that doesn’t mean Grier and Shore aren’t navigating the waters of the league looking to make another splash.
