Can the Miami Dolphins Afford to Lose Charles Clay?

Would you consider Charles Clay to be an irreplaceable tight end? 

With Clay being a free agent this offseason, it's a question that the Miami Dolphins must answer. 

I thought Clay was irreplaceable to the point of naming him one of the 10 free agents the Dolphins must sign, however a lot of factors have me thinking about whether he should have been as high on the list as he was (second, with only Jared Odrick in front of him). 

I also started to wonder if he belonged on the list to begin with. 

This internal debate started when news started getting around Twitter that the Buffalo Bills were interested in signing Clay this offseason (per Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). 

This news caused widespread panic among Dolphins fans in the Twitterverse, not only because of the possibility that Miami could lose one of their biggest offensive weapons, but that he would be lost to a hated division rival. 

Dave Hyde of The Sun-Sentinel pointed out that it wouldn't be wise for the Dolphins to let go of Clay: 

"

The Dolphins must value Clay. He's had 69 catches for 759 yards and six TDs in 2014 and was important enough to the offense that Bill Belichick double-teamed him to take him out of the game against the Patriots. But he had knee issues last year and ended with 58 catches for 605 yards and three TDs.

The Dolphins can’t afford to open another need this off-season. They already will need at least one receiver depending on the salary-cap decisions of Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline, need a running back to go with Lamar Miller and need a couple of guards. That's just on offense.

"

On the other side, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald thinks that Clay might be too expensive: 

"

Clay is a solid player. He's a 50-70 catches per year guy. He's a 500-700 yards a year guy. He's a 3-6 TD a year guy, maybe better with a great QB. But $6 million per year?

I let Clay go out and test the market. And if he finds that $6 million a year deal, from the Bills or anyone else, I wish him well.

"

Which one is the correct approach? 

As Carucci pointed out: 

"

At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Clay, whom the Dolphins made a sixth-round draft pick from Tulsa in 2011, offers the athletic versatility to occasionally line up as a fullback and function as a lead blocker, an important element to the run-oriented offense the Bills plan to employ.

"

This versatility is the reason why the Dolphins drafted him in 2011, and why he has become such a vital part of the offense. 

It's just not on display as much since Clay is used primarily as a receiving tight end now, and has been the last two seasons. His blocking still grades out well via Pro Football Focus (2.4 in run blocking, minus-2.9 in pass block, 1.0 in blocking for screen passes), but that's not his primary responsibility. 

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have second-year player Dion Sims, who started two games in place of Clay in 2014 as Clay battled injuries. 

Sims caught 24 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns in Clay's absence, which is only one less touchdown than Clay netted all season, and only 34 less receptions while being used less. 

Sims also made strides in blocking, as he graded out at minus-1.8 as a pass blocker and 0.8 as a run blocker in 2014. 

Once again, this was in Sims' second season. In Clay's second season (2012), he had 18 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while grading out at 1.1 as a run blocker and 1.7 as a pass blocker. 

Just like Sims, Clay spent his second season playing behind an impending free agent at the position. 

Sims has the ability to thrive in Miami's offense. He's a bigger target in the red zone than Clay (he's 6'5" 262 pounds whereas Clay is 6'3" 246 pounds) and has learned the offense well. 

Sims' role could then be filled by Arthur Lynch, who spent all of last season on injured reserve. Lynch has potential as a blocking tight end, a reason the Dolphins drafted him. 

If the Dolphins choose to draft a tight end, two good ones will be available later in the draft in Florida State's Nick O'Leary, Miami's Clive Walford and Delaware's Nick Boyd. 

This doesn't sound like a hole being created, rather one of the few positions that the Dolphins have depth in and can afford to let a player walk. 

When you consider Clay's asking price compared to the fact that both Sims and Lynch are on their rookie deals, it seems like Clay isn't as irreplaceable as once thought. 

If anything, he's actually easily replaceable, especially considering the asking price. 

Remember how I mentioned that in Clay's second season, he played behind a free-agent tight end? 

The Dolphins let said free-agent tight end, Anthony Fasano, go to Kansas City. He became an integral part of the Chiefs' offense, but the Dolphins don't really miss him too much. 

So if a team without any certainty at quarterback would like to overpay to bring him on board, God bless him for taking the money. It would allow the Dolphins to fill other, more glaring holes at guard, running back, cornerback and defensive tackle. 

I'll take my chances with Ryan Tannehill and Dion Sims making Dolphins fans forget about Charles Clay. 

Statistics provided by pro-football-reference.com. Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Follow @thomasgalicia