Miami Dolphins: Ranking Remaining Offseason Priorities
Almost every team has made almost every move it will make this offseason. There may still be a few free agents to sign or a few trades to take place, but for the most part, the pieces are in place.
The Miami Dolphins have spent their offseason performing reconstructive surgery on their roster, and now comes the part where they must finalize their plans with the roster they've assembled.
In theory, it should be easy. In practice, it may be difficult. There will be tough decisions at positions like linebacker, where the Dolphins made several subtractions and no notable additions. Their decisions will be much easier at other positions like wide receiver, where they rebuilt with a clear vision of what they wanted from that group.
The Dolphins have been building to beat the New England Patriots for years. If they want to finish the job, here are a handful of things they'll need to do first.
5. Sort out Linebacker Situation
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For the Dolphins at linebacker, it's Koa Misi and a whole bunch of question marks—and even Misi is a question mark, to an extent.
Yes, Misi lined up at middle linebacker this past season, and he performed admirably in his first season in that role. Maybe he will continue to develop as a middle linebacker, or maybe he'd be better off moving back to the outside. Whatever happens with Misi, it will likely be a result of whatever happens with the rest of the Dolphins' linebackers.
After filling in for the injured Dannell Ellerbe last year, second-year linebacker Jelani Jenkins should resume his role on the weak side. The question now is who will pick up the slack on the strong side, where Philip Wheeler's departure leaves a hole.
That responsibility could fall on Chris McCain, who moved around the defense on the line and at linebacker last year. Kelvin Sheppard could be asked to assume a bigger role on defense, but he's strictly a middle linebacker, and his presence might precipitate a move back to the outside for Misi.
There's a lot still to be determined in the linebacker depth chart.
4. Who's Starting Next to Ndamukong Suh?
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The Dolphins gave Ndamukong Suh roughly $60 million guaranteed up front to sign his contract. But when it comes to who will be lining up next to him on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, there are no guarantees.
Could it be Earl Mitchell? The five-year veteran has never been more than a role player in his career. The most snaps he's played in one season was 553 with the Houston Texans in 2013; he played 543 snaps for the Dolphins in 2014.
Could it be Jordan Phillips? The Dolphins drafted the Oklahoma defensive tackle in the second round, presumably because they see a big role for him in their defense.
In the end, Mitchell may be the de facto starter because he may be the better run-stuffing defensive tackle between the two. With a year learning the ropes, Phillips could work his way into the starting lineup as he rounds out his game. That being said, if the Dolphins think Mitchell's departure is a foregone conclusion within the next 12 months, why not get started developing Phillips now?
3. Name Starting Guards
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The Dolphins had 20 percent of a starting offensive line at the end of the 2013 season, as four of their five starters were on the outs. Fast-forward to the end of the 2014 season, and that number jumps to either 60 or 80 percent, depending on who gets starting nods in 2015.
In 2014, center Mike Pouncey was the lone holdover. In 2015, tackles Branden Albert and Ja'Wuan James are also among the players making return trips to Miami. Now, the Dolphins must decide on their starters between those three players.
Will it be Dallas Thomas? The 2013 third-round selection moved from tackle to guard and has been struggling to learn his new position. Could it be Billy Turner? The 2014 third-rounder did not get much of an opportunity to prove himself as a rookie, as he was also switching from tackle to guard.
Maybe rookie Jamil Douglas will be the starter in his first year? He's certainly the most well-suited to play the position in the Dolphins offense given his skill set of agility and an ability to block out in the open field and tandem block in a zone scheme.
Between Thomas, Turner and Douglas, the Dolphins must settle on two starters at guard before the 2015 season gets underway.
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2. Bring Clarity to Jumbled Cornerback Depth Chart
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Just like at linebacker, the Dolphins have Brent Grimes and a whole heap of question marks at cornerback.
The hope is that between Jamar Taylor, Will Davis, Walt Aikens, Zack Bowman, Brice McCain and rookie Bobby McCain, the Dolphins can find at least one starting-caliber cornerback to put opposite Grimes and a capable cornerback to man the slot position.
Brice McCain's experience in the slot gives him the inside track to win that position, and as a second-round pick in 2013, the Dolphins are certainly hopeful that Taylor will realize his potential to develop into a starter on the perimeter.
But with two free-agent additions (Brice McCain and Bowman) and a draft selection (Bobby McCain), the Dolphins are clearly less than comfortable with their cornerback situation. Someone—perhaps even multiple someones—will have to step up and prove himself worthy of extended playing time in the Dolphins defense.
1. Bring New Weapons Together in Offense
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The Dolphins have done a remarkable job of rebuilding their depth chart at wide receiver.
Unlike at linebacker, where they are putting the hopes of the position in the hands of former backups, the Dolphins took initiative in the form of a trade (for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills), a free-agent pickup (former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings) and a first-round draft pick (Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker).
On paper, this receiving group is a huge upgrade over last year's group of undersized pass-catchers. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, football is not played on paper. It's played on grass with 22 players at a time being strategically utilized by two head coaches and several coordinators.
The Dolphins offense will have to work hard this offseason to get all the new players up to speed on the terminology, the expectations, the assignments and the tendencies of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's system. Four months may seem like a long time, but that's not long to cram in a ton of information.
Get all the weapons on the same page with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense could perform swimmingly. If things are less than smooth, though, the Dolphins offense could sink like a brick.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus. All salary cap and contract information provided by Over The Cap.
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