Miami Dolphins Week 15 Stock Report

The mediocrity doesn't end this season.

The Miami Dolphins lost another football game, 31-24 to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, and in doing so, the Dolphins secured a seventh consecutive season without a winning record. Yep, the last time the Dolphins had a winning season was George W. Bush's last year in office.

Since then, they've had four different head coaches (if you count the interim ones), and it looks like they're about to start the search for the fifth and next in line. Whoever takes over, he has some pieces to work with and others who might need to be relocated.

Some of those pieces are reflected in this week's stock report.

Stock Up: Olivier Vernon

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Week after week, Olivier Vernon continues to raise his price tag on the open market.

The Dolphins defensive end notched three hits on Giants quarterback Eli Manning and four total quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Vernon has been on a tear over the past five weeks and has notched at least four pressures in all of those games. In fact, his performance Monday was actually a step back, as in the four games prior, Vernon head notched at least six pressures in each game.

The Dolphins have sorely needed a pass-rushing presence with Cameron Wake out for the year. Vernon has given them more than they could have possibly hoped for, and in a contract year, he's playing himself into a nice payday. With Wake (33) getting older, Vernon could be a building block for the future—if the Dolphins can afford to keep him around.

Stock Down: Brent Grimes

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There aren't a lot of things left to say about Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes' struggles in 2015.

It's been a quick downturn from his Pro Bowl form of just a year ago. On Sunday against the Giants, Grimes was targeted seven times and allowed six receptions into his coverage for 82 yards and a touchdown.

According to Pro Football Focus, this marks the third straight week in which Grimes has allowed five or more receptions into his coverage, and it also marks the sixth time in the past seven games in which he has allowed receptions on 60 percent or more of the passes thrown in his direction.

At 32 years old, Grimes might be losing a step, but it's up to the Dolphins coaches to get him in the right position to where he's not a liability in coverage. He still has some skills as a physical defender and cagey veteran, so the Dolphins need to find ways to maximize his strengths and mask his weaknesses.

Stock Up: Jarvis Landry

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Well, here's hoping you had Jarvis Landry in your fantasy lineup in a points-per-reception league.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill looked for Landry 18 times and connected with him 11 times for 99 yards on the night. It was almost as if there were no other receivers on the field at times. In fact, Landry accounted for nearly half of all of the targets and receptions and also accounted for more than one-third of the Dolphins' passing yardage total on the night.

Whether Landry should be the featured component in the Dolphins offense is a question the team will have to answer this offseason, but for now, Miami should at least be thankful it has at least one piece of the passing game sorted out.

Stock Down: Lamar Miller

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I struggled with whether to put Lamar Miller in as a stock up or a stock down.

On one hand, he did the most he could possibly have done with the limited touches the Dolphins gave him. He took 12 carries for 89 yards (7.4 yards per carry) and scored two touchdowns on the night. That being said, he had just 12 carries, just a week after it looked like the Dolphins might finally begin to feature Miller in their offense.

Interim head coach Dan Campbell has preached his desire to run a balanced offense that can run the ball effectively, and his team has done this at times, but the Dolphins get away from it too frequently and too easily. This game was never more than seven points apart on the scoreboard for either team.

Miller is set to become a free agent this offseason, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he looks for a home where he might finally get the opportunities he deserves.

Stock Down: Dan Campbell

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Dan Campbell is not the one to blame for the Dolphins falling short of a winning record in 2015. That doesn't mean he's not going to take some of the heat, though. With just 17 days until Black Monday, the clock is ticking on Campbell's run as head coach, as he may not get a chance to run the organization going forward.

The team responded to Campbell when he took over as the interim head coach, and the Dolphins have transformed over the course of the season from a team that completely lacked effort to a team that has fought tooth and nail in nearly every game it has played since Campbell took over. 

Unfortunately, likability doesn't always rank among the most important traits for a head coach. 

There could be some hot coaching candidates on the market this year, such as New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross would be foolish not to consider any of those three as an upgrade over Campbell.