As you can now legally bet on the Miami Dolphins and as Super Bowl 53 rapidly approaches it’s becoming clear which teams are likely to make the final. This leaves room for everyone else to start focusing on the offseason. The Miami Dolphins have had a tough season with arguably some of the best places in the league and some of the worst. Let’s face it, not many teams can high five on their way to the endzone and also see a 17-3 lead turn into a 27-17 loss in the same season.
The fact that they have had so many ups and downs illustrates the necessity for some changes in the offseason. But, where do you start transforming this team into the league dominating team that it shows it has the potential to be. You know the fans are already asking whether the quarterback needs to go or perhaps the entire coaching team. In fact, you can now legally bet on the Miami Dolphins regarding the changes they are likely to make and their success next season.
Health Issues
However, perhaps the biggest need for the offseason is health. In the last two years, the Dolphins have experienced an impressive array of injuries, from Ryan Tannehill’s knee to his arm strain. In fact, there were a total of 14 players on the injured reserve list by the end of the 2017 season and 12 in the 2018 season with several other players missing games through injury.
There is no doubt that the Dolphins have a health issue that needs to be sorted if they are going to become the team they can be.
Of course, the real issue here is how to make the team healthier. They all train and eat healthily; it would seem almost impossible to avoid injuries and yet they seem to be more prone to them than any other team in the league. It will be a tough issue to solve.
Offense
It is also worth noting that the Dolphins are likely to look at the coaching team during the offseason. The loss of Vance Joseph in 2017 left a spot open for Matt Burke but it doesn’t seem that Burke has fulfilled his potential or the mission; the fact that over the year the team conceded 393 points and in the last season this moved up to an impressive 412.
Even the offense is struggling with just 12 touchdowns since October and 5 of them were in one game. The team has the potential to deliver, we saw that in Miami. This makes it reasonable to assume that if the health issues can be sorted it’s time to take a look at the coaching staff. Perhaps it’s time to remove Burke and let Adam Gase perform the magic that he’s supposed to be capable if.
The other thing that is certain, while Ryan Tannehill has been the first really good quarterback since Dan Marino, the Dolphins need to find his replacement. Tannehill has suffered numerous injuries, is now 30 and needs the competition of another quarterback to allow him to shine while grooming his replacement.
Then, the Dolphins might just be ready to show the world what they can really do.
