You may not believe it, but we’re now less than two weeks away from the scheduled start of NFL training camp. The date may change as we get closer and COVID-19 continues to be an issue, but if not strap in for what I think is the most fun part of the entire offseason. All the free-agent acquisitions, all the highly-touted draft picks, and all the returning vets who have shown promise get their chance to compete in front of media members and, by extension, people like you and I who want to get an early look at the players and coaches. As a distraction from all the craziness going on right now in the NFL and beyond (looking at you, Jay Gruden), and as a way to get excited for the approach of training camp, let’s take a look in no particular order at the top 13 Reasons why the Dolphins should be better in 2020.
- Brian Flores’ second year: It’s a well-known fact that good NFL coaches, especially young ones, grow with each passing season and bring an improved skill set to each new league year. Flores’ 5-11 recond in his first year might not jump off the page for a first-year head coach, but recovering from the way the season started and finishing the latter half of the season with a 5-4 record with the ragtag roster he was given was nothing short of amazing. Flores was even able to defeat the Eagles in week 14 and then the Patriots in a dramatic week 17 win in Foxboro, a place the Dolphins hadn’t won in since 2008 thanks to the famed Wildcat game. Additionally, Flores and GM Chris Grier were able to lure longtime NFL Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey out of retirement and promoted Josh Boyer to Defensive Coordinator. The Dolphins also filled out position coach jobs, with new DB coach Gerald Alexander coming from Cal already drawing rave reviews for his previous work. With a reworked staff and a year’s worth of experience under his belt, Flores is in a position to make even larger strides in year two.
- A real stable of running backs: Let’s be honest with ourselves — having Ryan Fitzpatrick as your leading rusher is all good fun, but it’s a serious indictment of the running back room you’re working with. Heading into the 2020 season with veterans Jordan Howard and Matt Breida as your top two options, your thunder, and lighting, is a much better look than rolling with what the Dolphins had last year. Hopefully, one of the holdovers from last season like Myles Gaskin or Patrick Laird or (God help us) Kalen Ballage can impress and earn the RB3 slot, but at the top of the batting order, the Dolphins are now in much better shape with Howard and Breida.
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- Options on the O-line: Last season’s offensive line was a complete patchwork all year between a void of talent and an equally troubling struggle with injuries and a lack of continuity. The 2020 draft class includes three rookies who could step in and help right away in the trenches, with emphasis on Austin Jackson as a first-round pick and Robert Hunt because of the way he absolutely destroyed defenders on tape at Louisiana-Lafayette. The Dolphins also added options through the UDFA pool, and after several free-agent additions a starting line from left to right of Austin Jackson, Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras, Robert Hunt, and Jesse Davis would likely be a vast improvement over last year’s lineup.
- Mike Gesicki’s continued growth: Looking specifically at one player rather than an entire position group, tight end Mike Gesicki warrants consideration for the list. Gesicki made massive strides as a pass-catcher in his second season to the tune of 51 receptions, 570 yards, and 5 touchdowns. For reference, in year one he was held to 22 catches, only 202 yards, and no touchdowns. While he may never be much of an in-line blocker at the point of attack, Gesicki looked much more confident last year and played with greater physicality at the catch point and with his routes. Looking ahead, there’s hope that he can become the athletic seam-busting weapon over the middle of the field the Dolphins have been missing.
- Glitch’s return: Wide Receiver Preston Williams, AKA “glitch” or “the unicorn,” is another playmaker who could seriously help the team improve this coming season. Coming in last season as an undrafted rookie from Colorado State, Williams burst onto the scene with 32 catches, 3 touchdowns, and 13.4 yards per reception in only eight games after being one of the brightest stars of training camp. He was lost for the season after tearing his ACL at the halfway point, but if Williams is able to come back at 100% with a season of experience, his 6’5’’ frame across the formation from Devante Parker could be a nightmare for opposing secondaries. I’d be remiss to not mention Albert Wilson’s improved health and performance during the second half of the 2019 season, but Williams’ youth and potential make him the headliner of this entry for me.
- A versatile secondary: Describing NFL secondaries in terms of two safeties and two corners is largely outdated in today’s day and age, and with the Dolphins’ fluid defensive scheme this statement is even more accurate. Nickel is more the base formation than anything else in today’s pass-happy league, and the good news for Dolphins fans is that Brian Flores has assembled a group with more than enough capable DB’s to execute nickel, big nickel, dime, and a variety of other packages efficiently. With Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe on the back end, Byron Jones and Xavien Howard on the boundaries, and a healthy mix of Nik Needham and rookies Brandon Jones and Noah Igbinoghene both inside and outside, the Dolphins secondary has versatile playmakers with cornerback experience everywhere. With any luck, this group could be tough to throw against in 2020.
- An elite CB duo: On a strongly related note, it’s worth delving deeper into the Dolphins’ two headline DB’s heading into the season — Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Howard’s health permitting, these two cornerbacks are arguably the best pairing at cornerback in the league, with the only duo having an advantage in my mind being Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters of the Baltimore Ravens. As the Patriots did for as long as Brian Flores was calling the shots for the defense, the Dolphins are likely to be near the top of the league in how much man coverage they play. With two lockdown corners on either side of the field, this defense should have immense flexibility to the gameplan and shut down whatever offensive threats they face each week.
- Competition at linebacker: It feels like a cop-out to be running down Miami’s position groups the way I am, but linebacker is another position where recent offseason additions could lead to a massive boost in production this season. I’ve not yet seen from Jerome Baker what many people believe he can be, but if he continues to grow he could become a centerpiece at the position even in a 3-4 scheme thanks to his athleticism. Beyond Baker, Raekwon McMillan has come into his own as a top-tier run defender, Vince Biegel was a big-time pleasant surprise last season, and the addition of Kyle Van Noy adds a smart, versatile, and playmaking newcomer to the mix. Lump in Elandon Roberts, young players like Andrew Van Ginkel, Curtis Weaver, and Kamu Grugier, and the Dolphins may have an embarrassment of riches at the position for once.
- D-line reinforcements: Here I’m talking specifically about the additions of Emmanual Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, and Raekwon Davis to the defensive front. Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins are looking like extremely solid pieces of the defensive line moving forward, but last season they were forced to play an unnecessarily-heavy amount of snaps due to the lack of help behind (and beside) them. Enter the offseason additions. Ogbah looks to be a perfect scheme fit with heavy hands, long arms that can set the edge, and pass-rushing ability to boot, while Shaq Lawson was a consistent producer in Buffalo and should give the Dolphins much-needed help rushing the passer. Davis is an upside investment after he wasn’t able to make obvious strides after his early years at Alabama, but if the coaches can get the most out of him and his impressive physical tools, this group along the defensive line will be much more well-rounded than before.
- The QB room: Not much has changed short-term for the quarterbacks on the team outside of the addition of Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft, but there are several factors that should excite fans for this season. Tua may not play right away, but who better to show him the ropes than someone as experienced, bright, and willing as Ryan Fitzpatrick? Additionally, Fitz will be more comfortable with the weapons around him in year two, and while I’ve never understood the hype about Josh Rosen as the franchise’s savior, there is at least hope that he will continue to improve so that he can either be a solid backup once Fitz moves on or push the rest of the QB room to get better. At worst, I hope Rosen improves enough to get one more look elsewhere — he’s had a rough go to start his career. Looking beyond the 2020 season, however, we have every reason to be excited about the future of the QB position.
- TUA: That is all.
- A competitive schedule: I know this seems backward because the Dolphins have a difficult schedule to get through in 2020 (getting paired with the NFC West will do that to you), but hear me out… The goal for Stephen Ross when he hit the reset button in 2019 was never to win big THIS season — it was to win big in several seasons. Now, winning in 2020 would absolutely be a good thing, but imagine how prepped this team will be for 2021 assuming the core group stays together and the Dolphins are competitive this year. That team, that 2021 squad ideally with a healthy and ready-to-rumble Tua Tagovailoa under center, could be the first Dolphins team in a while fully prepared to make noise into the offseason. Winning in 2020 would be great, but as long as the team continues to grow and improve and shake off all the rookie mistakes that come with youth, a difficult schedule could be just the primer Flores and his players need going into year three.
- Yes, I’m going to say it — CULTURE: Look around the league at what happens when an organization lacks character when it lacks leadership when it lacks CONVICTION. What you end up seeing is floundering franchises like Washington, Cleveland, and for a while, Miami. Characters like Jay Gruden, Freddie Kitchens, Joe Philbin, and Adam Gase might be able to call plays or pick up free agents, but at the end of the day, if your coach can’t bring together a team and LEAD them, I don’t want them. The “culture” word has become taboo recently in NFL circles as if it were made up or somehow fabricated, but look me in the eye and tell me that Washington’s current debacle and astounding organizational incompetence isn’t due at least in part to the team’s culture, or lack thereof. It starts at the top; as I’ve heard Omar Kelly say before, a team takes on the personality of its head coach. With Brian Flores, the Dolphins have someone who seems to be a true leader, someone who can relate to his players, and someone those players feel they can buy into. He was all this in the middle of a 5-11 season when the Dolphins were winless and the media was trashing the franchise’s name daily. Culture. It matters, and Flores is building it.
