Training camp is two weeks away and rookies report in a week, and football season is almost here. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Miami Dolphins. This year I’m as excited as ever for this organization not only because a new season is about to start, but also I’m excited about the direction this team is heading. The organization for the past two decades has been floundering and hasn’t been in a healthy place Last year though they ripped the whole roster apart and started a much-needed rebuild. It’s something this team should have done a while ago, but better late than never I guess. The team drafted poorly and spent poorly bringing in free agents who never lived up to their contract. When general manager Chris Grier was handed total control, he decided this team had to go in a different direction because the way things were being done in the past wasn’t working. And while we all have optimism for the 2020 Dolphins, we have to remember there will be growing pains along the way.
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) July 13, 2020
When Grier decided to go into a full rebuild mode, I was in favor of it because this team had a bunch of veterans with bloated contracts and weren’t playing up to their level of pay. They also had recently missed on a lot of draft picks, guys that just didn’t pan out. Grier has been apart of the organization for 20 years so I was skeptical of handing him control of the football operations because you would think he had a hand in some if not most of the organization’s decisions that failed. However, maybe the people in charge didn’t listen to his opinions and let their egos get in the way and they overruled him. Grier got rid of a lot of players and in the process, the team had $60 million in dead salary cap money for players no longer on the roster. In the process, the Dolphins weren’t active in free agency a strategy to compile compensatory picks. He also traded away players like Ryan Tannehill, Laremy Tunsil, and Minkah Fitzpatrick to get draft picks. In the case of the Tunsil trade, he netted 2 first-round picks and second-round picks which is a ridiculous return in a trade. He also picked up an extra first-round pick for Fitzpatrick.
With the moves Grier made the Dolphins struggled horribly last year to start with new head coach Brian Flores. The Dolphins were awful and couldn’t watch them losing their first 2 games by a combined score of 103-10 at home. However, as the season went on the team slowly got better and after starting 0-7 they won 5 of their last 9 games to finish 5-11 including a season-ending win in New England against the hated New England Patriots. The Patriots were playing for a first-round bye and the Dolphins were just finishing their season. With the season-ending on a high note fans are excited hoping for bigger things as they should.
However, the Dolphins continued to revamp the entire roster, and it’s going to take time for the players to come together on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins added a significant amount of talent on the offensive line. They brought in Erik Flowers and Ted Karras through free agency. In the draft, they used one of their 3 first-round picks on offensive tackle Austin Jackson, in the second round took Robert Hunt, and in the fourth round took Solomon Kindley. All of these players should help the offensive line, but Flowers just converted to guard a year ago with the Washington Redskins after failing miserably at left tackle after being a high first-round pick with the New York Giants. It begs the question is he a one year wonder? Karras started last year for David Andrews and it was his only year starting a full 16 game season is that fluke? Jackson is very young at 20 years old so he will need time to develop as well as Hunt and Kindley. In the case of Hunt, the team must decide if he best suited for RG or RT so that will take time to figure out. In all this line should be better, but patience is going to be required.
The Dolphins took Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th pick in the draft and he is expected to be the franchise quarterback moving forward, but he is going to have to beat out Ryan Fitzpatrick to win the job. On top of that, Tagovailoa is coming off a fractured hip injury from last year so it might be wise to let him continue to rehab and slowly work him into the offense. He could be ready to go, but who knows. Plus Fitzpatrick has never put together back to back good seasons in his NFL career. That’s not to say he can’t, but history tells us differently. Whenever Tagovailoa steps on the field he will have to get used to the speed of the game and all of that so that will be an adjustment which is normal for all rookie quarterbacks.
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) July 14, 2020
The Dolphins did most of their offseason upgrading besides offensive line on the defense, which needed upgrades in every area. The Dolphins couldn’t rush the passer or create turnovers and some players just don’t fit coach Flores hybrid defense. The Dolphins spent a lot of money on CB Byron Jones to go along with Xavien Howard. Flores comes from the Patriots so he is high on quality defensive backs who are physical and can tackle. The Dolphins used their final first-round pick on DB Noah Igbinoghene who is another tough physical corner. The defensive backfield should be able to match up with any receiver core in the league. The Dolphins also brought in Kyle Van Noy at linebacker who can do a lot, such as rush the passer, set the edge against the run, and cover. The question I have is will he be another former Patriot who leaves them and doesn’t have the same results elsewhere? The Dolphins also added Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah on the defensive line so our line should be stronger, but how much with those two? This is Ogbah’s third different team since entering the league and Lawson didn’t live up to his first-round hype with the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins also draft in the second round  Raekwon Davis at defensive tackle and he has the size to play the position, but he also has consistency issues like Jordan Philips so he is gonna have to be coached up. The defense should be improved by a lot when everyone comes together.
The biggest thing this year is there wasn’t a true offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teams couldn’t have their usual offseason working together and not any face to face interaction or workouts so training camp is going to be a crash course. On top of that, if there are no preseason games before the season starts then the team will have their first significant snaps during the season just like college football. That could lead to some sloppy football early and in the NFL there are no cupcakes to start the season as a tune-up you have to be ready to go.
The schedule is also tough to start the season as well. The Dolphins open with division rivals in the Patriots and the Bills. Both of those teams especially the Bills have a good portion of their team returning so they have more continuity than the Dolphins. I know the Patriots no longer have Tom Brady and we beat them at the end of the season, but the game is in New England and it’s tough to win on the road on opening day. The Bills seem to be the heavy favorites to win the division and I personally don’t see what the fuss is about them. Sure they have a young quarterback in Josh Allen with a new number one receiver in Stephon Diggs, but Allen is an inaccurate quarterback and he has to develop chemistry with Diggs that could take some time as well. I know the Bills have a good defense, but it’s not great like everyone says. Great defenses don’t give up 16-0 leads in the playoffs. If the Dolphins could split those two games at best I would be happy. I do want to see them win both, but it will depend on how the team comes together. The Dolphins also have to play the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers early in the season so the schedule will be tough. The fact that they play those teams makes it hard enough, but for a team with so many new faces with no offseason makes it even tougher. The Dolphins have all, but one player under the age of 30 so it’s a very young football team and with a young football team comes growing pains. I hope I’m totally wrong and the Dolphins prove me wrong, but I see the Dolphins better just not the results right away. This team is probably one year away from doing something.
