Josh Boyer lost his job as the defensive coordinator, and his replacement was announced in the last few days as former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio takes up the role.
This is not going to be the only change in Miami, with Free Agency and the NFL Draft looming. There is a total of 29 players set to be a free agent in 2023. Here are ten of those, and whether the Dolphins should keep or let them leave.
Mike Gesicki- KEEP
Miami’s tight end is the biggest name player to be a potential free agent this offseason. Since being drafted in 2018, he has been a key part of Miami’s success. This is especially so under head coach Brian Flores in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
In the three seasons under Flores, he had his most productivity with 2,053 yards and 13 touchdowns across those years. However, despite five touchdowns, he only caught for 362 yards.
It appears that Gesicki does not fit into the McDaniel system, but does this need to be the case? Despite his lack of yards, only three players had more receiving yards, and only Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had more receiving touchdowns.
Whilst he may not be a good blocking tight end, he had a better pass-blocking rate (54.9) amongst tight ends from PFF than the likes of Dalton Schultz (51.5), Austin Hooper (24.2), Robert Tonyan (35.3) and Hayden Hurst (41). Despite this, Gesicki’s skills lie elsewhere. There is nothing stopping him from being used as a slot receiver with excellent hands. We saw some brilliant catches in the 2022 season in some big games.
His excellent catch in Week Two against the Baltimore Ravens inspired one of the best comebacks of the season, and he also came up big in the Wildcard Round loss to the Buffalo Bills. He only had 15 yards but still managed to catch a touchdown pass when the team needed one the most.
It is likely that Gesicki will leave, but the Dolphins should consider keeping him.
Teddy Bridgewater- ALLOW TO LEAVE
Brought in as a short-term option, it is unlikely Bridgewater will keep his place on the roster. He played five games this season but threw for as many picks as he did touchdowns. He did not look inspiring under center, and despite not being perfect himself, rookie Skylar Thompson looked more comfortable in a Dolphins jersey than the experienced Bridgewater.
Miami is likely to either bring in another veteran, with Mitch Trubisky being discussed or use Thompson as the number two. After all, his performance in the Bills’ playoff loss showed signs of improvement.
Eric Rowe- ALLOW TO LEAVE
Injury has disrupted Rowe’s last two seasons, with just ten starts in two seasons.
Rowe has had his moments, but at the age of 30 and with the rise of Kader Kohou, the time is right for the former New England Patriot to move on.
Melvin Ingram- KEEP
Ingram came in 2022, and on his debut, he recovered a fumble for a touchdown. He finished the season with six sacks.
Whilst he is not the long-term answer, there is certainly no harm in giving him another one-year deal.
Raheem Mostert- KEEP
When the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills on the road in the regular season, there was one takeaway from the game. Miami should have run the ball more. Mostert was a big part of the Dolphins’ run game that had their success.
Mostert finished the season as the lead rusher, with 891 yards and the joint most rushing touchdowns. After an injury-hit few seasons, Mostert had a bounce-back year and should be looked at for another deal for between one and three seasons.
There have been rumors of the Dolphins’ interest in either Dalvin Cook or Saquon Barkley. If this was to be the case, having Mostert as the number two is never a bad thing, even if it means sacrificing Jeff Wilson.
Trent Sherfield- KEEP
Sherfield had the third-most receiving yards, and his touchdown reception on the opening play against the San Francisco 49ers with the Dolphins at 8-3 had the fanbase dreaming of a Super Bowl run.
It may not have worked out like that, but Sherfield showed what he could do in the 2022 season. This included games with 55 yards, 63 yards, and 75 yards.
A low-cost deal is a low-risk one.
Andrew Van Ginkel- ALLOW TO LEAVE
This is a tough one. Van Ginkel has had some great moments in a Dolphins jersey, but sadly these have been few and far between.
He had three forced fumbles, seven tackles for loss, ten quarterback hits, and five and a half sacks in 2020, his best season at the franchise. However, despite a good 2021 season, he started just five games in 2022 in head coach Mike McDaniel’s first season.
A low-cost deal could still work, and everyone knows what he can do on his day, but is it worth giving a new deal to someone who may or may not show up? Due to inconsistency, it is likely he will suit up in a different jersey in 2022.
Myles Gaskin- ALLOW TO LEAVE
Another player to suffer in the post-Brian Flores Dolphins era.
Across 2020 and 2021, Gaskin combined for over 1,000 yards and six rushing touchdowns in those two seasons. He also had two receiving touchdowns in 2020 and four in 2021.
His highlight came in 2020 when he had a 59-yard rushing touchdown in a thriller in Vegas. However, he did not start a single game in 2022 and had just 26 yards from 10 carries. It is clear McDaniel does not fancy him, so it is arguably best to let him leave.
Elandon Roberts- KEEP
Roberts came over from the Patriots in 2020 and has carried on where he left off and gone to greater heights. He has recorded as many or more tackles for loss in each of his three seasons in South Beach than any of his seasons whilst with New England. He also had his best season in 2022 for sacks (4.5) and total tackles (107).
The linebacker will be a key part of Fangio’s defense in 2023 and is arguably the most important player on this list.
Nik Needham- ALLOW TO LEAVE
A defensive back at the age of 26, to have just six interceptions in your first four seasons is not something that is likely to make the front office want to keep you.
Needham has had his moments, but nowhere near enough to warrant a new contract.
