After the free agency period ended last year, I evaluated each move the team made. Now, with a year of perspective, it’s time to re-assign a grade to the offseason moves made by the Dolphins.
Applying the Franchise Tag on Mike Gesicki
Original Grade: B+
Retaining Gesicki’s services last year was somewhat surprising, as his role in Mike McDaniel’s scheme was hard to visualize with his limitations as a blocker. Still, prior to free agency, he was still seen as a player with high value and Miami didn’t want to lose him as an asset.Â
As it turns out, the initial concerns about his fit were accurate, as he got relegated to a secondary role where he saw his production diminished. Gesicki finished with 32 receptions and 362 yards, which were both the lowest since his rookie season. My reasoning for the B+ grade came from the belief he could thrive in the middle of the field with the space freed up by Tyreek Hill’s downfield presence. Unfortunately, he was never really made into a part of the offense.Â
Following the season, Miami chose not to re-sign Gesicki, and he signed a 1-year deal worth $4.5 million with the Patriots, less than half of what he received via the franchise tag in Miami.Â
Consequently, Miami missed out on an opportunity by trading him and getting an asset in return.
Revised Grade: C-
Re-signing Emmanuel Ogbah
Original Grade: A
Miami’s first official move in the free-agency period was retaining the services of Emmanuel Ogbah, who at that point had been a highly productive edge rusher for the Dolphins. He signed a four-year deal worth up to $65 million. However, his production failed to match his salary in the new contract’s first year.
After back-to-back nine-sack seasons, Ogbah only managed to play in 9 games this past season before getting hurt, and in those games, he only managed to get one sack. Miami signed Ogbah with the intent to have him be the leader of the pass-rushing unit. Unfortunately, this unit became one of the biggest weaknesses on the team, to the extent that they made the splash move of acquiring highly touted pass rusher Bradley Chubb for a 1st-round pick at the trade deadline. This move relegated Ogbah to a limited role on defense before an injury ended his season prematurely.
Due to Ogbah’s high cap number, cutting him this year isn’t realistic; otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be on the roster. Safe to say Miami would like a do-over on this deal.
Revised Grade: D-
Signing RB Chase Edmonds
Original Grade: B
Another move by Miami in the opening minutes of free agency was signing Chase Edmonds out of Arizona. They gave Edmonds a 2-year deal worth up to $12.6 million. His tenure with Miami was short-lived, as he was traded to Denver after eight games with the Dolphins.
In those eight games, he lacked productivity for the Fins, as he only averaged 2.9 yards per carry and struggled with untimely drops in the receiving game. He lost his starting role to Raheem Mostert after only a couple of games, and he never truly got back on track.
Edmonds is a talented running back who just seemingly never found his footing in Miami’s offensive scheme. Signing Edmonds ended up being a mistake, but Miami deserves credit for recognizing their mistake and quickly moving on from him.
Revised Grade: F
Signing Cedrick Wilson
Original Grade: B
With Mike McDaniel at the helm, Miami wanted to revitalize their previously lackluster offense. To help that come true, they needed new weapons, which is why Miami opted to sign ascending receiver Cedrick Wilson. Wilson had flashed in Dallas, finishing with over 600 yards despite playing a limited role, Miami believed he could excel in a larger role, and they offered him a 3-year deal worth up to $22 million.Â
When the move initially happened, I thought it was a bargain, as I believed in Wilson’s talent. However, shortly after the signing, Miami made the Tyreek Hill trade (more on that later). Wilson was expected to be relegated to WR #3, a previously held role in Dallas.
Unfortunately, Wilson struggled to see significant playing time as coaches opted to play Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft over him. He finished the season with a disappointingly low total of 136 receiving yards and failed to find the end zone.
There have been reports that Miami has shopped Wilson this offseason, meaning they most likely regret signing him in the first place. If he’s not dealt, I still believe in his talent if he finds a way to get on the field, but that doesn’t seem likely after year 1.
Revised Grade: D-
Signing Alec Ingold:
Original Grade: B+
Acquiring Alec Ingold was a no-brainer for the Dolphins, as Miami is one of the few teams that still utilize a fullback. My original reason for not giving a higher grade stemmed from the fact he was recovering from an ACL injury he’d suffered late into the 2021 season.Â
Ingold was, fortunately, able to stay healthy for the 2022 season and quickly endeared himself to Dolphin fans with his highlight-worthy blocks and providing the occasional receiving threat.Â
He’s a solid player, although not quite on the level of someone like Kyle Juszczyk. Nevertheless, he’s among the league’s best at the position, and Miami made a wise choice by signing him.
Revised Grade: A-
Signing Connor Williams
Original Grade: B-
In Dallas, Connor Williams had a productive career as a guard before his struggles with penalties led to his benching in 2021. Miami giving a 2-year contract worth up to $14 million to a player who’d just gotten benched was a bit head-shaking, but it required some context.Â
Aside from his penalty issues, his film was promising due to his raw athleticism, and that’s what Miami noticed. However, Miami didn’t see him as a guard but instead as someone who was capable of manning the center position. Williams embraced the position change and thrived in his new spot. He became a really dependable player for Miami in 2022 and was integral to their offensive success.
Revised Grade: A-
Signing Terron Armstead
Original Grade: A+
Miami’s biggest free agent signing was Terron Armstead, a 3x Pro Bowler in New Orleans. He signed a 5-year deal worth up to $75 million, making him the 13th highest-paid tackle in the league. Players of his caliber don’t reach free agency often. When they do, they often become the highest-paid player at their respective position, especially if they’re among the league’s best like Terron is. What made Armstead a unique case was his injury history, as he’s never been able to play an entire season without missing time.Â
In his first year with the Dolphins, Terron Armstead played in 14 out of a possible 18 games, which was surprisingly high considering the number of nagging injuries he had during the season. His play on the field dipped slightly as he couldn’t quite move around well in space due to a fractured toe he suffered early in the year, and later in the year, he was hampered by a pec injury. He did his best to avoid missing time, but that may have hurt his play, especially against the Chargers, where he looked like a shell of himself with the amount of injuries he was dealing with. Even with those injuries, he was among the league’s best at the position for a large portion of the season, shutting down some high-profiled edge rushers and earning another Pro Bowl berth.
With Armstead, injuries will always be a concern, unfortunately, but when he’s on the field, he’s among Miami’s most impactful players, which outweighs the concerns. Given the limited options available, signing Armstead was the best move the Dolphins could make to solidify their offensive line.
Revised Grade: A+
Trading for Tyreek Hill
Original Grade: A
Miami’s biggest move of the offseason came the day after acquiring Armstead, and it, of course, was the stunning trade for star receiver Tyreek Hill. Miami acquired Hill from Kansas City in exchange for five draft picks, including a 1st & 2nd rounder, and immediately made Hill the highest-paid receiver in the sport. It was undeniably a gamble for Miami, not because of Hill’s talent but due to the high price they paid to acquire him.Â
Hill proved Miami’s gamble correct, as he ended up with the best season by a wide receiver in the team’s history. He finished with 1710 receiving yards, the most in franchise history, while also adding nine scores; for his efforts, he was rewarded with a Pro Bowl berth and a place on the 1st team All-Pro.Â
However, those numbers and accolades still don’t seem to do justice to what Hill did for the Dolphins; for the first time in years, he made the team exciting. He also managed to open up space for his receiving partner Jaylen Waddle; together, they provided some of the most electric plays in franchise history. Before Tua’s injury late in the season, Miami’s offense became must-see television largely due to Tyreek’s hill presence.
If Hill manages to sustain this level of production, he’ll go down as the most dynamic player to ever put on a Dolphins uniform. This has the chance to be one of the best trades in Miami’s history.
Revised Grade: A+
