In what is going to turn out to be a very eventful offseason, the time is now to see who is going to stay as a foundational piece and who is likely going to get shipped out. Depending on how the rest of the season plays out, we are either headed for a near-total rebuild, or it could look like more of the same with a simple re-tooling — with the latter being more realistic. Either way, the Miami Dolphins need to find out who’s committed to them and who can best serve them in these next pivotal years.
One of the biggest puzzle pieces is safety Jevon Holland, who is in the last year of his rookie contract. We all expected more out of him, but he’s been somewhat of a non-factor this year — in a unit that is starving for a playmaker.
Fans have questioned his play and effort this year, but is this simply a scheming issue? Is he playing conservatively to avoid injury and get a big paycheck from another team willing to take a shot on him? Whatever the case, we would all like to see a little more.
To warrant a top-five safety contract, he needs at least two impact plays in the next four games — not only to show other teams he still has it but to boost his own confidence. That’s not something we would say about him early on in his career, but with him missing an interception last week against the Jets and whiffing on blocks, he needs to make more of a splash in this final stretch.
Other starting players with expiring contracts are on the offensive line, which has already been a trouble area for us. Both guards, Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn, are set to be free agents after this year, and both should want to prove something—for this team or others.
Eichenberg has shown versatility and has been available for the team, but he has not taken the next step we need to see from a second-round pick. Wynn, on the other hand, has not been available since his injury last year; however, our guard play is noticeably better when Wynn is in the lineup, especially when considering how impactful he was in our running game last year. Regardless, he needs reps to get back to game speed and to rebuild the confidence it takes to hit people play after play.
While there are several other players who may or may not be in a Dolphins uniform next year, one of the biggest names is Bradley Chubb — who should be demanding some limited game-time reps sooner rather than later.
Just as Wynn would benefit from reps coming off his injury, Chubb needs it as well. That is a position that needs to be played with confidence, both mentally and physically. While Miami might want to save him so they can offload him in the offseason, the time is — and has always been — now for this team. We need him if we want to win these next four games, and we shouldn’t let fear dictate how we operate.
