Miami Dolphins 2020 Season Preview
With the start of 2020 NFL regular season a little less than three weeks away, SI.com will have previews of all 32 teams. The full set of previews can be found here.
After a massive roster overhaul that brought in upgrades at just about every position, the Miami Dolphins will head into the 2020 season with a realistic chance to compete.
It’s a big step forward from last year when the Dolphins were in full rebuild mode after sending away several high-profile players to accumulate cap and draft capital.
Brian Flores heads into his second season as Dolphins head coach after somehow managing to help the team squeeze five victories out of what could only be described as a talent-deficient roster.
The five victories came in the final nine weeks of the season and included a stirring 27-24 come-from-behind shocker at Gillette Stadium in the finale that robbed the New England Patriots of the second seed in the AFC playoffs and changed the balance of power in the conference.
The list of newcomers is highlighted by the Dolphins’ three first-round picks in the 2020 NFL draft: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, offensive tackle Austin Jackson and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
OFFENSE
The biggest priority for the Dolphins in the offseason was upgrading an offensive line that dragged down the offense in 2019.
It was why the Dolphins used free agency to bring in guard Ereck Flowers from Washington and center Ted Karras from New England before they selected three O-linemen in the draft — Jackson, second-round guard/tackle Robert Hunt and fourth-round guard Solomon Kindley.
The focus on offense, though, will be on Tua Tagovailoa, the prized first-round pick from the University of Alabama. The Dolphins are hoping he’ll be the one to finally end their search for a franchise quarterback, a search that has been going on since Dan Marino retired in the spring of 2000.
Tagovailoa answered questions about the status of his right hip, which he famously injured last November, with the way he moved around during practices open to the media and appears ready from a physical standpoint.
The big question now, one that’s been asked over and over again since the spring, is: When will he take over as the starting quarterback? That’s still in doubt, though it’s almost certain it will be veteran and 2019 team MVP Ryan Fitzpatrick who will at quarterback for the 2020 opener at New England.
The running game will have a new look with the arrival of Jordan Howard via free agency and Matt Breida via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Dolphins have a pair of tall and talented wide receivers in DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, to go along with emerging tight end Mike Gesicki. Parker is coming off a breakout season during which he led all AFC wide receivers in yards (1,202) and touchdowns (9), while Williams has looked good in his comeback from a torn ACL that cut short an impressive rookie season after eight games.
Longtime coach Chan Gailey came out of retirement to take over as offensive coordinator for the Dolphins for a second time, after first serving in that role in 2000-01.
DEFENSE
Flores was the de facto defensive coordinator in New England in 2018 when the Patriots won the Super Bowl thanks in large part to a stellar defense powered by its secondary, and that appears to be the blueprint he’s using with the Dolphins.
Miami will go into the 2020 season with two of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL after Byron Jones was signed as a free agent in the offseason to join fellow 2018 Pro Bowl selection Xavien Howard. For good measure, the Dolphins added Igbinoghene with the 30 overall selection in the draft.
The Dolphins also added two former New England linebackers to help bolster a defense that was among the worst in the NFL in 2019, including versatile Kyle Van Noy, who at only 29 years old is the second-oldest player on the roster behind Fitzpatrick.
After finishing last in the NFL in sacks with only 23, the Dolphins signed veteran pass rushers Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah in the offseason and they both should play prominent roles on defense.
The Dolphins also are hoping for bigger contributions from defensive linemen Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins, their 2019 first-round pick from Clemson. Rookie second-round pick Raekwon Davis from Alabama could end up playing a key role up front as well.
Third-year linebacker Jerome Baker returns after playing 97 percent of the defensive snaps last season and he again figures to play a prominent role, and former New England cornerback Eric Rowe is preparing for his first full season at safety after making a very successful position switch last October.
Josh Boyer will be in his first year as an NFL defensive coordinator after being promoted from defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach, but the multiple-look scheme doesn’t figure to change much.
PREDICTION
7-9. The Dolphins clearly have a lot more talent than they did last season, but there still are question marks in a lot of different areas. This is a team clearly headed in the right direction, but it probably will be at least another year before the Dolphins should be considered legitimate contenders.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
QB — Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa
RB — Jordan Howard, Matt Breida
WR — DeVante Parker, Gary Jennings
WR — Preston Williams, Isaiah Ford
WR — Chester Rogers, Malcolm Perry
TE — Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe
LT — Austin Jackson, Julién Davenport
LG — Ereck Flowers, Danny Isidora
C — Ted Karras, Michael Deiter
RG — Solomon Kindley, Adam Pankey
RT — Jesse Davis, Robert Hunt
DEFENSE
DE — Shaq Lawson, Jason Strowbridge
DT — Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler
DT — Davon Godchaux, Raekwon Davis
EDGE — Emmanuel Ogbah, Andrew Van Ginkel
LB — Kyle Van Noy, Kamu Grugier-Hill
LB — Jerome Baker, Sam Eguavoen
LB — Elandon Roberts, Raekwon McMillan
CB — Byron Jones, Noah Igbinoghene
CB — Xavien Howard, Nik Needham
S — Eric Rowe, Brandon Jones
S — Bobby McCain, Kavon Frazier
