Kelly: Taking Stock of the Dolphins Offense
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The Miami Dolphins entered the 2023 offseason significantly over the salary cap and needed to restructure a few contracts and release two players to create the cap room needed to enhance the roster.
Courtesy of a few massive checks doled out by owner Steve Ross, the Dolphins restructured three of the team’s largest contracts so the franchise could have an active first week of free agency. Problem is, very few of those transactions improved the offensive roster.
While additions will continue to be made before the 2023 NFL draft and the start of training camp in late July, let us look at the depth chart and break down each offensive unit as the Dolphins enter the second week of free agency.
DOLPHINS QUARTERBACKS (3)
Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skyar Thompson
Miami will spend a fourth season investing in Tagovailoa, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, to determine if he’s a franchise quarterback worth handing a $200 million contract. Tagovailoa, who owns a 21-13 record as an NFL starter the past three seasons, completed 64.8 percent of his passes last year, throwing for a career-high 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in the 13 games he played. Problem is, the concussions he suffered last season adds fuel to durability concerns that have plagued him since college.
Miami signed White, a 27-year-old South Florida native, to a two-year, $8 million deal, hoping that he’ll be an upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater, who struggled to stay healthy last season. But unlike Bridgewater, White doesn’t have a proven track record as an NFL starter. He’s delivered a 2-5 record in his seven starts for the Jets, where he had a 75.4 passer rating.
Thompson, a 2022 seventh-round pick, had a passer rating of 76.3 from the stints he had filling in last season as a replacement for Tagovailoa or Bridgewater during their injuries. Thompson showed promise during training camp and the preseason, but fell short of impressing when the games counted. If the Dolphins add another quarterback, it likely will be a rookie or someone willing to sign for the veteran minimum without many/if any contract guarantees.
DOLPHINS RUNNING BACKS (4)
Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed
Only one team in the NFL (Tampa Bay) attempted fewer carries than the Dolphins last season, which means there’s plenty of room for improvement from the rushing attack. Nonetheless, the Dolphins brought back every free agent tailback from the NFL’s 25th-most effective rushing attack in 2022 when it comes to yards per game (99.2).
Miami averaged 4.3 yards per attempt (which tied for 18th-best), and the hope is that Mostert and Wilson, who collectively rushed for 1,283 yards and scored six rushing touchdowns on 265 attempts last season, can lead a unit that produces a more effective ground game, especially if the O-line improves and stays healthy.
Mostert will be a full season removed from the knee injury that cut short his 2021 season, so there’s a chance the 30-year-old could become even more effective. And so could Wilson, who joined the team at midseason following a trade from San Francisco.
Don’t be surprised if Miami adds a couple of tailbacks before training camp opens because that position typically takes a beating during training camp.
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS (8)
Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma, River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Freddie Swain
Hill and Waddle had a dynamic season together, producing 3,066 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 194 receptions, and leading the way for the NFL’s fourth-best passing attack in 2022. It’s hard to believe that pair can’t deliver another dynamic year, especially if a third receiver steps forward and becomes a reliable third option.
Miami signed Berrios, whose tenure with the Jets showed he has some potential as a slot receiver and return specialist. But this unit lacks size, which means it would be ideal if Wilson Jr., a massive disappointment as a free agent signing last season, or Ezukanma, who barely played last year as a rookie, needs to step up their production.
The Dolphins typically carry 10-12 receivers into training camp so expect more signings, or for receiver to be a position the Dolphins address in the draft.
DOLPHINS TIGHT ENDS/FULLBACKS (5)
Tight ends Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Tanner Conner; fullbacks Alec Ingold, John Lovett
Mike Gesicki joining the New England Patriots opens the door for another tight end or fullback to handle 400-500 snaps a season and to become a primary target in the passing game.
Smythe, who started 15 games last season and 56 during his five-year career with the Dolphins, is a solid in-line tight end. But he’ll never be mistaken as a route-running, seam-threatening weapon. He caught 15 passes for 129 yards and scored one touchdown in his 557 offensive snaps last season.
Miami signed Saubert, who has started 15 games in his six NFL seasons, to a one-year deal worth $1.7 million if all his bonuses get triggered. He’ll likely compete with Smythe for the in-line role. Conner, a former college receiver who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season, competes to fill Gesicki’s old role.
Ingold started 14 games, handling 418 offensive snaps, and is expected to be an integral part of Miami’s offense again. The Dolphins likely will add a tight end or two via free agency or the NFL draft, which is supposedly filled with half a dozen tight ends ready to make immediate contributions.
DOLPHINS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (11)
Terron Armstead, Liam Eichenberg, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Austin Jackson, Robert Jones, Dan Feeney, Lester Cotton, Kendall Lamm, Geron Christian, Kion Smith
When healthy, Armstead gives the Dolphins a pillar of granite at the left tackle spot. His presence allows Miami to slide their protection to weaker areas. Problem is, he’s never played a full season in his 10-year career, and at 32 the odds of him doing so this season are slim.
That’s why having a good swing tackle is key. It doesn’t help that Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson both have struggled playing left tackle with the Dolphins. Eichenberg, a 2021 second-round pick, and Jackson, a 2020 first-round pick, both have an uphill battle keeping the starting left guard and right tackle spots because of their inconsistent play and durability concerns.
Miami signed Feeney, a 2017 third-round pick, last week hoping he can serve as an upgrade at all three interior spots. Feeney has started 64 of the 96 games he’s played during his career.
Re-signing a tackle like Brandon Shell or Eric Fisher would serve as a good insurance policy. But the Dolphins don’t seem to be in any rush to re-sign either, and there will be a handful of solid options available the week after the NFL draft, another avenue Miami could use to strengthen the offensive line, which has been a problematic area for this franchise for the majority of the past two decades.
