How the Dolphins Might Have Stumbled Into Surprise Solution at Position of Need

The Miami Dolphins might have found an answer to one of the team’s biggest positions of need, and it comes from a signing not many people expected to have a major impact.

The Dolphins signed tight end Greg Dulcich to the practice squad in late August, and he was elevated to the active roster for the first time following Darren Waller’s injury in October before eventually being signed to the 53-man roster. He’s been a featured part of the offense for the last two games, recording six catches for 71 yards on nine targets.

That production might not look like much, but when you look at the history of the Dolphins’ tight end position under Mike McDaniel, it’s clear Dulcich has what it takes to fill a role for the team past 2025.

Miami’s Struggle to Find a Receiving Tight End

Under McDaniel, the Dolphins have split their tight end room into blockers and receivers. Neither has been a particular strength, but the receiving end has featured a lot more ups and downs.

Mike Gesicki, Jonnu Smith, Tanner Conner and Darren Waller are some of the swings the team has taken to fill this role.

Gesicki was the wrong type of receiver, Smith wanted too much money (which the Dolphins were right not to pay, by the way), Conner never developed despite getting far too many chances, and Waller’s injury history and age do not lend themselves toward long-term success.

On the other hand, Dulcich might be the perfect combination of the above traits to be a long-term option. He does have an extensive injury history, but unlike Waller, he’s just 25 years old.

He’s a bigger player like Gesicki, but he’s much more capable after the catch — in the same vein as Smith. Of Dulcich’s 71 yards this season, 41 have come after the catch.

Lastly, Conner was a total project, while Dulcich isn’t. The UCLA product had 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns with the Broncos in 2022. Sure, he needed some time to learn the playbook, but he was much more of a proven commodity than someone like Conner.

Keeping Dulcich Around Allows Miami to Build Diverse TE Room

It’s important to understand that while Dulcich can occupy a valuable role for the Dolphins past 2025, he shouldn’t be considered the only solution at tight end.

He’s not a good blocker, and putting him on the field will take away some of the advantages generated by having tight ends on the field. Basically, defenses can expect a pass with Dulcich on the field.

However, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Miami has started leaning into heavy formations this season. It started when Waller returned to action in Week 4 and evolved into using offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill as a tight end following Waller’s injury.

This has opened up a lot for the Dolphins’ offense, which we’ve covered in the past, but the team should strive to build a tight end room that doesn’t force them to use Brunskill.

Sure, six offensive line packages can remain, but using three legitimate tight ends causes so many problems for opposing defenses. Ideally, the room would include a receiver (Dulcich), a pure blocker (Julian Hill), and a more well-rounded dual threat option.

The Dolphins don’t have the latter yet, but building out tight end rooms with that formula is a trend that teams have had a ton of success with.

The Bills, who the Dolphins beat on Sunday, have had a ton of success with a tight end group comprised of Jackson Hawes, Dalton Kincaid, and Dawson Knox.

The Packers used Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, and John FitzPatrick with awesome returns. Kraft is out for the year, but it’s roughly the same template we outlined above.

Every good tight end room needs a player like Dulcich. Given his age, prior production, and the flashes he’s shown this season, the Dolphins would be smart to use him as a piece to build the tight end room they’ve been lacking for years.

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