Dolphins Offensive Thoughts Heading Into Season

The Dolphins head into the 2020 season with a lot of questions on offense after an offseason overhaul that saw the acquisition of several linemen and running backs and the hiring of longtime coach Chan Gailey to run the unit.

Without the benefit of offseason games for the first time, there's a lot more guess work as to what the offense will look like heading into the regular season.

Based on history, what we can expect is a lot bigger emphasis on the running back with Gailey in charge.

That's what his history tells us, complete with the fact his teams have finished in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing in seven of his 14 seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator.

We can see the emphasis on the running game by the acquisition of beefy offensive linemen like Ereck Flowers and Solomon Kindley, though Gailey joked during training camp that big is better only if it's better, or something along those lines.

Not that it's the perfect gauge, but if you remember Gailey's first tenure in Miami in 2000 and 2001, the offense for both seasons were built around the running game and it worked to perfection in 2000 when Lamar Smith rushed for more than 1,000 yards and the Dolphins won the AFC East title.

Now, this is 2020 and run-first offenses are extinct in the NFL, but just be prepared for a lot more running than last season.

Of course, it's going to make a big difference if the offensive line actually can create some holes for the running backs because that was a problem last year.

Also understand it's a lot easier for a rookie guard to success immediately in run blocking than pass protection, which also might help explain Kindley's presence in the starting lineup.

The run-oriented approach also helps explain why Durham Smythe is listed as the starter at tight end, and not Mike Gesicki.

Smythe, simply put, is the best blocker on the team. Gesicki should play a big role on offense, but his snap count might decrease if the team decides he's not reliable enough as a blocker.

At wide receiver, the big issue is depth, though the acquisition of Raiders third-round pick Lynn Bowden Jr. over the weekend might help.

Bowden isn't likely to play in the opener, but he's got the skill set to be a factor in obvious passing situations.

The performance of Isaiah Ford in training camp was massively encouraging because he caught everything thrown his way, a great sign after he closed out the 2019 season on a high note.

But the reality is he's not a difference-maker. The two difference-makers at wide receiver are DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, and those two staying healthy and playing most, if not all, of the regular season will be key for this offense.

We'll skip the quarterback position for now because that's worth an entire story by itself.

The bottom line for the offense is that it's got potential, but there are an awful of questions that need to be answered.

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