Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is approaching in less than a month, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. The Miami Dolphins wrap up our coverage of the AFC East.
Miami Dolphins 2014 Season Review
The Dolphins had some legitimate chances to pull off surprise wins in 2014 that would’ve improved their eventual win total. They lost to three playoff teams, the Packers, Lions and Broncos, by a combined ten points and had fourth quarter leads in all three games. In the end, however, the franchise missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season after an 8-8 campaign. Though head coach Joe Philbin appeared to be on the hot seat at times, he’ll be returning for his fourth season in South Florida.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s third season in the league was his best from a statistical standpoint. He was one of 11 NFL signal callers who finished with 4,000 yards passing and finished tied for 12th league-wide in touchdown passes with 27. That said, he had a tendency to make crucial errors down the stretch especially in those losses mentioned above and questions still remain about his big game ability. Still, there are reports that him and the Dolphins are on the verge of a massive multi-year extension.
Salary Cap Situation
Tannehill’s contract situation is one of many that the Dolphins will have to deal with from a salary cap standpoint. They currently have the sixth least amount of cap room at slightly over $4 million. Wide receiver Mike Wallace’s contract is a proverbial albatross around the neck of the franchise. His gargantuan $12.1 million cap hit isn’t exactly reflective of how he played last year. Despite being the fourth highest paid wideout in the league, he finished 32nd in receiving yards though in his defense he did catch ten touchdown passes, tied for 9th overall. The Dolphins will likely try to get him to restructure.
Center Mike Pouncey could also become a contract restructuring candidate. His 2015 cap hit comes to $7.4 million and he actually moved to right guard when Samson Satele replaced him snapping the ball after he underwent surgery in the 2014 preseason. Satele is an unrestricted free agent and will be entering his ninth season in the league so it will be interesting to see if they decide to part ways with him.
2015 NFL Draft
The Dolphins will have seven picks in the draft and the only pick that has anything interesting about it is the one in the seventh round. Originally, Miami sent that pick to the Ravens in 2013 in exchange for tackle Bryant McKinnie. They would get a pick back in the final round indirectly as a result of the bullying scandal involving Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. When Martin was sent to the 49ers, Miami had their seventh round pick back for 2015.
Miami Dolphins 2015 Offseason Top 3 Team Needs
Wide Receiver/Tight End
With Tannehill’s long-term future close to being solidified with the team, it would make sense to surround him with some more weapons. I’m going to lump wide receiver and tight end into the same discussion. The line continues to blur between the two positions especially with the emergence of players such as Julius Thomas and Jimmy Graham. The Dolphins should look for upgrades at both.
Mike Wallace is underproducing considering his bloated salary and Charles Clay isn’t exactly lighting things up at tight end. Unfortunately the Fins don’t exactly have a great deal of cap flexibility to make as big a splash as they would like in free agency. It’s too bad for their sake when you realize how much talent is available this offseason. Our own David McCaffery gave his own analysis on the subject in his latest article.
For the second year in a row, the draft is teeming with potential game changers at wide receiver. The Dolphins will be sitting there with the 14th pick and more than likely might address this need there. Though Alabama’s Amari Cooper is expected to be off the board by then, Louisville’s DeVante Parker and West Virginia’s Kevin White are definitive options.
From the standpoint of tight end, if Maxx Williams or Devin Funchess is available when they pick in the second round, it might be too hard to pass up. More than likely, though, their need at that position will get looked at in the middle rounds with guys such as Jesse James of Penn State, who stands at a towering 6’7″, and Florida State’s Nick O’Leary expected to be there.
Offensive Guard
Here’s an interesting stat. Of the 12 teams who made the playoffs in 2014, only three finished in the bottom half of the league in sacks allowed. Two of those teams (Panthers, Seahawks) had quarterbacks that more or less can be classified as mobile. Having solid offensive line play that can provide adequate pass protection is crucial if you want to go far in this league.
Miami finished tenth worst in sacks allowed and fifth worst in quarterback hits. Tannehill’s numbers were certainly impressive and that’s in spite of all the pressure he was subject to throughout the year. If the Dolphins can add a few more pieces on the offensive line, they could take that next step towards the playoffs.
Of particular concern is left guard with Daryn Colledge’s impending free agency and the fact he’ll be entering his tenth year in the league. The Dolphins could upgrade while at the same time infusing youth into the position all at once, either through free agency or the draft.
Two players who fit the bill in the former category are Denver’s Orlando Franklin and Cincinnati’s Clint Boling. Draft wise, I’m intrigued by Ali Marpet. Marpet comes out of tiny Division III Hobart and William Smith College and was massively impressive at the Combine on Friday when offensive linemen ran drills. He was the only player at the position to run a 40-yard dash in under five seconds and could represent great value as a mid to late-round selection.
Inside Linebacker
The Dolphins seem to be pretty set on the outside of their linebacking corps. What they need is a weapon in the middle to plug up opposing inside run games and attack the A-gaps on blitzes. I’m not digging the draft class at this position for 2015. Many outlets don’t have a single inside linebacker ranked in first round territory.
This will be a good team need where Miami can play the free agency market without breaking the bank taking into account their currently precarious cap situation. Michael Wilhoite of the 49ers and Jerrell Freeman of the Colts are both restricted free agents that the Dolphins might want to extend offer sheets to. Of course, that will all hinge on whether Miami wants to fork over one of their 2015 draft picks. Kansas City’s Josh Mauga had an impressive 100+ tackle season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Call me crazy, but I think the Dolphins are a few players away from being a playoff team. For all the hype surrounding Johnny Manziel’s entry into the NFL, at this point his predecessor at Texas A&M seems to be on his way to a more successful career at quarterback. If Tannehill can make that jump into an exceptional late-game signal caller, this franchise has the potential to get over the hump.
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