Dolphins All In For 13 But 14?
By Brian Miller
Jun 11, 2013; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin looks on during practice at the Doctors Hospital Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins are entertaining recently released FB Vonta Leach. They are rumored to have interest in recently released RB Willis McGahee. They just added two invitees from their final mini-camp. In other words, the Miami Dolphins are far from done making over the 2013 roster. While the off-season moves that have landed Mike Wallace, Brent Grimes, Dustin Keller, and more has primed the Dolphins to go hard in 2013, the question that no one seems to be asking is what happens in 2014?
The Dolphins are not in salary cap hell come 2014 but they will have more than a few major holes to fill. Consider that Grimes, Tyson Clabo, Keller, Vaughn Martin, Chris Clemons, Austin Spitler, Lance Louis, and even franchise tagged Randy Starks are all on one year deals to say nothing of the impending free agent class of 2014. The Dolphins will enter the season with a lot of talent playing on short deals with varying degrees of injury recovery and question marks. It appears as though the Dolphins want to “Win it now” but this isn’t a team 100% built to win it all in one season.
This is not to say that the 2014 season is going to be a total loss or forfeit. If Ryan Tannehill can become the QB everyone expects him to be and some of the other free agents continue to compete at the level they are expected to be at, the Dolphins will be in good shape but will have holes to fill nonetheless. Today the Dolphins inked 3rd rounder Dallas Thomas who could grow into the future LG and thus replace Ritchie Incognito. The Dolphins could opt to re-sign any number of the above mentioned after seeing they have fully recovered from last seasons injuries. Or they could simply go in an entirely different direction and try and replace those departing through the draft.
Of course it’s also entirely possible that should the Dolphins fail to capitalize on Stephen Ross’ financial investment this season that the man who bought these groceries could be replaced and thus a whole new look could be coming to Miami once again. With OTA’s over and mini-camp completed the Dolphins next joint team action will be training camp in late July. The pads will be on and the hitting will begin. What comes out of those practices will go a long way in determining the course of the 2013 team.
The Dolphins will play one extra pre-season game this year as they face the Dallas Cowboys August, 4th in the HOF game. That may be a good thing as this team stands to benefit from the extra in-game reps. Even in a meaningless throw away game. While the HOF game is normally ridiculed, the speed, tempo, and the fact that there is actually tackling, goes a long way to get a team ready for the season and the Dolphins need everything they can get.