Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey: Lowlights

As much as Miami Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey has done right, he’s had his fair share of lowlights. In this last entry on Hickey’s time thus far with the team, we’ll dive into the questionable decisions or indecisions he’s made.

Not fully addressing significant positional needs

While the drafts were good in both 2014 and 2015, it seems Hickey is undervaluing the dire situations at linebacker, cornerback, and offensive guard.

Yes, CB and OG were both addressed in each draft, but not until after the third or fourth round. Yes, linebacker was addressed. After the draft when the Dolphins signed LB Mike Hull, who has some buzz despite being an undrafted rookie.

But there were plenty of chances for Hickey to address these needs sooner in the draft. The Dolphins moved down in the second round of the draft by trading their second round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for their second and two fifth round picks. The Eagles chose CB Eric Rowe, who Eagles head coach Chip Kelly claims could be a starter for Philadelphia.

Curiously enough, Hickey used his last pick in this year’s draft on Tony Lippett with the intention of converting the Michigan State WR, who pulled a few games at corner in college, into a full-time CB. Unless he’s an exceptionally fast learner, Lippett seems more like a project pick in quite possibly the Dolphins’ most urgent need.

In his two drafts, Hickey has taken two cornerbacks, two offensive guards, and one linebacker. So it’s not that Hickey is ignoring these positions of need, but he’s just not addressing them with enough urgency.

Failing to trade Dion Jordan

“Jordan needed to be traded. The Dolphins didn’t know how to use him which made a baffling pick in 2013 all the more frustrating.”

Hickey was a day late and a dollar short on moving the former third overall pick.

Admittedly, Dion Jordan has been untradeable for the last two seasons. He very well may have voided any trade with his latest substance related suspension.

But Jordan needed to be traded. The Dolphins didn’t know how to use him which made a baffling pick in 2013 all the more frustrating.

Former GM Jeff Ireland traded up to the third spot in the 2013 Draft to land Jordan. Like many of Ireland’s moves, it didn’t make any sense, especially with OL Lane Johnson and CB Dee Milliner still on the board. Those two players were in positions of incredible need for Miami at the time (and still to this day).

Afterward, Jordan never really fit into the scheme, made little impact and struggled to get on the field over Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.

Despite his struggles on and off the field, it was widely speculated that Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly wanted to acquire Jordan. Miami would have received a conditional late round pick in the trade.

It’s tough to swallow having to take a potential seventh round pick for a third overall pick, but Miami will be lucky to get a bag of Doritos and a sippy cup in any potential future trade talks.

Hickey needed to make that trade happen. He didn’t. Now Jordan is suspended for the third time, a number that matches his career NFL sack total.

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Continuing runaway spending

The Dolphins cannot be accused of being frugal or financially savvy.

Desperate to prove that players do want to play in Miami, former GM Jeff Ireland handed out ridiculous contracts to free agents – chiefly Mike Wallace – despite the nonexistent market for the players.

Hickey has continued the big spending. One season after the Dolphins overpaid Wallace, Hickey gave Branden Albert a five-year $47 million contract. A deal that badly needs to be restructured after the 2015 season.

This offseason, he gave Ndamukong Suh the largest contract a defensive players has ever signed. Then he locked up Mike Pouncey to a five-year $52.2 million dollar extension. Then exercised the fifth year option on Ryan Tannehill’s rookie contract, the QB will make $16.1 million for the 2016 season. After that Tannehill will need an extension which will probably result in a much higher cap.

Albert carries the highest cap hit on the team, just barely beating out Cameron Wake by a little under $300,000. That’s a lot of money to carry on the books for someone who played nine games last year and seems to be slowly but surely breaking down.

By 2017, Albert will only leave behind $3.4 million in dead money if he’s cut, but the Dolphins will be lucky if his body can hold up by that time. He won’t carry any dead money if Miami cuts him in 2018.

In 2016, Suh’s cap hit will explode to $28.6 million. You read that right. $28.6 million! From then to 2020, Suh will carry hits of $15.1 million, $22.1 million, $24. 1 million, and $18.3 million. That leaves a significant chunk of change devoted to one player, which will call for a restructure at some point. But Hickey knows from experience that can get messy.

What do you think? Did I leave anything out? Think Hickey’s runaway spending isn’t a bad thing? Sound off in the comment section below.