Miami Dolphins 2015: Better Or Worse?
By Brian Miller
Free agency isn’t over but it has become a trickle as NFL teams turn their focus to the draft. For the Miami Dolphins, a lot of change has been made to the roster but has it made them a better team? Is what’s on paper now better than what was on the field when the 2014 season ended? Here is a position by position look at the roster post-free agency. This will take into consideration depth at those positions as well.
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Quarterback:
The Dolphins have Ryan Tannehill and re-signed Matt Moore. They also added Josh Freeman to compete with Mcloud Bethel-Thompson for the 3rd spot. The Dolphins may add another late day quarterback as well come the draft. For now the roster hasn’t gotten stronger or weaker at the position. It remains the same.
Outlook: Even – The Dolphins entered free agency weaker than last year with Moore unsigned and only Bethel Thompson on the roster. They climbed back up even and perhaps a little better with Freeman if he makes the roster.
Running Back:
Lamar Miller, Mike Gillislee, LaMichael James, and Damien Williams make up the Dolphins offensive back-field. At the end of the 2014 season they made up the Dolphins back-field. The Dolphins failed to add another running back in free agency that can give the Dolphins a one two punch with Miller. James will likely be a return specialist and Gillislee and Williams are still too young to know what they will offer.
Outlook: Even – although the team needed to get stronger here they are no worse than last year at this position. They just didn’t get better.
Tight End:
Charles Clay is gone but Jordan Cameron has arrived. If Cameron stays healthy is a much better and more rounded tight end that could quickly make Dolphins fans forget about Clay who they will now see twice a year. The Bills got a good player in Clay but Clay is not a true tight end and their are limitations to his game. The Bills gave him a lot of money in the hopes that he is more like the player he was in 2013 than what he showed when healthy in 2014.
The Dolphins have six tight ends on the roster but only Dion Sims really stands to make an impact on the field in 2015.
Outlook: Better – A lot of this is contingent on the health of Cameron of course but as I said if Cameron stays healthy he is dangerous and a legit red-zone threat. Something Clay was not.
Tackle:
With Branden Albert still up in the air for a season start return and Ja’wuan James looking to head back to the right side, the Dolphins needed to add depth to a depleted tackle position. The Dolphins opted to release Nate Garner who had missed much of last season due to migraines. They kept Jason Fox who will provide a back-up to both tackles. The problem is that beyond them there isn’t anyone else.
Outlook: Worse – The Dolphins have a question mark in Alberts and a bigger question mark behind him. Jason Fox is a spot duty back-up and Miami’s failure to add quality depth could force them to draft back-ups which won’t be quality to start the season.
Guard:
Are you comfortable with Dallas Thomas holding down one guard spot? What about Billy Turner holding the other? That appears to be the Dolphins choices heading out of free agency and towards the draft which has many believing that the Dolphins might go offensive line in round one or two. The Dolphins added former Giants starter J.D. Walton but while Walton can play both guard and tackle he doesn’t play either particularly well.
Outlook: Worse – It was a need heading into free agency and it’s a need heading towards the draft. The Dolphins will address the position in the draft but by failing to address it in free agency they may have put themselves in a position that they can’t draft best player available. This is a glaring need for the team.
Center:
Mike Pouncey will return to his center position but has been rumored to be inclined to skip voluntary workouts in protest of not getting a new deal. That won’t have a major effect on the season but behind him Sam Brenner is the only other center on the roster.
Outlook: Better – Mike Pouncey at center in 2015 or Samson Satele at center 2014?
Wide Receiver:
Brandon Gibson, Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace are all gone. Jarvis Landry, Matt Hazel, Rishard Matthews, and Kenny Stills will round out the receivers group heading to the draft. The Dolphins got rid of a player who didn’t contribute much, a player who simply didn’t live up to his contract, and a player who is a diva prima donna. It’s hard to replace two of them but the Dolphins may have at least made an effort to replace Hartline with Stills.
Stills is fast and can get what Hartline couldn’t, yards after the catch. Still on his rookie contract, Stills has a lot of potential and upside but is still relatively unproven in terms of breaking out. This could be a big year for him. Landry however is the leader of the group moving forward and he will expect the other wide-receivers to follow his workout and film study habits.
Outlook: Worse – You can’t replace 10 touchdowns from Wallace with Stills so the Dolphins will turn to the draft. If the pieces fall into the right place, the Dolphins could have a much better receiving corps than last year. But for now, it’s unproven.
Later we will look at the defensive side of the ball.