5 positions of need for Miami Dolphins in 2016
By Brian Miller
Oct 6, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins free safety Reshad Jones (20) returns am interception for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the second half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
The aforementioned top five positions leave out the need for a safety. The Dolphins are getting a lot of production from Reshad Jones and can wait another year before addressing their future at that position. Walt Aikens and Michael Thomas are nothing more than serviceable right now but the team has some other youth they are trying to develop like Cedric Thompson. If Thompson can develop the Dolphins will have their safety position taken care of in 2016.
The irony is that the Dolphins best available player in the 2016 draft may very well be a safety. Miami can’t afford to draft best player available in 2016. They must draft a player who will have an immediate impact on the team. They have to get two starting caliber blue chip players in the first two rounds and in rounds three and four get players that have the potential to be day one starters. Then, they can draft that challenging quarterback.
Miami won’t need wide-receiver help and if they re-sign Lamar Miller, which I believe they should, they won’t need help at running back. Running backs have become the dime-a-dozen plaeyrs in the NFL and Miami can find suitable back-ups with starting talent in free agency, cheaply. Tight end is another position that Miami may need to address this coming off-season as well.
Jordan Cameron is scheduled to make $9.5 million in 2016 so expect a restructure or release. Dion Sims is maturing as a tight-end and Jake Stoneburner has shown promise when active and playing.
What is known about 2016 is the importance of finding the right players to fill the holes that the team has. Whether the coach is Dan Campbell or someone else really doesn’t matter unless the Dolphins next head coach changes current schemes which would be likely. It seems like the 2016 off-season is long way off but keep in mind the NFL is now in November and that means there is only two full months of football left before the playoffs and if the Dolphins are not in the post-season then 2016 becomes the topic of discussion. The Dolphins could very well be talking about 2016 sooner rather than later if they can’t play more consistently.