Miami Dolphins more than a quick fix away from contending
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are one season removed from a playoff birth and that one season came at the expense of losing their starting quarterback. They are still no closer to getting back to the post-season and contending.
2017 was a miserable year for Dolphins fans and for the Dolphins. The Buffalo Bills ended their decades long playoff drought as the Dolphins watched yet another post-season move on without them.
In 2016 the Dolphins defied the odds and made the post-season. In the transition from post-season play to the start of the 2017 season they lost their starting quarterback, exited the playoffs early, lost their quarterback again, and rode Jay Cutler into mediocrity. Fans are quick to point out that Tannehill will make a lot of difference this year offensively. Maybe he will but he can’t fix the defense.
There was a lot of things different from 2016 to 2017. Tannehill, Branden Albert, Tony Lippett, Julius Thomas, Lawrence Timmons, Cutler, and bad contracts. The contracts are still here but most of those players are not or will not be once the 2018 season arrives. Which brings us to the topic at hand. Miami is not one or two players away from contending for the post-season. Ryan Tannehill is not going to fix this. Neither is spending to the gills in free agency.
Miami has 16 impending unrestricted free agents on their roster right now who will not be on Wednesday night. Miami wants re-sign three or four of them. Sam Young, John Denney, Damien Williams, and Cody Parkey.
The remaining 12 are likely gone and that is because Miami feels they can do better. Cutler, William Hayes, Koa Misi, Nate Allen, Jermon Bushrod, Anthony Fasano, Matt Moore, Aterraun Verner, Walt Aikens, Lamin Barrow, and Terence Fede, and the probably can.
What they can’t do is buy their way into the post-season. It is far too costly to do and Miami doesn’t have the money or space to do it. Miami is but can’t back solely on the return of Ryan Tannehill. He is now an unknown until he can complete the season in top (his top) form. A quarterback isn’t going to get Miami to the post-season.
Jarvis Landry was the most productive receiver on the team last year but he was also their crutch. Now that he is gone there is a hole to fill yet adding a receiver isn’t going to get Miami to the post-season. Nor was keeping Landry for $16 million.
Ja’Wuan James? Mike Pouncey? The other hole at guard? Miami won with them in 2016 but remember that year they didn’t have Pouncey. They lost in 2017 with him healthy. Offensive line is a problem but not one fixed with one player.
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See the trend? Miami needs this and this and this and that over there and this over here. They need offensive lineman and running backs, tight-ends and defensive linebackers, they need a quarterback and a change in direction. None of this adds up to a single off-season fix or something that a big name free agent will solve.
The good news for Miami is there this free agency season isn’t considered to be a good one in terms of talent level. That should help Miami not throw money all over the place. The bad news is this is not a great FA class and teams will overpay for average talent. Something Miami has been good at.
The Dolphins are not one player, or two players, or even three players away from a post-season return. They are months away from making over their roster. They are months away from Adam Gase getting them in pads and getting them to buy into his system. They are months away from December. Winning in March wins you nothing.
The Dolphins have to be vigilant and take steps to turn around the team and find a formula that works for the long-term not the short. Miami needs more than one player to be competitive this season they need more than a quick fix to get the team contending on an annual basis.