Miami Dolphins problems will be hard to fix in one off-season
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins may or may not have a new head coach or quarterback to start 2019 but whomever is making decisions, one off-season won’t fix this mess.
When the Miami Dolphins wrap their season in two weeks barring another miracle, the team will head into another early off-season with a lot of soul searching from owner Stephen Ross. If Adam Gase remains in Miami he will need to fix this team for 2019 to keep his job.
Can anyone in the front office fix what is ailing the Dolphins? Probably not. Not the extent that it will matter. In order to determine what is and what isn’t doable, we first have to look at what problems exist and identify potential fixes at those positions.
Injuries were a big factor in Miami’s season but let us look at this more realistically. The offense was decimated not the defense. Next year the Dolphins should have Josh Sitton back and healthy. Jakeem Grant, Albert Wilson, and Daniel Kilgore. That should make the Dolphins offense a little better but there are questions as to whether or not Ja’Wuan James will return and frankly the Dolphins still need a right guard. So Miami could be looking at replacing the right side of their offensive line.
The curious situation with DeVante Parker also needs to be resolved. Will he play under the 5th year option and make over $10 million next season or will he be released or re-signed? Has Bryce Butler showed enough to warrant an extension and possbily replaceing Parker on the outside? He has played better in his short time with Miami.
On defense the biggest change has to come with Matt Burke. He simply shouldn’t have a coordinators job right now. He is way over his head and should go back to coaching linebackers until he gets more time to learn. Not in Miami however.
This is the bigger issue for the Dolphins. Defensively the team is a colander simply letting everything run through it. Miami has been without Andre Branch, Robert Quinn, and Cameron Wake a time or two or three this year and they lost Vincent Taylor and William Hayes for the year earlier but does anyone believe that those injuries are the problem with the defense?
Miami’s secondary is a mess. Reshad Jones quit on his team, literally. Linebackers are more often than not out of position while the corners seem to have no clue what the scheme is. A testament to how good they are? Both Minkah Fitzpatrick and Xavien Howard have been exceptional.
This is all on coaching, specifically Matt Burke.