Top five positions Miami Dolphins must address this off-season
By Brian Miller
Whether or not the Miami Dolphins address their needs in the NFL Draft or through free agency, they must fix areas of the team to rebuild.
How the Miami Dolphins conduct this off-season will be vital for their rebuild and for the future of that success. It could also determine their future failures as well. Rebuilding isn’t easy because there is no method to it. No right way or wrong way and luck is still needed.
Drafting any player comes with risk. For all the accolades a player may receive coming out of college they are still young and could easily bust out or simply become a bust. It doesn’t matter if the player is taken number one overall, number 13, or number 32. Finding the right player that fits the system and scheme and the vision that the staff has comes with problems.
Identifying a teams need is also not so easy. For the Miami Dolphins quarterback is a huge need but is it a need in 2019? Maybe. Maybe not. We looked at that question here.
The needs of this team will be dissected and discussed by the new coaching staff and Chris Grier. They will attempt to identify the types of players that can turn the team around and move forward. They will decide which players on the roster are expendable and which ones are needed but looking at the roster does show holes in vital areas and addressing those holes or needs are important. Whether through free agency or the draft, these five positions must be addressed in 2019.
Defensive tackle
It doesn’t matter if the Dolphins move from a 4-3 to a 3-4 they need to fix a defensive line that ranked near the bottom against the run in 2018. They lack depth and they lack quality starters. None of the Dolphins interior defensive lineman are big enough to play the nose tackle spot should Miami move to a 3-4 and if Miami stays with a 4-3 they still need to find a game changing physical defensive lineman that will help Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor.
Guard
Under Adam Gase the value of the guard position was nil. Miami spent money on big time free agent Josh Sitton during the 2018 free agency period and he lasted one game before going on IR. Sitton is a very good offensive lineman but he has been injured off and on the last three years and his best days are probably behind him. Sitton can’t be relied upon and should be replaced.
Miami has a hole at the other right guard position where a platoon of players couldn’t get the job done in 2018. If the Dolphins are hoping to land a 2020 quarterback in the draft, fixing the offensive line this year should be a priority.
More from Phin Phanatic
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
Defensive end
Cameron Wake is a free agent and no one knows if he will be back. Charles Harris has yet to produce consistently and Robert Quinn‘s $12 million cap hit in 2019 is far more than his value. There is a possibility that Miami enters 2019 with little depth or quality starters at the position making the DE spot one of the biggest holes on the Dolphins roster.
Cornerback
Xavien Howard is building his own island but there are questions about his future with the team. Even if he stays in Miami there is a massive hole on the other side of the field that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.
The Dolphins need to get better play from their number two corner and finding that player will be a key to the off-season for the Dolphins. If they can successfully find that second corner, the Dolphins secondary could be heading to an elite level.
Linebacker
We can’t assume that the defensive scheme is going to change to a 3-4 but regardless of whether they do or not, Miami has to find a linebacker that can properly fill the gap assignments on the front line. The Dolphins lack solid coverage linebackers and while Kiko Alonso is a great pursuit linebacker he can get caught in the middle and his pass protection is a liablity.
Miami has tried over the years to fix the position dating back to Jeff Ireland. Their attempts have been poor. Raekwon McMillan should be better in 2019 and Jerome Baker showed a lot of promise during the 2018 season but Miami still needs a hard-hitting well-rounded LB who can take the defense to another level.