Miami Dolphins struggle to find pass catching TE’s
In the doldrums of the Miami Dolphins off-season time slows down but yet looking back over past mundane seasons it seems to have flown.
Such is the case looking at past Miami Dolphins poor play and the tight end play in particular.
For this exercise four areas will be covered: Quarterback play which I suspect most would already fall into regardless from so many being QB centric. The drafts were there are some examples to go over. Coaching should be a little fun. And lastly where I fall into from my tendency to be offensive line centric.
The draft: starting most recently with the last drafts second pick Mike Gesicki. Was I alone in being certain that Dallas Goedert was going to be the pick from the 2018 NFL Draft and thinking the Cowboys would move up for him? Not that Mike Gesicki isn’t a talented player because he is and could break out at any moment under the right circumstances. Unfortunately, those circumstances won’t be coming anytime soon and probably wouldn’t even if this wasn’t a rebuild.
Furthermore, those right circumstances were taking place for Dallas Goedert and the Eagles where he outplayed Gesicki as a backup TE. Being a backup was enough to get those stats in a good system already working with Zach Ertz being first in line at the all you can eat buffet. The good QB play of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles was bolstered by the Pro Football Focus fifth-rated offensive line grading after week 17.
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Coaching: Chris Grier has stated he had greater control over drafting recently so the Gesicki pick probably lands on him. But did Adam Gase coach him to build up his weakness of being a poor blocker? It certainly seemed that way with the early training before key injuries had happened to the O-line. Those injuries helped to lead that line being ranked next to last when all was said and done (see above link for rankings).
I always found it odd that Gase would not use the TE more as a pass catcher when many have stated that was always his intentions which leans toward poor O-line play must have forced his hand.
Bad O-line: Josh Sitton was going to turn things around as the Miami Dolphins had finally forked up to get a top-tier guard for the left side. Those dreams died a hard death when he only started the first game. To add to that misery center Daniel Kilgore only played in four games. Of what was left of the mix and match bunch only Jesse Davis would be serviceable for the duration, Isaac Asiata anyone?
Why does this matter? Well it seems the worse the O-line gets the more the tight ends and running backs have to chip in blocking and in doing so taking away weapons for the QB.
QB: As stated above this is no condition for a QB to strive. The coach is also limited with play calling having to lean on short passing from not having the time to go deep. Shuttle pass specials to Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson is what we saw and just might be seeing again because this line is no better.
There was a time when the TE play was more downfield back when Charles Clay was drafted almost a decade ago. I guess Anthony Fasano could be thrown in there also as he outplayed Clay on the stat sheet that first year with about twice the yards and a few more touchdowns-451 yards, 5 TDs. Matt Moore was the QB and it was the suck for Luck year finishing 6-10.
They moved Clay to fullback his second year when Ryan Tannehill came in and Fasano had about the same stat line. It was the third year 2013 that Clay had what looks to be the only big year that a TE starter filled the stat line going back this decade. As for the O-line starters he had Bryant McKinnie starting ten games, Richie Incognito started eight, Mike Pouncey with fourteen, Tyson Clabo had fifteen and John Jerry completed the season. Clabo may have started well but he had some horrid play.
Clay’s stat line for 2013 was:
69 catches for 759 yards, 6 TD’s, & 7 rushes for 15 yards and 1 TD.
Looking back a decade: It really was a blessing that they hit on Ja’Wuan James so they could move on from the likes of Clabo, Dallas Thomas, and Jason Fox. The same could be said for Laremy Tunsil as he is the only formidable piece that’s left.
You could say there were some bad picks at TE like Michael Egnew and to a lesser extent Thomas Duarte because of where they were selected in the draft. But with poor line play did coaches like Dan Campbell really have a chance? And even so, he and other coaches like Vance Joseph got to parlay their time with the Miami Dolphins despite their groups not playing well into other opportunities for advancement.