Miami Dolphins reality check: Three concerns heading into 2020

The Miami Dolphins fan expectations should remain tempered in 2020.

After the Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa in last April’s draft, fan expectations continue to grow but maybe a reality check is in order for 2020.

When the 2020 season finally kicks off, there are those that believe the Miami Dolphins will be competing for an AFC Division title, a playoff birth, or simply a major turnaround for the 2019 season.

The Dolphins spent a lot of money in free agency and Brian Flores got a lot of production from his young team last year, naturally one would expect that to continue. Maybe it will but more likely, it will not.

Miami should still see their share of growing pains and the team itself is relying on veterans to help the younger guys overachieve again this year. Miami is in an interesting spot with some seasoned veterans but again, they are relying on youth and development.

Offensive line

The thoughts of Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt on the line with Ted Karras and Ereck Flowers is enough to get the expectations flowing. After all, the Dolphins offensive line has been a trainwreck for the last five years if not more.

Let’s put the breaks on for a second.

Miami’s offensive line has done nothing in 2020. Both Jackson and Hunt are rookies and both come with some question marks. Many do not see either one as ready to start in the NFL yet for the Dolphins, they likely will because Miami doesn’t have a lot of other options.

While Karras is a seasoned veteran, Flowers was considered a bust with the New York Giants who drafted him early in the first round. He played one solid season, last year, with the Redskins but he moved to guard. Can he continue that growth or did he turn in a solid performance in a contract year? That is a question that also needs to be answered and will once the season begins.

Quarterback

Say what you want about Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s energy and his moxy, he is an old veteran that carried the team last year on his shoulder and at times, he didn’t really look good. He just looked better than Josh Rosen and the others on the offense.

Fitzpatrick will return and claim his starting job for 2020 but how long is that leash? Miami needs to play Rosen at some point if they hope to facilitate a trade for him. Even if Fitzpatrick starts all year long, he hasn’t led a team to the post-season in his entire career. Are we to believe this year is that year?

In 2019, Fitzpatrick led the team in rushing but while he will have much better running backs in Matt Breida and Jordan Howard, that also means that he will be asked to remain in the pocket more and not try to create plays on the outside with his legs. In 2020, Fitzpatrick is going to be judged more by what he does with his arm rather than his legs. He has the leadership to lead the team but is it enough to win or challenge for the division? He must be more consistent with his passes if he is going to.

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Coaching

The Dolphins got a lot of production from their young players last year and a lot of that can be contributed to coaching. The question is with so many coaching changes this year, can Miami expect the same level of influence?

Miami changed coaches at both coordinator spots and several positional coaching spots as well. The change to Chan Gailey as the OC is one that has many fans wondering if the Dolphins will get better or worse.

Gailey was good way back when but Flores brought him out of retirement with the hopes of repeating Fitzpatrick’s best career year while playing under Gailey with the Jets. While the Dolphins have a lot going for them and they seem to be heading into the right direction, small missteps can set them back.

Flores, however, remains the key and if he can inspire his team and get them on the same page, then maybe the Dolphins can do something with this season.

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