Miami Dolphins best side dishes of the 2021 season

We continue our Thanksgiving theme today with the best five players that compliment the main dish of the Miami Dolphins 2021 season.

When we think of the main course when it comes to the Dolphins, we think Tua, Gesicki, Waddle, Ogbah, Holland, and Wilkins but they can’t be who they are without the help of others. Many players on this roster tend to go unnoticed and don’t generate the props and accolades that they probably should be getting. In other words, the mashed potatoes, the cranberry sauce, the corn casserole. Those sides that make the turkey that much better and enjoyable.

Austin Reiter

Reiter stepped in when the Dolphins added him to the roster off the Saints practice squad. He had starting experience during the Chiefs Super Bowl run and with injuries to Michael Dieter and Greg Mancz, Reiter has stepped into the staring job at center. He should keep when Dieter gets back or move to guard.

Reiter has been consistent and the offensive line has shown some improvement in A-gap blocking. Pass protection up the middle has also improved since Reiter stepped in.

Nik Needham

Dolphins fans know who number 40 is but they still don’t give the impending free agent a lot of love. Needham has developed into a really solid contributing member of the secondary and he continues to get better. The Dolphins would be smart to get him extended. In a backfield filled with Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, Needham provides quality coverage when he is called upon.

Zach Sieler

We all get our fill of Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis and rightfully so but when Sieler is in the game, good things happen. He compliments both of the other interior defenders well and has a good knack of getting into the backfield disrupting the pocket. Sieler is an unsung hero of the defense and should be getting more snaps, sadly he isn’t but hopefully that will change.

Robert Hunt

We pick on the offensive line, often, and most of the time, it is very well deserved. We mentioned Reiter earlier but it would not be fair to not also mention Robert Hunt. Hunt is continuing to develop and looks like he will be the Dolphins future at guard. Hunt could also move back outside to tackle and frankly, with the way Jesse Davis is playing, he probably should. Regardless, Hunt is quietly becoming a dependable asset on the offensive line.

Durham Smythe

Each week we get to see how great Mike Gesicki is and we get to see Adam Shaheen compliment Gesicki on the field but lost in it all is Durham Smythe who continues to develop and assert himself on offense.

Smythe doesn’t get the accolades that the other TEs get in fact, Hunter Long who spends more time inactive gets more props that Smythe but the soon to be free agent is going to find himself a sought after TE on the open market and the Dolphins should also be thinking about an extension for him. Gesicki even wore Smythe’s jersey to his post-game press conference after Sunday’s win against the Jets. To bring attention to a forgotten and under appreciated member of the offense.

Smythe has 20 catches on 26 targets and two TDs this year but he is also a solid blocking TE who unfortunately gets saddled with helping the Dolphins poor tackles.