A decision on Tua among things on Miami Dolphins to-do list

Improve the secondary

PFF ranked Miami 31st in coverage this season, just ahead of the Detroit Lions. The secondary is a major reason for the regression in pass coverage. The only Miami defensive back to earn a PFF coverage grade of 70 or higher was safety Verone McKinley III, who earned a grade of 72.8. Much of the blame falls on cornerback Xavien Howard. The former first-team All-Pro selection took a major step back in 2022, with PFF giving him a coverage grade of 56, ranking 13th on the team and sixth among defensive backs. Howard just finished the first year of a five-year, $90 million contract extension that runs until 2027. His play will have to improve for the secondary to make a leap next year.

Outside help could be brought in as well. For cornerback, Philadelphia’s James Bradberry, New England’s Jonathan Jones, and Baltimore’s Marcus Peters are all set to hit the market. For safety, Buffalo’s Jordan Poyer and Cincinnati’s Vonn Bell are also available.

Whether it’s done internally or reinforcements are brought in, the secondary needs a major upgrade.

Add to the offensive line

Miami’s offensive line was hit-and-miss all season. When left tackle Terron Armstead was healthy, he was the anchor of the line, but he missed four games due to injury. Center Connor Williams was great, especially at run blocking, where PFF gave him a grade of 85.6. The rest of the line is due primed for change.

Second-year guard Liam Eichenberg was injured for half of the season and struggled even when he was active, only recording a PFF grade above 70 twice. Tackles Greg Little and Robert Hunt were both serviceable, especially while Armstead was out, but Miami’s goal is to take the next step, so improvements need to be made.