Miami Dolphins 2022 tight end review: Disappointing
By Brian Miller
Disappointing is an understatement when we look back at the Miami Dolphins 2022 tight end room and subsequent production…or lack thereof.
2022 started off well enough in terms of the tight end room for the Dolphins. Mike Gesicki received the franchise tag, signed it without so much as a whimper and new head coach Mike McDaniel was coming from a system that made George Kittle a household name.
In training camp, we didn’t see much of Gesicki and that was fine. We expected him to have a learning curve adjusting to the new system and responsibilities in McDaniel’s offense. Then came the preseason games and Gesicki was getting uncharacteristically long playing times. O.k. we thought, he is learning the blocking schemes.
Miami basically threw $10 million away on Mike Gesicki this year because they didn’t bother to use him.
Gesicki will be a free agent this year, he has said he would love to stay in Miami but we all know that isn’t going to happen. McDaniel’s offense needs a different type of tight end and Gesicki doesn’t seem to fit that mold.
The only TE that may remain in Miami from the 2022 roster is Durham Smythe but his contract is such that he isn’t guaranteed a roster spot either. Overall, the Dolphins’ tight ends can’t really be graded in the passing game and their blocking was at best, average.
As the season wore on, the unit got better at doing its job but it was never perfect or close to it. Gesicki finished the season with only 362 yards on only 32 receptions. Surprisingly he wasn’t used more because he caught five touchdown passes.
Next. 2022 running back review. dark
Smythe is more of a blocking tight end and that showed up in the statistics where he only posted 129 yards on 15 receptions.
The 2023 off-season will see Gesicki and Adam Shaheen who spent the year on IR become free agents with only Smythe and Cethan Carter potentially returning. Needless to say, the Dolphins are likely to be active in free agency trying to find a TE that fits what McDaniel wants to do. I don’t expect them to draft a TE because it takes longer to get them up to NFL speed. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Miami doesn’t add several tight ends this off-season to compete for what might be three or four spots.
As for 2022, it wasn’t a good one for the Dolphins and it wasn’t a good one for the tight ends. It was disappointing, except for Gesicki’s “Griddy” I liked it!