Free agency crystal ball to improve the Miami Dolphins offense
The off-season for year two of the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel, era is beginning with a lot of chatter involving bringing in veterans to help the team continue to improve. While this should improve the team, the question is who to bring in. Here is a look at the free agency crystal ball to see where the Dolphins could look to improve the offense in year two of the McDaniel era.
The Dolphins are currently freeing up cap space in order to pursue free agents and improve the team for deeper runs in the playoffs. The team has already restructured Bradley Chubb’s contract, and news broke on the tenth of this March that the team is also restructuring the contracts of both Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead. These moves have created cap space for the Dolphins and put them under the salary cap threshold by roughly 29 million dollars. With the expected release of Byron Jones, the Dolphins will free up roughly 42 million in cap space.
With that aspect out of the way and free agency beginning on the 15th of March, where could the Dolphins look in order to continue their improvement? For this article, I want to focus on the offensive side of the ball, I’ll be looking at the Defensive side next though. With that being said, the Dolphins need to take a look at the options that will be available on the offensive line, running back, and tight end position groups.
On the offensive line, the team went out last off-season and brought in Terron Armstead to secure the left tackle position. This off-season, the team could look to secure the right tackle position and better protect the blind side of the team’s quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa who just had the fifth-year option of his rookie contract picked up.
The name that jumps out at most with the familiarity of Coach Mcdaniel’s offense is Mike McGlinchey. The former 49er would reunite with McDaniel and help to not only protect the blind side of Tagovailoa. Although Billy Turner didn’t have a great first stint with the Dolphins, having him return after honing his skills in Green Bay could provide the team with another option to pursue.
Third, would be looking at Jawaan Taylor, coming off a solid year in Jacksonville, he could provide a youthful foundation for the offensive line moving forward.
Of the three, bringing McGlinchey in makes the most sense with his familiarity with the offensive scheme and with Coach McDaniel. If the team looks to the future, adding Taylor would be less expensive and slightly younger (McGlinchey is 28.5 while Taylor is 25) and also allow the team to pursue other targets easier as well.
Running back is next up, and although I do feel there is a deep class and talent to be found at the position in the upcoming draft, the team needs to bring in a running back or two. The names that jump out in this free agent market are Kareem Hunt and Miles Sanders. While bringing back either Raheem Mostert or Jeff Wilson remains option to rejoin the team, both Hunt and Sanders could provide the team with the type of every down runner that has been missing in recent years.
Hunt’s tenure in Cleveland ended on a sour note and a new beginning in Miami could provide him with a solid opportunity to prove that he can be that guy in the backfield. Also, Hunt and Tyreek Hill are close friends and could push each other to be the best versions of themselves.
In Sanders, the Dolphins could bring in a rusher coming off of a 1200-yard performance that helped his team reach the Super Bowl last season. For what it’s worth, I like the idea of the team pursuing and bringing in Hunt, and bringing back Jeff Wilson is a pairing that I would enjoy watching.
Even though I might be in the minority, I would hope that Mike Gesicki resigns with the team and is utilized more in the offense than he was last season. He has proven himself to be a viable option everywhere on the field and has also willingly done what was asked of him. Including putting in extra work to get used to blocking and lining up on the line as opposed to in the slot to which he had been more accustomed.
Strictly looking at the free agent market, McGlinchey, Hunt, and resigning Gesicki I would hope would be the high-priority targets for the team to pursue this off-season. I look forward to diving into the defensive free agent market to guess where and who Vic Fangio could want to bring in for his defensive scheme.