Miami Dolphins free agency a successful whimper rather than a failed roar
By Brian Miller
![John, a 12-year-old lion, lives in the Africa exhibit with Imani, 11, at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Lily Maynard, director of Global Conservation, focuses her work on lions. She’ll be traveling to an area in Kenya in June for the zoo’s partnership, to help increase their water supply. Tuesday, March 21, 2023.Zoo Lily Maynard And Fritz John, a 12-year-old lion, lives in the Africa exhibit with Imani, 11, at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Lily Maynard, director of Global Conservation, focuses her work on lions. She’ll be traveling to an area in Kenya in June for the zoo’s partnership, to help increase their water supply. Tuesday, March 21, 2023.Zoo Lily Maynard And Fritz](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fphinphanatic-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F20294042-850x560-4b2b6c2f50cab9e51737cbe92ec0c6304f0acbc8177c5003bf5866255f2d25ff.jpg)
There is an old saying for the month of March, “In like a lion, out like a lamb” and in the case of the Miami Dolphins free agency, it is very accurate.
The hype leading into the Dolphins’ start of March was incredibly loud. Mike Gesicki was going to make a boatload of money guaranteeing the Dolphins a third-round pick. Miami was going to sign not one but two tight ends and make a trade for a top running back.
When the start of free agency arrived, the lion roared quite loudly as the Jalen Ramsey trade was announced. Miami fans were ecstatic and as the team cleared more and more cap space, the loud roar of that lion got louder.
Fans expected more to come but in the days following the official start of the market, it began to quiet down until it turned into a whimper, or as the saying goes, it went out like a lamb.
Miami didn’t have huge deals and contracts in hand ready to shell out million of dollars to top free agents but instead, they focused their energy on what was in front of them. Areas that didn’t necessarily need overhauled but fixed.
This free agency was a success, on paper. It was a soft whimper of success and not the loud roar of failure that we have seen as Dolphins fans for many years before. Back when Jeff Ireland spent a ton to get guys with big names but didn’t fit the system.
This year, Grier had a plan. Like he did last year and the year before. In 2022, Miami’s loud roar to start the league new year with the Tyreek Hill continued throughout the first week or two. Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Cedrick Wilson, and a couple of more. Big contracts that got the team to the playoffs but not able to advance.
This year, the Dolphins have a tough schedule ahead of them but they have more talent. They have talent that doesn’t stand out front and pound their chests as being the greatest. They have team players and team contributors.
Miami likely stuck with 4 picks next year. dark. Next
As the draft approaches, the Dolphins will turn their attention to making smart use of the few selections they will have and hopefully land a starter or maybe two if they get lucky.
March is heading into the final week and Miami appears to be done with adding players now but this free agency was a smart one. It wasn’t flashy across the board but they didn’t need to do that. Miami retained players that they needed and they retained many of their own.
Quiet yes, successful…we will know at the end of the year but it looks pretty good so far.