Durham Smythe extension has no effect on Miami Dolphins TE plans
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins extended Durham Smythe for two more years and that is a smart move and it is a deserved move, but Miami isn’t done at TE.
Smythe is a good fit in Mike Mcdaniel’s system and while he is well-rounded, he isn’t a great pass-catcher and route runner. Very good blocker though.
The extension is smart because it keeps Smythe with Miami, he would have been an FA next season. The move reduces this year’s cap and doesn’t cripple the next two seasons but if we are thinking that it frees the Dolphins from addressing the position more, it does not.
The draft should still be the key landing spot for another TE. Whether in rounds two, three, six, or seven, the Dolphins still have work to do. Smythe is the top TE in the group with Eric Saubert and Tanner Conner on the roster but Miami needs to add more.
If McDaniel views TE as nothing more than another edge blocker with an occasional pass catcher then I wonder about McDaniel’s offensive plan. Miami at least needs the threat of their TEs going upfield.
Still, if that is the plan, then Miami can skip adding a TE in the draft and take one off the waiver, cut, or undrafted list for competition in camp. In that case, Smythe and Saubert are probably all they really need.
Personally, I like the move of getting Smythe extended and it makes a lot of sense but I would expect Miami to still have a TE plan in place and ready to go when the draft arrives later this month.