Excitement, uncertainty as Tua Time begins
The Miami Dolphins tore down their roster, endured the first season of their rebuilding process and have retooled the franchise through free agency and the draft.
Now, Year 2 of the Dolphins’ overhaul under coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier begins.
Flores and the Dolphins could make significant strides with their revamped roster this season as the franchise strives for success in the AFC East with hopes to play in the postseason.
“[We’re] just trying to improve and get better, build some team chemistry and learn and grow as a team right now,” Flores said.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is obviously the crown jewel among the Dolphins’ new additions. He could be the team’s first franchise quarterback since Dan Marino retired after a storied, Hall of Fame career more than 20 years ago.
“We thought Tua was the guy for us,” Grier said after Tagovailoa was selected with the fifth pick in April’s draft.
Tagovailoa came off the bench to help Alabama win a national title as a freshman. He led the Crimson Tide to the title game as a sophomore. And he nearly took down the eventual national champion as a junior before suffering his hip dislocation and posterior wall fracture.
Tagovailoa was the most efficient college quarterback in NCAA history with the highest passer rating in a season (206.9) and in a college career (199.4).
It may be a grand desire for Dolphins fans and the organization to want Tagovailoa to fill the role of franchise quarterback, but fans are justified in their frustrations with the Dolphins past two decades.
Since Marino retired after the 1999 season, the Dolphins have reached the playoffs just twice.
They have won just four AFC East titles since 1990.
They haven’t played in a Super Bowl since the 1984 season and haven’t won a Super Bowl since going back to back in 1972 and 1973.
The Dolphins are long overdue for sustained success, which Flores and Grier hope to achieve during their time together in Miami.
After a 5-11 campaign in 2019, the Dolphins added Tagovailoa among 11 other draft picks and free-agent acquisitions such as cornerback Byron Jones, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, pass rushers Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah in the offseason.
Homegrown talents such as receiver DeVante Parker, linebacker Jerome Baker, defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Davon Godchaux, and tight end Mike Gesicki hope to take another step forward in their development to help the cause, too.
And it’s not just new players this season for the Dolphins.
Flores hired nine new coaches and promoted another after his first season in a complete overhaul of his coaching staff.
Most significant is Chan Gailey, a 68-year old offensive coordinator who was retired for three years
before Flores inquired about his services, and Josh Boyer, a 43-year-old football history buff who started his career alongside Flores as a New England Patriots assistant and was promoted to defensive coordinator earlier this year.
“I think Chan, Josh and [special teams coordinator] Danny [Crossman] have a good grasp of trying to figure out the best way that each individual player learns and trying to find the best 11 guys or combination of players,” Flores said of his top assistants.
The second year of Miami’s rebuild comes with an influx of new talent, excitement and uncertainty for the 2020 season, but could provide the Dolphins with an opportunity to strengthen their foundation en route to pursuing lofty franchise goals.