South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
10 things learned in ’20 season
As the Miami Dolphins begin their offseason, let’s take a look at 10 things we learned about them during the 2020 season:
The Dolphins may have left the 2020 season unsure about their quarterback of the future, but they picked the right coach. Brian Flores showed, with a season worthy of Coach of the Year honors, that he was the right hire for the franchise when it began its rebuilding process two years ago.
Flores galvanized the Dolphins to go 10-6 in his second season, one
win shy of making the playoffs. Now, the clock is ticking for Flores and general manager Chris Grier to lead the Dolphins to the postseason in their third season together.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left much to be desired after nine starts with an offense that lacked consistency during the second half of 2020. He finished his rookie season with a 6-3 record, completing 64% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while being sacked 20 times. He had just two games with more than 300 yards passing, failed to throw more than two touchdowns in any game and did not have a completion longer than 35 yards this season.
Several factors contributed to those statistics, but not enough to be done with the 2020 No. 5 pick after nine games. More importantly, he left the season healthy and primed to improve with a full offseason.
Cornerback Xavien Howard revealed that the 2019 knee injury he came back from to play in all 16 games and grab an NFL-leading 10 interceptions was far more severe than he initially anticipated. And the Dolphins’ moves at the position last offseason indicated as much.
Byron Jones was signed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal, while Miami drafted cornerback Noah Igbinoghene with the last of its three firstround picks. Both players had their fair share of struggles: Igbinoghene played poorly in losses to Buffalo and Seattle in the first month of the season, while Jones’ miscues at Arizona and Las Vegas nearly cost Miami those games.
It may seem unlikely, but Flores and the Dolphins should bring back veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to continue being a backup. Sure, Fitzpatrick’s play does warrant some consideration for the starting job, and that could cause a rift between players in the locker room. But even Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins know he tends to regress to the mean more than he plays above it.
Fitzpatrick’s role as a glorified older brother to teammates is one Miami should not do away with heading into Year 3 of its rebuild. He’s had a hand in the Dolphins’ rebuild just as much as any coach or player. Both sides should want him to see it through.
The Dolphins played without much depth behind DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, Preston Williams and Myles Gaskin, and it showed as Miami limped its way through the end of the 2020 season. The Dolphins failed to take a receiver in one of the loaded drafts at the position last year when they had 11 picks and could have selected D.K. Metcalf instead of trading for Josh Rosen in 2019.
Now they must overhaul the position where Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson and Marvin Jones could be available as free agents and a top receiver such as Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase could be taken with at least one of the two 2021 first-round draft picks.
The Dolphins were also unable to land a top running back in 2020 draft, a failure that hurt them tremendously this past season. Gaskin showed he could be one of the most productive players in the NFL, averaging nearly 100 yards total per game, but another consistently solid punch was needed in the backfield.
Salvon Ahmed, an undrafted rookie Miami signed, had two good games. Veteran Matt Breida, acquired in a trade after Miami was unable to draft a running back, was a disappointment. And veteran Jordan Howard left the team at midseason. Green Bay’s Aaron Jones tops the list of free agents, but expect Miami to draft high and pay low in free agency.
Gesicki, the Dolphins’ second-round pick in 2018, may not be in the top tier among NFL tight ends with Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Darren Waller, but he’s rising into the second tier. He finished in the top five among tight ends with six touchdowns (which led Miami) and 703 yards receiving, showing he can be a reliable and consistent pass catcher in the NFL.
Along with Gesicki, Adam Shaheen had three touchdowns and Durham Smythe added two, giving Miami 11 touchdowns from tight ends, the most by that position group since 2008. Still, Miami should pursue a reliable pass catcher such as Florida’s Kyle Pitts in the draft, or Zach Ertz or Jonnu Smith in free agency.
The Dolphins’ needs at receiver and running back exist because Miami poured resources into its offensive line last offseason by drafting three rookies and signing two veterans.
Rookie left tackle Austin Jackson, guard Solomon Kindley and right tackle Robert Hunt all gained valuable experience. Veteran guards Ereck Flowers, Jesse Davis and center Ted Karras also provided key leadership and solid play at times. Although enticing, Miami should pass on Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell with the No. 3 pick with so many resources committed to the unit already. Still, it should still select a center or interior lineman later in the draft.
Who was the second-best player on the Dolphins team behind Howard this past season? It comes down to four players who could be in line to have their contracts extended this offseason.
Gesicki enters his fourth season as the Dolphins’ leading touchdown catcher. Linebacker Jerome Baker led the team in tackles and was second with seven sacks, while standout kicker Jason Sanders scored 35.6% of the Dolphins’ 404 points. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who is under contact for $7.5 million next season, led the team with nine sacks while his play also led to two defensive touchdowns.
The Dolphins’ investment in their defense paid off. Ogbah, Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy helped the defensive line, while Baker and second-year outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel were quite productive. Between the five players, Miami got 31 sacks, 34 tackles for a loss and 70 quarterback hits.
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler had 3 ½ sacks and 11 tackles for a loss; defensive backs Eric Rowe and Nik Needham had two interceptions and combined for 18 pass deflections; and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis was one of the highest-rated rookies defensively. While Miami entered the final week of the regular season ranked as the No. 1 scoring defense, it finished sixth in the category. Still, Miami needs to do a better job against the run and limiting yards gained by their opponents next season.