Dolphins questions moving forward
The playoffs are a long shot for the Miami Dolphins, but they have more than pride to play for the rest of this season.
According to head coach Adam Gase, his players are playing for their future with the team, and possibly in the NFL. That means making a favorable impression in these final two regular-season games would be ideal because it could dictate the decisions made this offseason.
Here are 10 lingering questions for the Dolphins moving forward: How much will Adam Gase grow from Miami’s struggles in 2017?
Can Ryan Tannehill lift Miami’s offense to new heights?
Even though Tannehill has started 77 games for the Dolphins, he’s still an NFL mystery because nobody knows if he’s good enough to lead the Dolphins to the playoffs regularly. There’s little doubt Tannehill, who had a career-high 93.5 passer rating last season, will be Miami’s starter in 2018 if his surgically repaired left knee allows him to be. But what if it doesn’t? The franchise’s decision makers need to have a discussion about who will be his backup next season, and whether or not it’s time to use another early draft pick on a quarterback.
Is Mike Pouncey still an elite center, one worth $8 million next season?
Pouncey’s on track to play every game this season for the first time since 2012, but the veteran center has had plenty of rest days sprinkled in because of his history of hip problems. Pouncey’s still playing at a relatively high level, but Miami must decide if being the top performer on a struggling unit is worth $8 million, which is what the 28 year old is slated to earn in 2018.
Has Kenyan Drake shown enough to prove he’s Miami’s lead back?
Drake, the Dolphins’ 2016 third-round pick, leads the team with 512 rushing yards and has scored three touchdowns on 106 carries. He’s also contributed 224 yards and one touchdown on 29 receptions this season. The most impressive part of Drake’s breakout season is that the player once viewed as Miami’s No. 3 tailback has averaged 149 total yards since becoming Miami’s featured back. Now the Dolphins must decide if they can trust Drake with a starters’ workload for an entire season.
Will DeVante Parker ever become a consistent playmaker?
Parker, the Dolphins’ 2015 first-round pick, showcased the ability that warranted an early draft pick in the offseason workouts, but an ankle injury he suffered in October has limited his production for two months. If Parker, who has caught 46 passes for 543 yards and one touchdown this season, is ever going to become the player he has the potential to be, he needs to learn to play effectively even when he’s not 100 percent healthy.
Is Ndamukong Suh worth his $17 million price tag in 2018?
Suh is still a dominant player who demands a double team, but he’s entering the fourth year of his $114 million contract, and the Dolphins can avoid playing the defensive tackle quarterback money by walking away from the deal before March. The problem is, Miami’s defense is built around Suh and he’d be a hard player to replace. Considering Suh is a businessman first and a football player second, don’t expect him to restructure his contract unless it features him being paid a hefty sum of guaranteed money that keeps him as one of the NFL’s highest paid defenders.
How much of the Dolphins’ offensive line needs to be rebuilt — again?
Laremy Tunsil, the Dolphins’ 2016 first-round pick has been fairly inconsistent as Miami’s starting left tackle. Maybe that’s not the ideal spot for him. And Jesse Davis and Sam Young’s solid play in the second half of the season has proven that Ja’Wuan James and Jermon Bushrod are expendable. So don’t be surprised to see Miami release James before his fifth-year option, which is worth $9.34 million, becomes guaranteed next spring, and if Bushrod isn’t re-signed. That means the Dolphins will be shopping for at least two new starters to stabilize this unit, which has allowed 32 sacks this season.
Do the Dolphins have a solid trio of linebackers moving forward?
Kiko Alonso (101 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles) and Lawrence Timmons (76 tackles in 12 games) have been decent as Miami’s every-down linebackers, but the Dolphins haven’t exactly excelled at stopping the run (110 rushing yards allowed per game) or containing tight ends and tailbacks in coverage this season. Raekwon McMillan, who missed his rookie season because of a knee injury, and Stephone Anthony, whom the Dolphins traded for earlier this season, could make a push for more playing time next offseason.
Should Dolphins shop for a new tight end in the offseason?
Julius Thomas hasn’t been the red-zone or seam-threat weapon the Dolphins hoped he would be when trading for the tight end this offseason. That means Thomas, who has contributed 388 yards and three touchdowns on 41 receptions, could become a cap casualty because he’s slated to earn $6.6 million in 2018. Seeing as how MarQueis Gray is the only tight end under contract in 2018, the Dolphins need to create a plan for how to upgrade this position.