Plenty of tough calls coming up
A look at 10 decisions GM, head coach will have to make
At the moment Brian Flores is focused on helping the New England Patriots upset the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC title game, and advancing to that franchise’s seventh Super Bowl during his tenure with the team.
But when New England’s postseason run concludes, and Flores finally becomes the Miami Dolphins’ head coach as expected, he’ll become one of the key decision makers trying to get Miami off the mediocrity merry-go-round.
And there are plenty of tough decisions he and general manager Chris Grier will need to make together. Here is a look at some of the critical decisions they must tackle this spring:
Who will be responsible for improving Miami’s offense and developing a quarterback?
Jim Caldwell will be part of Flores’ staff in some capacity, according to multiple reports, and that is a positive step for Miami’s offense, especially if he’s the playcaller because Caldwell has had a significant amount of success coaching quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco and Matt Stafford this past decade. His seven years of experience as a head coach will also benefit Flores because this will be his first time leading a football team at any level.
What does the franchise do with Tannehill and the starting QB spot?
The Dolphins have invested seven seasons in Ryan Tannehill, who has delivered a 42-46 record as the team’s starter when healthy. But Tannehill, who had a 92.7 passer rating in the 11 games he played in 2018, struggles in critical moments of games — third downs and in fourth quarter — and his inability to handle pressure has limited Miami’s offense. Many in the organization feel it’s time for the franchise to move on from Tannehill, but to do so the Dolphins must either trade or release him. If Miami does either, they would need to add a veteran or young quarterback through the draft.
Is Howard a building block, or a trading chip?
Cornerback Xavien Howard, who has pulled down 11 interceptions the past two seasons, had a breakout season in 2018 that earned him Pro Bowl recognition, and should put him in position to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks. But whether that new five-year, $60-70 million contract comes from Miami, or another NFL franchise in the next year or two
depends on whether the organization views the 25 year old as a building block, or an asset they should trade to acquire an early draft pick. Anything lower than a firstround pick, or the equivalent of would not be enough for a shutdown cornerback in his prime. But does Howard want to be part of a team that is rebuilding? He’d need to buy into what Flores is selling.
Do Dolphins draft a young quarterback this year or wait until 2020?
Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Missouri’s Drew Lock are considered the best of the 2019 quarterback class, but the Dolphins, who have the 13th pick in the first round of this year’s draft, might be forced to trade up to land one of those three. Alabama’s Tau Tagovailoa, Georgia’s Jake Fromm and Oregon’s Justin Herbert are the best of what might be coming down the college pipeline in 2020, and it might be more beneficial to struggle in 2019 and put the franchise in position to land someone in next year’s draft. This decision will likely come down to how Miami views all six of these young quarterbacks.
Should Wake finish out his career in Miami?
Cameron Wake is two sacks away from reaching 100 for his career, and he intends on continuing to play. However, the 36 year old becomes an unrestricted free agent in March, and Miami must decide if they want to extend his stay in South Florida by offering a respectable contract that makes it worthwhile for him. Wake, a five-time Pro Bowler who contributed 36 tackles and six sacks in the 14 games he played in 2018, could also seek a fresh start, potentially one with a team that gives him a chance to win a championship.
What defensive scheme should Dolphins run moving forward?
The Dolphins have run both a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense this past decade, and it’s going to be on Flores and his coaching staff to figure out what scheme best fits Miami’s personnel. Miami’s entire defensive line needs to be rebuilt considering their struggles in 2018, but there isn’t a nose tackle like Jason Ferguson or Paul Soliai on the roster, and that’s a key component of running a 3-4 defense. Flores has run a hybrid defense in New England, so it is possible Miami could use elements of both a 3-4 and 4-3 scheme since players like Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor fit both.
Should running game be built around Drake?
Kenyan Drake’s talent level is undeniable. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the football, which explains why he led the Dolphins with nine touchdowns in 2018. But Drake, who rushed for 535 yards on 120 carries in 2018, hasn’t proven that he can handle the workload and attention that comes with being a featured back. Miami’s previous coaches consistently questioned his maturity. Expect Drake to get a fresh start with Flores, but will old issues flare up with the 24-year-old looking to get a new contract?
Which strong safety sticks around to be paired with Fitzpatrick?
Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald possess overlapping skill sets, which indicates both of these in-the-box safeties aren’t meant to work together. The emergence of Minkah Fitzpatrick, the 2018 first-round pick who had a solid rookie season, means someone will likely have to go. The problem is both of Jones and McDonald have portions of their 2019 salaries fully guaranteed. The Dolphins must pay Jones $11.1 million of his $13.1 million salary because it is guaranteed, and McDonald has $3.64 million of his $5 million salary guaranteed. Trading one of these safeties won’t be easy considering how flat the safety free agent market was last offseason.
What is the right approach for Miami to take during free agency and the draft?
The Dolphins have been aggressive on the free agent and trade market in all but one year Steve Ross has spent as the team’s majority owner this past decade. That means being fiscally frugal — not pursing a whale like quarterback Nick Foles and tailback Le’Veon Bell in free agency, or trading for Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown, or signing half a dozen players to respectable contracts like last offseason — will be a new approach for this franchise. The Dolphins might also benefit from trading down in the draft to pick up more picks to fill out the roster. If the Dolphins are building through youth then it is time to close Ross’ wallet.
Dolphins must get team’s finances in order.
There is a lot of dead weight on Miami’s payroll because of bloated salaries of players who can easily be purged. The Dolphins, who currently have $16 million in cap space base on the projection that the 2019 salary cap will grow to $190 million, could easily clear up to $64 million in cap space by releasing or trading Tannehill ($18.75 million), defensive ends Robert Quinn ($12.9 million) and Andre Branch
($7 million), and often-injured receiver DeVante Parker ($9.4 million). Even more is possible, but finding replacements won’t be cheap unless Miami goes for a rookie or inexpensive journeyman.