Departing Gailey not the problem
Know that saying that you can’t make chicken salad with chicken ... scraps?
Well, former Miami Dolphins coordinator Chan Gailey proved that is a myth.
Gailey, whose resignation Wednesday triggered a celebration from many ball- watching Dolphins fans, deserved way more credit than he received for what Miami’s offense achieved in 2020.
Under Gailey’s direction in 2020, the Dolphins scored their most points ( 404) since 1986.
That’s 34 years, and his unit did it with a rookie quarterback ( Tua Tagovaolia) starting nine games, a limited run game that finished 29th in the NFL in yards per carry ( 3.9) and a lackluster receiver unit.
Gailey’s former unit ranked third in first- quarter scoring this past season too, which shows that the game plan was solid more often than it wasn’t.
So he wasn’t this 10- win team’s problem, especially when you consider the cards the 69- yearold was dealt in his return to coaching after being talked out of retirement by coach Brian Flores.
Take a deep, long look at Miami’s group of ... dare we say ... playmakers.
( Try not to chuckle.) Jordan Howard was a bust of a free- agent signing, which is why the tailback who averaged 1.2 yards per carry in Miami was released nine weeks into the season.
Matt Breida was a disappointing draft- day trade, and the Dolphins quickly moved off that tailback too.
As pleasant a surprise as Myles Gaskin, a 2019 seventh- round pick, and Salvon Ahmed, a rookie found on the waiver wire before the season’s start, were in 2020, the pair of former University of Washington starters collectively contributed 903 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
That’s decent, but they weren’t consistent enough to balance out Miami’s offense.
More was needed. But more never came.
DeVante Parker, the team’s leading receiver for the past two years, was again plagued by injuries and wasn’t fully healthy most of the season.
Second- year receiver Preston Williams was inconsistent before suffering his season- ending right foot injury in November.
And Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns’ decisions to not play the 2020 season because of the COVID- 19 pandemic put the offense in a difficult spot from a depth standpoint.
Miami tried to covert two college quarterbacks — rookies Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry — to receivers, and that transition took forever to find its
footing.
Bowden played significant snaps the final month of the season, contributing 211 yards on 28 receptions, and showed some promise. But Perry remains a project.
Jakeem Grant’s a dynamic return specialist, but he is a below- average receiver who has struggled to stay healthy every year but his rookie season, when he barely played.
And Isaiah Ford got traded away, spent a couple weeks with the New England Patriots, and when he came back he still had the best grasp of the team’s offense, which is troubling.
At least Miami’s tight ends — Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Sheehen — set franchise records for productivity from that position. But let us be honest about it, that was out of necessity.
Under Gailey, the run- passoption- based offense he was hired to install experienced growing pains because of all the team’s issues.
The play- action passing attack barely worked because nobody respected Miami’s run game, which produced more than 100 yards in eight of 16 its contests.
Still, despite all that, Gailey made it work, delivering Miami 25.3 point per game, which ranked the Dolphins 15th in scoring during the regular season.
Now he’s gone, whether that was completely his choice or someone pushed him out the door.
But none of that really matters.
What matters is who replaces him. What style will that playcaller gravitate too? And what playmakers will general manager Chris Grier provide him?
Just like Flores’ defense got a massive makeover last season, an offensive overhaul is long overdue. Hopefully this offseason Grier delivers more hits than misses.
Wholesale changes aren’t needed. But an all- purpose back who runs with power and vision would help balance out this offense and take pressure off the passing game.
The Dolphins also need to find a receiver who can stretch the field, and deliver yards after the catch.
That’s just the starting line. This will be Flores’ third offensive coordinator hire in his 23 months on the job, so he can’t afford to miss on this one because the lack of continuity — constant change on offense — can stunt a team’s growth just as much as a lack of playmakers.
It’ll be interesting to see which of these problems — lack of continuity or lack of playmakers — gets fixed first by the Dolphins.