Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Omar Kelly: 10 reasons Dolphins aren’t all bad.
The 2017 Miami Dolphins were undisciplined and inconsistent.
That’s the only way to explain why a team that was deeper and more talented than the one that finished 10-6 and qualified for the postseason last year finished 6-10.
The Dolphins were bad when it came to third-down execution on offense in 2017 (converting just 31.7 percent of those opportunities), were one of the most penalized teams in the NFL, the defense registered just 30 sacks all season, and opposing quarterbacks produced a 94.8 passer rating against Miami’s defense, which spent all season as one of the NFL’s five worst in the red zone.
Miami has a laundry list of things to address this offseason based on how the team performed, but the 2017 season wasn’t a total waste.
There were a few pleasant surprises sprinkled in with the disappointment of coach Adam Gase’s team underachieving. Here’s a look at 10 positives from the 2017 season:
1. Kenyan Drake emerged as a featured back
Since becoming Miami’s feature tailback in Week 13, Drake led the NFL in rushing yards, producing 444 in the final five games, beating Los Angeles Rams tailback Todd Gurley by 4 yards. Drake, the Dolphins’ 2016 third-round pick, likely wouldn’t have been granted that opportunity if Jay Ajayi hadn’t been traded to Philadelphia for a fourth-round pick at midseason, and Damien Williams hadn’t suffered a shoulder injury that forced him to miss
the season’s final five games. Now the Dolphins know they have a tailback this offense can be built around.
2. Reshad Jones returned and put together a Pro Bowl season
Jones, who missed all but five games last season because of a shoulder injury, lived up to his ballhawking, playmaking reputation in 2017, pulling down two interceptions and recovering three fumbles. Two of those fumbles turned into touchdowns during Dolphins’ victories, and Jones’ fourth-quarter interception against the Falcons sealed a victory. The safety led the team with 122 tackles and showed why he deserved the $60 million contract Miami gave him last offseason.
3. We’ve gained a greater appreciation for Ryan Tannehill
Who wasn’t curious about the alternative to Tannehill, who produced a 37-40 record as Miami’s starting quarterback before suffering a knee injury that carried over to the 2017 season? Jay Cutler had more experience, better pocket presence and a superior arm. Yet Cutler delivered a dismal 80.8 passer rating. Tannehill is expected to be on track to participate in Miami’s offseason program and be the starter in 2018. The Dolphins need to upgrade the backup position because Matt Moore’s a 33-year-old unrestricted free agent.
4. Jarvis Landry had another productive season
Landry led the NFL in receptions (112), scored a career-high nine touchdowns and was 13 yards shy of becoming the first Dolphins receiver to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. All those achievements should help Landry land his first lucrative contract since he’s slated to become a free agent if Miami doesn’t place the franchise or transition tag on him this spring, or gets a deal done before March.
5. Mike Pouncey played an entire NFL season
The Dolphins created a 16-plus program to keep their Pro Bowl center on the field, and the weekly days off apparently helped Pouncey fend off the hip soreness that has prevented him from playing a full NFL season since 2012. Pouncey was the Dolphins’ top performing offensive lineman, which should motivate Miami’s decisionmakers to honor his $8 million salary in 2018. It’s possible that an offseason without any hip rehab could get Pouncey back to his elite form.
6. Miami’s offensive line improved when replacements took over
It was a bit ironic to see Miami’s offensive line stabilize once coach Chris Foerster resigned because of his video scandal, Ted Larsen was cleared to play, and backups (Jesse Davis and Sam Young) replaced injured starters (Jermon Bushrod and Ja’Wuan James). All those changes helped that struggling unit solidify. Miami’s rushing attack produced just 86.8 rushing yards per game, and 3.9 yards per attempt, but the offensive line finished 10th in sacks allowed.
7. Jesse Davis developed into a solid NFL starter
Davis ended 2016 as a member of the Dolphins’ practice squad, and ended 2017 as a promising starter on the right side of Miami’s offensive line courtesy of the 10 starts he had at left guard, right guard and right tackle. The Dolphins haven’t settled in on a position for Davis, who served as swing tackle during his collegiate career at Idaho, but it is clear he has the size, power and athleticism that indicates he could be a cornerstone of Miami’s offensive line for years to come.
8. Jakeem Grant proved he’s an NFL receiver
Grant, the former Texas Tech standout Miami selected in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, rebounded from a rocky rookie season to have a solid year as a return specialist. He averaged 7.6 yards on 25 punt returns, and 22.8 yards on 21 kickoff returns. Grant lost only one fumble this season. He also had a few enticing games as a receiver, catching 13 passes for 203 yards, and scoring two touchdowns in the season’s final five contests, proving that he was worth a continued investment.
9. The 2017 draft class had respectable debuts
First-round pick Charles Harris wasn’t a stud, contributing just 19 tackles and two sacks, but the rest of the 2017 draft class made solid contributions with the exception of linebacker Raekwon McMillan (who spent all year on injured reserve because of a knee injury) and offensive guard Isaac Asiata, who was only active for the season finale. Cornerback Cordrea Tankersley started 11 games and was reliable when healthy, and Davon Godchaux started five, contributing 40 tackles.
10. Miami’s new kicker and punter were solid
The Dolphins poached Cody Parkey off the waiver wire, and replaced Matt Darr with rookie punter Matt Haack and there wasn’t one ounce of dropoff in the kicking game. Parkey tied for the Dolphins record for best field-goal percentage in a season, making 21 of 23 (91.3 percent). And Haack averaged 40.5 net yards per punt, which had him tied for 15th best in the NFL. Only six punters put more punts inside the 20-yard line than Haack (29).
Ryan Tannehill is expected to be on track to participate in Miami’s offseason program and be the starter. Backup Matt Moore, 33, is an unrestricted free agent.