Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Gase upbeat
Backup quarterback situation must be coach’s priority
Dave Hyde: Dolphins’ challenges are clear.
The Dolphins officially open for business this weekend, another rookie minicamp starting, and in the midst of being asked about this soft start to a third season, Adam Gase referred to the running clock under his breath.
“It’s only Year 3?” the Dolphins coach said. “It feels …”
He smiled here, not finishing the thought, probably because Gase aged in dog years last season like everyone else in the organization. That doesn’t even cover the fans’ chronic pain following this team.
If Year One showed what Gase knows, Year Two uncovered what he didn’t know. Now it’s Year Three. It’s time to see what developed vision, depth and maturity he’s learned, not just to call plays, but be a head coach.
It won’t be easy, considering this offseason, which seems to have added to questions rather than answered them. But it’s a coach’s job to see beyond flaws, to stress positives where others pound negatives, and Gase sounded on point Thursday.
“It feels right for us right now,” Gase said. “I feel like we’re in a good place as far as where our staff is around the building, the coaching staff, the players. It feels like we’ve got the type of people all working in the same direction and everybody is working for the same goal.”
It feels this way every May. Only admittedly less so this May with the Dolphins. Gase sincerely kept sounding like he
likes this roster, so much so that you might actually believe him if you didn’t look it over and wonder what’s to like so much.
The offense has versatile parts, but no established player above average productivity. The defense has young talent to develop, but its best returning players are 36-year-old Cam Wake and 30-year-old Reshad Jones.
Four more thirtysomethings were brought in this offseason, which might make the AARP happy, but makes you wonder whether they’re here to win or collect a lifetime-achievement paycheck. Also, will their bodies be in working order come December?
Then there’s the question of backup quarterback to starter Ryan Tannehill. The position crushed the Dolphins last year and helped Philadelphia to a Super Bowl. It will be a battle between Brock Osweiler and David Fales, the way it now stands.
The Dolphins still have $17 million to spend on free agents who could become available. So there will be chances to add some talent, assuming there’s talent worth buying at some point.
Add it up and you see Gase’s challenge, as well as why there’s public heat being applied by owner Steve Ross to the front office led by Mike Tannenbaum and Chris Grier.
Ross said at the owners’ meetings that he had “reservations and questions” about jettisoning talent as the team did this offseason. He wanted them to think longer term by trading down on draft night.
But it’s hard to think long term when there are questions of what another bad year can mean to your future. That’s a regular problem for the Dolphins. You can’t have people regularly in charge who are looking over their shoulder making decisions. But you can’t keep losing, either. Gase has sidestepped some of the fire thus far, as well as some common problems with young coaches. For instance: He’s an offensive mind, but has backed using first-round draft picks on defensive players the past two years.
Then again, he didn’t show the ability last season to handle the quarterback position that’s his specialty. Tannehill went down. He didn’t trust reserve Matt Moore. Jay Cutler was a bad and expensive lesson.
Or was it a lesson? This gets to the backup position again, which gets to the broader roster, which for now gets only public love from Gase.
“I like our players,” he said. “I like where our locker room is right now. I like watching these guys work. I’m excited to see these guys compete in [spring practices] and get this thing going in training camp and then see how we grow as the year goes on.”
It’s May. Summer is coming. September is behind it. The clock is running, as Gase knows. In Year One, he was a young coach making his mark. Year Three is when it’s time to show he’s a head coach.