A dozen lessons from this unusual Dolphins season
Twelve things we learned from this most unusual Dolphins season, where winning sometimes felt like losing (from a draft standpoint):
The Dolphins need at least four new offensive line starters, but the organization should not expect to fill most of those holes in the draft.
Third-round pick Michael Deiter’s disappointing rookie season and sixth-round pick Isaiah Prince’s December release confirm the reality that the Dolphins — over many years — generally cannot judge whether a decent-togood college offensive lineman has what it takes to be a successful pro.
Since the turn of the century, the Dolphins have drafted 21 offensive linemen in the third round or later. Not a single one of them has materialized into an above-average longterm starter and most were busts. Among third-day picks, only Red Hadnot started three years or more (3 1⁄2). It’s too soon to draw a final conclusion on Deiter, but the early signs aren’t encouraging.
Even in the second round, the Dolphins this century have drafted one offensive linemen who was decent ( Todd Wade) and another who wasn’t ( Jonathan Martin).
So here’s a thought: Fill most of your offensive line needs in free agency, where at least there’s a professional body of work — and film — demonstrating if they can play. Overpay if you need to, knowing you can find cheap talent at running back and the defensive line in the draft. And maybe use one of your first-round picks on a lineman, where the 21st-century Dolphins have found quality players in Jake Long, Vernon Carey, Mike Pouncey and Laremy Tunsil.
But the organization clearly has a blind spot in evaluating college linemen beyond the no-brainer first-round talents, and it’s time to find another way to address one of the team’s three biggest deficiencies.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing that a creative scheme can overcome lack of talented pass rushers. Dolphins players kept saying all summer that the varying fronts — including one in which every defensive lineman is standing up — would boost a pass rush that lost leading sackers Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn.
What’s more, coaches seemed to believe they could out-scheme opponents into a pass rush that raised a group of undistinguished rushers beyond what their ability would suggest. That never happened, with Miami’s 22 sacks ranking last in the league.
Don’t follow former Dolphins coach Adam Gase’s player evaluations.
General Manager Chris Grier smartly followed his own instincts, and not Gase’s, in keeping around DeVante Parker. Kudos to both.
Think twice about signing older veteran players dumped by the best organizations.
In past years, Miami mistakenly pursued players that successful franchises dumped, including former Pittsburgh teammates Lawrence Timmons and Mike Wallace. As it turns out, the Steelers knew exactly what they were doing. Just as New England must have known what it was doing when it moved on from tight end Dwayne Allen.
Be very skeptical when you sign players with spotty off-field records.
The Mark Walton and Robert Nkemdiche signings were defensible lowrisk moves, but Miami ultimately got nothing significant from either.
Don’t give as long a rope to an underperforming player because he fits your ideal body type or vision for a player at a position.
This staff generally did good work, but opting for Kalen Ballage as the opening day starter over Kenyan Drake — and then sticking too long with Ballage after Drake’s trade — were serious miscalculations, one that contributed toward angering Drake to the point that his agent didn’t respond to Miami’s contract offer and forced a trade to Arizona, where he has 583 yards rushing (5.3 per carry) and seven touchdowns in seven games.
There’s no bigger need on defense than skilled run-stuffing edge players.
This — along with offensive line — needs to be the priority on Day 1 of free agency and the draft, both at outside linebacker and defensive end. Miami has the worst group of ends in the league, and beyond end/tackle Christian Wilkins, I doubt there’s a single one who will be in an NFL rotation ever again, unless undrafted Georgia rookie Jonathan Ledbetter makes a case in training camp.
If a talented player wants to play only one position, don’t be stubborn about it.
Though I understand Flores insisting that Minkah Fitzpatrick accommodate coaches by playing multiple positions, Flores ultimately hurt himself by not acquiescing to Fitzpatrick’s request to play only one. Fitzpatrick is a Pro Bowler this year and the odds are against Miami finding that type of talent in the late teens or early 20s.
This is an indictment of the former coaching staff — not this one — but never allow your preference or familiarity for a player you coached to affect playing time.
That was reinforced this season when Dolphins discard Jordan Phillips produced 9 1⁄ sacks for
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Buffalo. Phillips likely wouldn’t have lashed out at former defensive line coach Kris Kocurek — which led to his release — if Kocurek had played Phillips more instead of giving too many snaps to journeyman Akeem Spence, whom Kocurek knew better from their time in Detroit.
This staff gave ample opportunity to former Patriots, but all of their decisions were defensible or paid off ( Eric Rowe and Jomal Wiltz to an extent).
Make sure your coach is willing to give a longer look to a young quarterback if you’re going to trade a second- and fifthrounder for him.
Barring dramatic improvement, the Josh Rosen trade will be filed under the regrettable file. The question, though, is why Grier didn’t come to an understanding with Flores before the trade that the team — during a throwaway, rebuilding year — would give Rosen a meaningful look in games (and 10 quarters as a starter doesn’t suffice).
Though Flores and Grier get along fine and work well together, there was a disconnect there that should have been addressed before making the trade.
If you want to position yourself to get the best quarterback in the draft, don’t sign Ryan Fitzpatrick — as we noted when Miami signed him in March.
Fitzpatrick was helpful in extracting more from Parker and Mike Gesicki and developing Preston Williams, but his penchant for short bursts of excellence ultimately cost the Dolphins a chance to draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
Even though edge players are the priority on defense, don’t forget the interior.
Wilkins and Davon Godchaux were solid at times but pushed around too much at other times.
Among 116 qualifying interior linemen, Godchaux was 73rd and Wilkins 83rd, per Pro Football Focus.
CHATTER
Some UM players are relieved about the dismissal of offensive coordinator Dan Enos. In conversations with family and associates, several players expressed frustration with Enos’ inability to run plays that would put less pressure on Miami’s deficient offensive line; a moodiness and abrasive demeanor and his play-calling. … Why did UM seemingly give up on five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard, who didn’t even get a carry in the bowl game? One player said his impression was that coaches didn’t trust his knowledge of the playbook enough, in terms of blitz pickup and other responsibilities.
Beyond pursuing grad transfers on the offensive line and elsewhere, UM is expected to pursue FIU kicker/grad transfer Jose Boregales, who entered the transfer portal. He hit 14-of-18 field goals in 2018 and 21-of-29 field goal attempts this season, including 50- and 53-yarders against UM. Borregales’ brother, Andres, is committed to UM. He’s the
No. 1-ranked kicker in the 2021 class.
Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson said when he’s on a three-point eruption during games, a few opposing players have actually told him during game action to cool off — or, as Atlanta’s Damyean Dotson told him — stop shooting altogether.