Hope, but also reasons for concern, with Dolphins

As the Dolphins conclude their offseason program this week, there’s a lot of reason for optimism about a team that won 10 games last season and added significant help at wide receiver and a handful of top players in the draft.

But there are also concerns about whether this roster is playoff worthy, beyond the uncertainty about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Analytics site Pro Football Focus rated every team at every position, and while it’s a subjective exercise the Dolphins don’t have enough position groups that rank in the league’s upper half.

PFF rated the Dolphins’ running backs 31st, ahead of only the Jets, calling Miami’s group “one of the weaker and more unproven running back units across the league.” Malcolm Brown, who has two career starts in six years for the Rams, was the only significant addition. PFF rated Miami’s offensive line 30th, ahead of only Carolina and the Giants. Beyond rookie Liam Eichenberg, the veteran additions would qualify more as average than difference makers: Matt Skura (who is in a tight battle with Cameron Tom and Michael Deiter for the starting center job) and tackle/guards D.J. Fluker and Jermaine Eluemunor.

The website ranked the Dolphins 29th at quarterback, noting Tagovailoa’s “63.9 PFF grade last season wasn’t terrible — though it was more than 10 grading points lower than Justin Herbert’s or Joe Burrow’s — but the real issue was a big-time throw rate of just 2.3%, the single-lowest figure in the NFL.”

PFF rated the Dolphins’ defensive line just 28th, ahead of only Atlanta, Jacksonville, Seattle and Houston.

If Jaelan Phillips plays linebacker (he’s listed as one), then the only significant addition to this group was Adam Butler, who will help the pass rush.

PFF noted the Dolphins blitzed 41.2 percent of the time — in the top five in the league — and still ranked only 14th in team pressure rate last season, “in part because there aren’t many above-average pass rushers on their roster” beyond Emmanuel Ogbah and perhaps, now, Phillips.

PFF rated the Dolphins’ linebackers a surprisingly low 26th. Though Andrew Van Ginkel warrants a larger role this season, replacing Kyle Van Noy and Shaq Lawson with Benardrick McKinney and Phillips might be a wash, depending on how impactful Phillips will be as a rookie.

So where are the Dolphins better than average? Three areas:

Kicker, with Jason Sanders.

At receiver and tight end, where PFF rated the Dolphins as having the ninth-best group in the league. DeVante Parker and Will Fuller are the only pair of AFC teammates who achieved a first down on more than 70 percent of their receptions last season.

And in the defensive backfield, presuming Xavien Howard’s holdout is sorted out.

PFF rates Miami 10th among 32 teams in the secondary, noting “the safety and slot positions are what keep Miami at the back end of the top 10” among defensive backs.

There’s no disputing the greatness of Howard and the quality of Byron Jones, but here’s what concerns me about the secondary beyond not knowing what Jevon Holland will be as a rookie:

Of the nine NFL cornerbacks who had the worst passer ratings against last season, three play for the Dolphins: Jason McCourty (135, for New England), Noah Igbinoghene (133.9) and Justin Coleman (134, for Detroit).

McCourty is competing with rookie Holland at free safety, while Coleman is battling Nik Needham in the slot. And Igbinoghene and McCourty are the top backups if Howard or Jones isn’t available.

So while there’s optimism the franchise is headed in the right direction, the Dolphins still have much to prove at quarterback, running back, offensive line and probably defensive front seven.

CHATTER

Predictably, national TV studio shows spent a lot of time dissecting Tagovailoa’s five-interception practice on Tuesday.

ESPN analyst and former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum, noting Tagovailoa threw a couple of those interceptions in bad weather and that he doesn’t know what was asked of him in practice, said: “I’m not panicking. I am concerned because when he came out, he is short, he is slow and he’s coming off major hip surgery. He can have a really good, representative career but he’s going to have to be accurate. He’s going to need to have great anticipation.

“They signed Jacoby Brissett and we saw last year Brian Flores was not scared to make a change if necessary. … I don’t think he’s reticent to move on from Tua in terms of benching him if he doesn’t play well. I’m sure they’re concerned but not overreacting.”

Tannenbaum said before last year’s draft that he would have selected Herbert over Tagovailoa.

ESPN’s Jeff Saturday said: “Our quarterback cannot be the guy holding you back. You do not throw five interceptions. It’s not just the five interceptions, but when you look at the [recent] comments … that I didn’t really know the offense and kind of rode with whatever play is in there, those are the things that bring concern because now you question in your head if you’re in the locker room is this lack of preparation.”

The Knicks reportedly are among the teams expected to explore signing Heat restricted free agent guard Kendrick Nunn. The Athletic’s John Hollinger recently reported that Nunn could command a deal in the $15 million per year range

UM’s Isaiah Wong and Kameron McGusty were not among 69 players invited to the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Chicago. With only 60 players drafted every season, UM coach Jim Larrañaga has said the chances of both returning to UM are clearly better if they’re not invited.

The NCAA says players who have declared for the draft but not hired an agent (like Wong and McGusty) must withdraw by July 7 to retain college basketball eligibility.

If Jeff Conine’s son Griffin is going to make it to the major leagues with the Marlins, he must cut down on strikeouts; the Marlins outfield prospect has 57 Ks in 126 at-bats with High A Beloit, Wisconsin.

There’s no question about his power: He has nine homers this season and 29 in his past 116 games in Single A.