As the name of the blog suggests, I am a Dolphins fan, and one who is enjoying a pretty good offseason so far. I got my preferred coach, Mike Gesicki is sticking around, and the door is closed on Deshaun Watson. As free agency kicks off, starting with a legal tampering period tomorrow, I have a laundry list of Dolphins free agent options, trades, and fantastical ideas of Super Bowl glory. While Tua’s workouts probably have more bearing on next year than any of the following moves, I’ll pretend that these work.
#1: Secure Emmanuel Ogbah and Xavien Howard
Two defensive leaders and key veterans have some qualms with their current sticker price. Monitor both situations closely and pay them what the market dictates. For Xavien, a year removed from a 10-pick season, that means opening the renegotiations to match the Brinks truck being backed up to J.C. Jackson. For Ogbah, that means securing a right-of-first-refusal for a player who ascended under Brian Flores (77 overall grade from PFF last year.)
#1B: Have a backup plan
Neither player will be cheap, and all options should be explored. For Xavien, this means a potential trade for either of the two starters to secure resources, both financially and in the draft, but it opens up a hole in the strength of the defense, even with Nik Needham ready to go. For Ogbah, a ready-made but unproven replacement exists in a combination of Zach Sieler and Jaelan Phillips. But the Dolphins could also make a play for the aging Chandler Jones, a one-time superstar in the AFC East (71.6 PFF grade).
#2: Two new tackles
Back the Brinks truck up indeed. Terron Armstead (77.6 PFF), a tackle with a legitimate argument for enshrinement in the Superdome, and La’el Collins (80.1) are the top two options. Collins can be had for cheap in a trade with Dallas, as they plan to release him without legitimate compensation, and Armstead’s former employers’ moral decadence in their Watson pursuit makes him available. Sign them both for about half of the open cap and go from worst to first (or at least top 10) in team offensive line play.
#3: Solidify the interior line
Yep, a full line rebuild. The Dolphins will likely prize a veteran center as the team needs intelligence and experience to run the offensive calls for Tua at the line (who will have enough to worry about). Ex-Raven Bradley Bozeman (73.3) is an option, as he played with Tua during the miraculous freshman year, but Ryan Jenson (70.8), a top-flight option, remains in play from Tampa. Jenson might not have the requisite athleticism, but no veteran really checks all the boxes for Miami. If one of the tackles is gone, a pivot to a former McDaniels star may make sense: Laken Tomlinson (76) is a mauler in the run game and entirely proficient in the likely offense. If Armstead goes to Cincinnati, or even back to New Orleans, building inside and looking for a draft option may be wisest.
#4: Razzle Dazzle Players
The Dolphins have been woefully deficient at the RB and WR positions outside of the sensational Jaylen Waddle. They have a chance to fix that this year. Of the preferred RB options, I like Cordarrelle Patterson (81) and Raheem Mostert (58, injured in week 1) if he is healthy. Both can catch passes, both are known for blazing speed, and the market for both will be interesting due to both RB contracts diminishing around the league and the difficulty of projecting them outside of their respective teams. Miami should also bring back hometown hero Duke Johnson, who ran well for them last year. At receiver, the Phins have a number of veteran options after entering the trade market for Amari Cooper (and reportedly backing down when his salary wouldn’t be eaten by Dallas). The physical JuJu Smith-Schuster (59.2) is an option off of a down year, but his lack of top-end speed to match Waddle is concerning. Marques Valdez-Scantling (66.1), the Packers burner, appears to have a high market, as does Christian Kirk (72.7), which might scare the Dolphins off as they plan to utilize Gesicki, the new backs, and Waddle as their top options. The draft is full of options, but T.Y. Hilton (70.1) may be considered from the Colts. He meets the need for speed and has a veteran savvy that would contribute to a room full of young players. Mack Hollins, Devante Parker, and Lynn Bowden Jr. all await their own fates on the team, either in camp or in this offseason, and all could benefit from a former star like Hilton in a smaller role. We said the same about Will Fuller though…
#5: Physical LBs
We have no idea what Josh Boyer’s defense will look like without Flores and Gerald Alexander, but we do know Jerome Baker’s companion at LB simply is not yet good enough. Elandon Roberts enjoyed another year at the bottom of PFF grading. The Dolphins may try a thumper like former Patriot Dont’a Hightower (54.7, and aging fast) or look for the unsigned Broncos linebacker, likely Alexander Johnson (80.1). Johnson would be my preferred target, provided all off-field concerns are vetted. Other LBs like Kyzir White (65.1) and Jamie Collins (up-and-down, but 84.3 last year) are options here. It will entirely depend on what Boyer wants, and how much the team still believes in Jerome Baker’s play inside.
#6: The Backup QB
Backup QB has taken on an increased importance since the days of Ryan Tannehill (outside of his strange knee saga). Tua was brutalized last year, and missed multiple games due to injury. He will need a backup both capable of playing when needed and doing the intellectual prep McDaniels demands. A veteran is likely, and all kinds of options will be considered, but I’d like to see Nick Mullins (69.2) in Miami. Mullens was often thrown into the fire fairly often in San Francisco, and his only game last year for Cleveland was ultimately decent. McDaniels can be trusted over me here: he knows that his backup will play a role beyond what Miami fans see each week, and the decision will (hopefully) be invisible to the team this year.
