Do we have too many holes in the rowboat?

[Dave Gray]

I feel like it's really hard for the Dolphins to get ahead, talent-wise, but it's not for lack of addressing things.  I feel like we're in a row boat and there are a couple of holes, so we plug them with our fingers.  And as we plug a hole, another pops up behind us, so we have to remove our finger to plug the new hole.

Is this unique to us or is this just how every team feels?  As we address units, the other units get bad.

[Dolfanalyst]

It's incredibly difficult to amass the talent a team needs across both offensive and defensive units when there is that degree of need created by not having one of the league's best QBs.

There is the salary cap, the draft (which is a crapshoot), aging and retiring players, free agency, and injuries.

It's very difficult to surmount all of those obstacles when you need an entire field full of talent on both sides of the ball.

As I've said elsewhere, the way to get ahead in this league is by having one of the league's best QBs, which then lessens dramatically the need for as much talent elsewhere on the field.

This is why I'm personally so invested in evaluating Ryan Tannehill's development as a player.  The team's fortunes ride largely in that area.

Please don't read this as a "shot" against Tannehill.  It's simply an appreciation of how the league functions in my opinion, regardless of who you root for.

Then again, if you can't help but read it as a "shot" against Tannehill, because of your own personal problem, there should be no problem, since we're supposedly in the appropriate forum for that.

[Phishfan]

We have been behind the 8 ball for a long time. I think the biggest problem has been with our coaching and front office in the past. We had too many years of not being able to develop enough players through the draft so we relied on aging and expensive veteran free agents. Also, let's not forget about trading up in the first round several years ago to draft a non-essential defensive end that has barely seen the field. I'm coming around on Gase but I have little to no faith in Tannenbaum.

[DaLittle B]

I think I'm probably parroting the two above posts.

You can't have 10+yrs of bad drafting,constant coaching/front office turn over,then make up up for it by being the big spenders in Free agency.

IMO this has to do with the owner,and fan base.I really think Gase was a good hire,and Tannenbaum, just exacerbates our problems,and will just continue to shoot us in the ass.

[Baba Booey]

You can't have 10+yrs of bad drafting,constant coaching/front office turn over,then make up up for it by being the big spenders in Free agency.

Denver did. They signed Peyton, Ware, Talib, Sanders and a few others and built a champion overnight

[Phishfan]

Denver did. They signed Peyton, Ware, Talib, Sanders and a few others and built a champion overnight

The year (two years actually) before of the players signed (except Manning) Denver was 13-3 and played in the Super Bowl. This isn't apples to apples here.

[masterfins]

I think at some point you just have to get lucky to make that jump up to the premium level.  So many things have to go right within a two year period - drafting, free agent signings, coaching, gm management, etc.  IMO the least need in all of this is a Top 5 QB.  A top 5 QB can't overcome bad defense, bad receivers, bad coaching, and bad O-lines; BUT if most of the other pieces are in place you can have a successful team with a mediocre QB.  Look at Denver, they have had great success with average QB play, and now less than average QB play.  Look at Seattle, Russell Wilson has developed into a pretty good QB, but there are a dozen QB's (if not more) that could have down what he did initially because of the team around him.

[Run Ricky Run]

We can make the change pretty quick but we are spending money in the wrong places. Suh is a great player, but he isn't worth that money. I have another feeling we we going to overspend on WRs pretty soon too which is a big no no.

Our draft picks have been brutal too.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

No, the way the NFL is set up (free agency, draft, salary cap) no team no matter how bad is never more than two years away from competing for a playoff spot. Assuming the GM and coach are good.


 And while I don't think the dolphins make the playoffs this year I do expect that week 17 they will still be in the hunt, e.g. Need to win and get help.

Jets fans should be talking about next season.  Dolphin fans not quite yet.

[Baba Booey]

We can make the change pretty quick but we are spending money in the wrong places. Suh is a great player, but he isn't worth that money. I have another feeling we we going to overspend on WRs pretty soon too which is a big no no.

Our draft picks have been brutal too.

Suh is worth every penny. He makes everyone around him better. I would rather pay Suh what we are paying him than pay a guy we drafted (Vernon) $85 million who is a 6-8 sack a year guy with a bunch of QB hurries. Vernon makes nobody around him better (we saw that last year when Wake went down) where as Suh got OV paid and made him a very rich man!

Also, tough to say the draft picks have been brutal when we got Ajayi in Rd 5, Reshad Jones in Rd 5, Landry is a home run (not in your eyes I know but in everyone elses he is), Tunsil was a steal, Tony Lippett has progressed nicely into a contributor we got in Rd 7, Parker in year 2 has turned into a big time player, Jordan Phillips is a starter in year 2 and playing very very well.

It's tough to say our draft picks have been brutal when most of our biggest contributors came from the draft. Especially on offense when you throw in Pouncey and Tannehill who I didn't mention.

[Dave Gray]

I see a lot of money spent on the D line, but it doesn't produce like you'd expect.  It's not a bad unit, but I would expect a group like that to control the game.  They do not.

[Baba Booey]

I see a lot of money spent on the D line, but it doesn't produce like you'd expect.  It's not a bad unit, but I would expect a group like that to control the game.  They do not.

Aside from Suh and Wake who makes money? Plus Wake took a pay cut!!

Mario makes $9 mill and will be gone in a month when the season is over. Branch makes no big money. Jordan Phillips makes no big money. Jason Jones make no big money. Earl Mitchell makes no big money.

Wake is paid fair, just under $10 mill. And Suh is paid a lot but he is worth it

[Tenshot13]

I see a lot of money spent on the D line, but it doesn't produce like you'd expect.  It's not a bad unit, but I would expect a group like that to control the game.  They do not.

I feel it's more on the linebackers and less on the D line.

[Run Ricky Run]

You went back 6 years and stretched to come up with 7 serviceable players. Not all-pro, simply serviceable. Yea drafting has been awesome.

And Landry is not good. The team is 8-1 when he gets 5 targets or less and 0-5 when he has 10+ catches. He is not somebody the offense should run through. He is not a game changer.

[fyo]

Salary cap isn't really the issue. Depth is.

And that's exactly what happens when you have a ton of head coaching changes. Everyone brings a different style. Coaching, physical skill set, techniques, play calling. The stars usually stay, but all the guys with potential (who aren't quite there yet) and the quality backups, they risk getting a visit from The Turk. Player development also suffers tremendously, and not just at the bottom of the roster.

The end result is a roster that is paper thin.

I'm actually impressed with the moves the team has made in the past year or so. You could argue letting Lamar Miller go, but with Ajayi playing the way he is, that decision is hard to be too critical of.

If you look at the roster right now, I think a lot of good work can be done this coming offseason.

OFFENSE:
QB: Tannehill. He's the starter, he'll stay the starter. We do need a young prospect instead of Matt Moore, though.
O-Line: Albert, Tunsil, Pouncey, and James are under contract. Bushrod, Young, and Steen are free agents. Backup guard Urbik is under contract. Some decisions need to be made here. The four starters under contract are all really good, but Pouncey and Albert aren't cheap and haven't played full seasons in 4-5 years. I think you have to keep them next year and try to draft a guy in the first 2-3 rounds. Whichever of the free agents the coaching staff is happy with needs to be made a priority to resign, but at the very least the team needs a competent backup center (if not Steen, then someone else).
RB: Ajayi is under contract, as is Kenyan Drake. Damien Williams is a restricted free agent. No real needs here, IMHO. If you don't keep Williams, you fill his spot easily enough.
WR: Everyone except Kenny Stills remains under contract. Stills represents an interesting proposition. He tends to shy from contact and doesn't attack the ball. Decent hands and very good speed. But he and Tannehill have had a really hard time getting on the same page and as a result only half the balls thrown his way are caught. If you let him go, there's a clear need for a speed demon.
TE: Everyone hits free agency. Sims in particular has played very well at times and has shown good hands. Not irreplaceable, but if he can be extended for a reasonable price, I think that's the way you go. Big pass-catching tight ends are all the rage right now, so finding one in free agency or the draft isn't easy. If someone is available, spending a decent pick would probably be worth it.

DEFENSE:
D-Line: Wake, Suh, Mario Williams, Earl Mitchell, and Jordan Phillips are all under contract. A decision needs to be made regarding Branch, who has played well and pretty much beaten out Williams for one of the starting spots. Branch is playing on 80-90% of all snaps. Williams is being paid over $8 million and counts another $2 million against the cap ($10 million total). Dolphins save $8.5 million in cap space by cutting him. That's a lot of green for a backup who doesn't see the field much. Waiting in the wings is Dion Jordan, who hasn't seen the field since 2014. His contract was extended for next 2017.
LB: Some sites report that Alonso signed an extension when traded to the Dolphins, but most have him under the original contract, which has him hit free agency after this season. Jenkins is definitely a free agent. So are Paysinger, Hull, and Butler, leaving just Neville Hewitt. The Dolphins typically only play two linebackers (>60% of snaps), but I'm pretty sure Hewitt can't do that by himself and there's no guarantee Koa Misi comes back from his neck injury (he is under contract, though). Alonso is great against the run and makes some very high-profile plays, but he can't cover past 5 yards. Jenkins is equally uneven in his performance. This is an area that will need some major attention in the offseason.
CB: Maxwell and Howard are both under contract. Maxwell is expensive, but worth it the way he's been playing the past few months. Backups McCain and Lippett are also under contract.
S: Reshad Jones and Isa Abdul-Quddus are under contract, as is backup Walt Aikens. Michael Thomas and Bacarri Rambo are not. The Dolphins play 5 DBs a lot, so this is also an area that will need at least some consideration.

CONCLUSION:
Overall, there are a few decisions to be made here and there, but the core looks fairly good, IMHO, and the vast majority are still under contract. A few underperforming big contract guys, like Mario Williams', should probably be cut. The offensive line could use a couple NFL caliber players, including one who can play center if Anthony Steen isn't extended. At the moment, we don't have any tight ends for next year, but resigning one of the existing ones shouldn't be too expensive, if that's the way the front office wants to go. The really big needs are at linebacker. All other positions have starters returning.

The Dolphins are currently $30 million under the cap for 2017, plus another $8.5 if Mario Williams is cut. There is only about $600k in dead money on the books for next year (plus $1-2 million if Williams is cut, depending on timing) and with the core players all signed, the team is in pretty good shape. Koa Misi adds another $4 million if he can't come back from injury. Suh's contract will hurt a lot from 2018 and was restructured this year, so any additional cap space from restructuring would need to be found with Tannehill, Albert, and/or Pouncey. Tannehill's contract is worth about $20 million a year from this point, the others' about half that.