The Dolphins Are Approaching The Flashy Or Balanced Crossroads
Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no secret that the Dolphins are a fun team to watch when they’re on their game. They ranked second in the NFL in points scored in 2023. Tyreek Hill can run circles around nearly any defensive back in the league. In addition, De’Von Achane is about as explosive as any running back in the NFL when he finds open space. Hill and Achane are just two speedsters on a Miami squad that could qualify for the Summer Olympics.
The Miami Dolphins have a TRACK TEAM:
4.25 – WR Anthony Schwartz
4.29u – WR Tyreek Hill
4.30u – WR Jaylen Waddle
4.32 – RB Devon Achane
4.34 – RB Raheem Mostert
4.38 – RB Jaylen Wright
4.43 – WR Odell Beckham Jr.
4.47 – WR Malik Washington— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) May 3, 2024
A lot of their flashy players, along with arguably the most unique head coach in the NFL in Mike McDaniel, were big reasons why Miami was filmed for Hard Knocks during the 2023 season.
However, an irritating narrative surrounded the Dolphins all of last year.
And cue the “dolphins can’t beat good teams” talk
— Doll 🐬🔥 (@Doll_Phan72) November 5, 2023
There is something to be said about that narrative. When the Dolphins played teams who ended 2023 with a losing record, they went 10-1 and scored at least 30 points in eight of those wins. They scored 42 points on Carolina, the team with the worst record in 2023, and 45 points on Washington, who had the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Their only loss to a losing team was to a Tennessee squad that needed to score 15 points in the final 2:40 to squeak out a one-point victory on Monday night in Week 14.
Against those struggling teams, the Dolphins’ flashy players flashed to the fullest. In Week 3 against a hapless Denver squad, Mike McDaniel’s squad scored ten touchdowns, eight of which were split evenly between speedsters Achane and Raheem Mostert. In a pleasantly puzzling Week 12 highlight against the Jets, Jevon Holland returned a Tim Boyle hail mary attempt for a touchdown to close out the first half.
However, the Dolphins’ big-play offense seemingly disappeared when they played quality teams. In all six games against teams with a winning record, Tua Tagovailoa never eclipsed 300 passing yards, the Dolphins didn’t have a single 100-yard receiver, and they never scored more than 22 points. Miami ended up with a 1-5 record in those games, their only win against a winning team was a Week 16 win against Dallas. Even that wasn’t terribly convincing, as Jason Sanders had to kick a field goal as time expired to eke out a two-point victory.
Prior to their Week 16 matchup with the Cowboys, Mike McDaniel echoed the Dolphins’ apathy towards the narrative.
🎥 Mike McDaniel: "I instructed the players to, anything other concerning yourself with the [Cowboys], & any other narrative that has to do with good teams or playoff seeds… I gave them the clearance to tell all members of the media, with all due to respect, to F off." #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Nf7UNuVkaN
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) December 18, 2023
Their desire for exciting players continued in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the Dolphins did address some needs in the trenches by selecting edge rusher Chop Robinson and offensive tackle Patrick Paul in Rounds 1 and 2, they still couldn’t lay off the flash. One move that particularly underscores that was when the Fins traded up in Round 4 for Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright, a big play threat who had the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among his position in the draft.
Make no mistake about it – a player like Wright will certainly make huge plays and excite fans. However, the Dolphins already have a running back room that contains Mostert, Achane, Jeff Wilson, and Salvon Ahmed that is more than capable of steady production and exciting plays. In addition, they also had other more pressing needs on the insides of the offensive and defensive lines, the former of which could open the window for their existing running backs to produce even further.
The Dolphins primarily addressed their needs in free agency with relatively inexpensive pieces. Miami was able to acquire relatively inexpensive pieces like Aaron Brewer, Kendall Fuller, Jordan Poyer, Jordyn Brooks, Shaq Barrett, Odell Beckham Jr., and Jonnu Smith with the money they freed up after letting Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, and Connor Williams walk. At the very least, even with the hefty pay bumps for Hill, Tagovailoa, and Jaylen Waddle looming, the high quantity of inexpensive players instead of the higher quality of expensive players may do some good in balancing their team in the short term.
Miami has been able to have flashy and talented skill players because Tua and Waddle have been on rookie contracts up to this point in their careers. Tua has produced the most when he’s had an all-world receiver corps of Waddle and Hill around him. Miami’s worst-case scenario would be where the organization can’t afford other players because they’re stuck paying Tua a hefty salary that he was only worth when they were able to pay other top skill players. In such a case, not only would Tua’s production drop off, but other areas of the team (such as the offensive and defensive lines) could suffer.
Even with Hunt, Wilkins, and Williams walking, the Dolphins will have the same problem with Tagovailoa and Waddle in the next two offseasons. Each of those players are due for a new contracts in 2025 and 2026, respectively. On top of those extensions, Hill is due for a major pay bump, as his cap hits will be over $34 million in 2025 and $56 million in 2026. Fortunately, the dead cap hits over the next two years aren’t nearly as devastating should Miami decide to release Hill ($22.6 million in 2025 and $11.3 million in 2026).
With that, the Dolphins have a tough decision on their hands. They could deal with the financial strain of keeping their flashy and expensive players while making even bigger sacrifices in other areas than before. They could also find a way to get out of the Hill contract or Waddle’s looming extension, and hope that Tua can produce on his newfound salary without one of his two go-to targets. It’s also entirely possible that the Dolphins keep Hill and Waddle on their hefty salaries and start from scratch with a new quarterback.
God bless the Dolphins spending money on fast guys and receivers, but they still have a lot of work to do in the trenches. That is the area where they needed to do most of their work in the offseason.
— Pierce W. Huff (@PierceWHuff) May 6, 2024
One thing is certain – the Dolphins must figure out how to balance out their team while navigating the hefty salaries of their flashy players.
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