National outlet gives a fair reason to back up bold but pessimistic take on Miami Dolphins' roster entering 2024
The Miami Dolphins have done a nice job locking up its track team offense this offseason. With the extensions given this offseason to Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and head coach Mike McDaniel and the increase in guaranteed money to Tyreek Hill, Miami is set at its explosive skill positions for years to come. Then there's […]
The Miami Dolphins have done a nice job locking up its track team offense this offseason. With the extensions given this offseason to Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and head coach Mike McDaniel and the increase in guaranteed money to Tyreek Hill, Miami is set at its explosive skill positions for years to come.
Then there's the offensive line. Miami's line was a problem last year and kept them from being able to handle more physical defensive fronts. And that line had an interior group to start the year of Isaiah Wynn, Connor Williams, and Robert Hunt.
Now, they'll look to try to improve this year on the interior with Rob Jones, Aaron Brewer, and Lester Cotton or Liam Eichenberg. The latter's role will depend on Brewer's availability, as Eichenberg is the backup center.
Regardless, it just doesn't look good enough on the surface. And that's no small reason why on Tuesday Pro Football Focus listed the Dolphins has having just the 11th best roster in the NFL and third in the AFC East.
That may seem bold for a team that finished second in the AFC East last year by an eyelash, especially after a mini exodus of talent in Buffalo this offseason due to salary cap restraints. However, absent solid offensive line play, they probably still aren't going to end up where they hope to be come January.
Here's what PFF had to say about the weaknesses of the Dolphins' roster:
The offensive line has been a mess for the Dolphins over the last few seasons, and matters were made worse when Robert Hunt left for Carolina this offseason while Connor Williams suffered an ACL injury that had his career up in the air.
Because of their cap situation, the Dolphins could not sign any impact free agents to shore up the offensive line, and they hardly addressed the position in the draft, as Houston tackle Patrick Paul was the only offensive lineman the team selected. On the defensive side of the ball, the team suffered a major loss when defensive tackle Christian Wilkins signed with the Raiders.
While Zach Sieler is a good player who should make up for some of Wilkins' lost production, the rest of that position group leaves a lot to be desired. Calais Campbell was added late in the free agency process, and while he continues to deny Father Time (as his 80.0 PFF grade as a 36-year-old can attest to), one must wonder how much longer he can keep it up. – Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman, Pro Football Focus
All sensible points. And Brewer and Benito Jones, who are starters in Connor Williams' and Christian Wilkins' old spots, respectively, are entering Week 1 trying to overcome injuries that have kept them out for weeks. Not a good sign for a team that desperately needs its starters in those spots to stay healthy this year.
It might seem crazy to see the New York Jets (fourth on the list) and a reduced Bills roster (tenth) ahead of a Miami team that was a five-minute meltdown against the Tennessee Titans from winning its division and claiming the two seed in the AFC. However, when the chips are down against good teams, you have to be able to be tough and impose your will, and that's not been what Miami has done well at all in McDaniel's two seasons.
It's fair to wonder if they have that in them when they need in 2024.
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