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In theory, it’s hard to quibble with the smart, gradual approach the Dolphins have taken to their rebuilding under general manager Chris Grier. I’ve long been a supporter of finally taking the long-term perspective – and dismantling the list completely – in order to better position myself for potential lasting success.
And Friday’s trades – coming out of third overall in a trade with the 49ers, and then finally coming back to sixth via a trade with the Eagles – are testimony to that again. There is a clear vision, execution and method for their maneuvers and list / asset manipulations. I don’t hesitate to defend anything as an organizational layer. However, we’ve reached a point now, with heightened expectations, where this business is moving from theory to practice – like finding and developing the best of those preliminary selections with all the participants working in synergy. It’s about the weekly output of these young players and how that translates into wins.
And I would be lying if I said I had no worries about how this will play out. Will there be a unity between the front office and the coaching side? Will Brian Flores’ staff – who seem to be constantly evolving – be able to make the most of the draw? Will this coaching staff – who played a lot more yo-yo stuff with Tua Tagovailoa than I would have liked – to expertly incubate and cultivate QB, after even more turnaround from the offensive staff and now with a rather bizarre system with a duel of the offensive coordinators?
Because at this point – with the way it’s set up – it’s all about Tua. This reconstruction will go as and when. He is everything, and all parties must be all-in with him. Some around the league are wondering how sympathetic things will be in this regard in Miami, and if in her heart Flores coveted Justin Herbert, who shocked the football world by lighting up the league when he rushed into the duty as a rookie with the Chargers. And Flores comes from a New England culture where the coach has unfettered power; the checks and balances don’t really exist. And we have seen this leap towards the precipitous demise of many of Bill Belichick’s young followers as they rose to lead their own team.
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What many in the Boy Scout community would tell you is that – a year later – the Dolphins may not have maximized their harvest from their three first-round picks as of 2020. drafts aren’t cemented in 12 months – not even close – especially when a first-round quarterback is involved. But Tua is already a polarizing figure among those who hold stopwatches for a living, some believed he had hit offensive lineman Austin Jackson and the verdict is also on the corner Noah Igbinoghene. It’s not like this first round took the world by storm in 2020 and appeared to be sure things.
And it’s fair to review Flores’ inability to properly use Minkah Fitzpatrick security – who became the last of the great exodus out of South Beach in commerce – and question whether the decision to treat him for what amounted to 18th overall pick (used on Jackson) was wrong (Fitzpatrick was selected 11th overall in 2018 and quickly became a star for the Steelers).
Miami has taken a much more tempered approach to free agency this year, overall, having splurged over a year ago, got a look at Will Fuller, and elsewhere add depth players with whom in many cases they are familiar. the past. But it’s not like they’re adding someone you can absolutely count on for an immediate impact (Fuller enters the season on a suspension and his injuries are well known). And the 2020 Dolphins class included pumping $ 32 million into cornerbacks alone, although the signings of Emmanuel Ogbah and Erick Flowers were inspired. But they’ve also already dealt with Shaq Lawson – who was supposed to spearhead their new improved passing run – and they’ve already cut Kyle Van Noy (a guy from New England) a year after making him their play. mistress of the offseason; less than ideal and perhaps disconcerting.
They might be sour grapes, but what Van Noy said and didn’t say about his brief alliance in Miami doesn’t reflect Flores, either. Let’s just say it’s fair to have your antennae a bit with this stuff, and Van Noy’s quick retirement to Foxborough adds a bit of spice to that rivalry and keeps the Dolphins year odd with him under the microscope. So there have hardly been any roses and chocolates so far, some feelings have been hurt and mistakes have certainly been made.
“If you go back and look at everything they did last year – the draft included – it’s not like they’re hitting home runs,” said a team manager who dealt with the Dolphins. “Does the coach love Tua as much as the GM? Is everyone fully invested in this? Because it didn’t always look like the way they shot him. A lot of guys they did. signed (last March) are gone, and those three first-round picks have a lot to prove. If you’re using Fitzpatrick the right way (able to play like a ball) on his rookie deal, do you have to spend all that money in a corner? “
Another executive said: “They get a lot of positive headlines from you (the media), but how good is that list right now? How many times would they like?”
And now comes the hardest part. Finding the right player and the right players when you are expected to start fighting.
The Dolphins currently have 13 picks in the first three rounds over the next three drafts. Yeah, read that last sentence again. Quite astonishing. They hold the sixth and 18th picks this year, and two picks in the second round (36 and 50) and one in the third round. Four picks in the top 50 is where you want to be, although this project is a bit more perilous and ambiguous, given the massive screening restrictions that were in place and the very limited game sample size. for many prospects (including many opting out entirely).
And, it’s worth pointing out, I guess, that the Dolphins only have one pick between picks 81 and 230, which takes them almost entirely out of day three of the draft, where top organizations make some of the picks. their best work.
Next year Miami has the 49ers’ first-round pick, one second-round pick and two third-round picks, and in 2023, they currently have two first-round picks, and one in each of the following two rounds. Of course, a lot could change by then with how this team flips picks. And, again, kudos to Grier for handling it all in a smart way and putting himself in a position to cash in.
But without all parties coming together and without some stability in the coaching staff and approach, no amount of interim capital is sufficient. Just revisit the several failed versions of this stuff the Browns attempted (before finally getting it right after constant front office and coach churn), or go back and watch what the Rams turned it all into. those RG III trade draft picks in (specifically, the little value they ultimately gleaned).
Full-scale rebuilding is hardly foolproof, and there will be considerable heat on the Dolphins with extended playoffs, and with some perennial AFC powers like New England and Pittsburgh in transition (if not slipping). , and others like Tennessee and Baltimore losing key talent. in free agency. The spotlight is going to shine on this team, and its 2020 Draft class, in particular, to bring back a playoff load. And, with another odd staffing structure with two offensive coordinators, questions will continue to be asked of Flores as well.
The honeymoon, it is suspected, is over (it is already quickly over for several top coaches and players), and the results will be judged by the standings, not the number of first-round selections, at the to come up.
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