An offseason Dolphins primer: Draft options, the team’s free agents and 2021 schedule
A quick primer on where the Miami Dolphins stand entering the offseason:
▪ Whose contract is expiring?
The list of Dolphins unrestricted free agents includes five players who began the season as starters — quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, center Ted Karras, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (who missed the final 11 games with a biceps injury), linebacker Elandon Roberts and punter Matt Haack.
Miami’s other unrestricted free agents: linebackers Vince Biegel (missed the season with an Achilles injury) and Kamu-Grugier Hill, running backs Matt Breida and DeAndre Washington, safety Kavon Frazier, offensive tackle Julien Davenport and receivers Mack Hollins and Isaiah Ford.
Fitzpatrick likely will be asked to return, but the 38-year-old has been non-committal about whether he wants to play next season.
Roberts (who is recovering from a serious knee injury) and Karras made strong cases to return. Miami likely will try to keep Haack.
On the flip side, Breida and Washington appear unlikely to return, and Miami faces tough calls on Godchaux and Biegel, who were replaced by promising younger players — Raekwon Davis and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Cornerback Nik Needham and Jamal Perry, safety Nate Holley, linebacker Calvin Munson and quarterback Jake Rudock are exclusive rights free agents, making it easy for the Dolphins to retain them if they choose to. Needham very likely will be retained but could get competition at nickel corner.
Backup guard/tackle Adam Pankey is the team’s only restricted free agent, per overthecap.com.
▪ How much cap space will the Dolphins have?
If the cap is $175 million as some project, the Dolphins will have $33 million in space. Another $10 million or so could be added by cutting a few backups, including Clayton Fejedelem.
▪ Where will the Dolphins draft in the first round? And who’s projected to be selected in the range of those picks?
The Dolphins will pick third (Houston’s first-round pick owned by Miami) and 18th.
Players in the range of No. 3 are quarterbacks Justin Fields (Ohio State) and Zach Wilson (BYU), receivers DeVonta Smith (Alabama) and Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), offensive tackle Penei Sewell (Oregon) and linebacker Micah Parsons (Penn State). One of those players will come off the board - probably a quarterback - with the Jets’ pick at No. 2.
Players in the 15 to 25 range on Mel Kiper’s Big Board, in order: Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Northwestern guard/center Rashawn Slater, Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi, UM defensive end Greg Rousseau, TCU safety Trevon Moehrig, Clemson cornerback Derion Kendrick, Mississippi receiver Elijah Moore, LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr and Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye.
Players in the 15 to 25 range on Todd McShay’s Big Board, in order: Tulsa outside linebacker Zaven Collins, UM’s Rousseau, Northwestern interior lineman Slater, Virginia Tech corner Farley, Clemson running back Travis Etienne, Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore, Texas inside linebacker Joseph Ossai, Lance, Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis, Washington defensive end Joe Tryon and Tennessee guard Trey Smith.
Kiper has no running back on his 25-player Big Board; McShay has Etienne 19th and Alabama running back Najee Harris 26th.
▪ What about the Dolphins’ other early-round picks?
They have Houston’s second-rounder (36th overall) and their own (50th). They also have their own third-rounder.
▪ What’s the Dolphins’ 2021 schedule?
At home, the Dolphins will play New England, Buffalo, the Jets, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Indianapolis and Baltimore.
On the road, the Dolphins will play New England, Buffalo, the Jets, Tennessee, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and the Raiders.
The NFL is expected to add a 17th game next season, and Miami reportedly will play the second-place finisher in the NFC East (the Giants). It’s unclear if that game will be in South Florida or New Jersey.
NOTES
▪ Receiver Preston Williams had surgery in November to repair a foot injury, which was more serious than the team revealed. He has been working out with a trainer in Atlanta and is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
▪ Breida, acquired for a fifth-round pick on the third day of the draft, ended up not playing a single offensive snap in the Dolphins’ finale at Buffalo. Among Dolphins running backs, Myles Gaskin played 51 snaps, Salvon Ahmed 31 and Patrick Laird 2... With Shaq Lawson coming back from a shoulder injury, he was limited to 12 snaps on Sunday; backup Calvin Munson played an unusually high 22.
▪ Quick stuff part 1: Miami ended the season with a 22-game turnover streak, longest in the NFL, and its 29 takeaways there the franchise’s most since 2008 (30)… The Dolphins outscored opponents by 66 points, most since Miami was a plus 77 in 2002... Miami averaged 339.0 yards per game this season, the team’s most since 2014…. The Dolphins allowed 21.1 points per game this season, the team’s best since 2013.
▪ Quick stuff part 2: Miami’s third-down defense (31.2 percent) was the team’s best since 1999 and the second-lowest since records date back to 1991….Jason Sanders finished the season converting 36-of-39 field goals (92.3 percent), which is the best field goal percentage in a season in Dolphins history…. Mike Gesicki’s 703 receiving yards are the second-most by a Dolphins tight end in franchise history.
Please check back for another Dolphins piece later today.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 9:22 AM with the headline "An offseason Dolphins primer: Draft options, the team’s free agents and 2021 schedule."
