2020 NFL Season Preview: Ten questions facing the Miami Dolphins

After an 5-11 season in 2019, the Miami Dolphins expect better things in 2020.

Will they take a big step forward? It depends on the answers to these 10 questions.

1. After two decades of mediocrity, is Tua Tagovailoa the true heir to Dan Marino?

Coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier have put all of their chips into the middle of the pile with Tagovailoa, the star Alabama quarterback selected fifth in April’s draft.

Tagovailoa was on track to be the first pick in the draft before sustaining a major hip injury late in his junior season.

Tagovailoa has the ability, but what about availability? Expect the Dolphins to take it slow with the oft-injured rookie.

2. Will the Dolphins’ defense start looking like the one Flores ran in New England?

In his final year with the Patriots, Flores ran a defense that powered New England to a world championship.

In his first year with the Dolphins, Flores oversaw a defense that ranked third-worst in yards and last in points.

But with tens of millions of dollars in contracts awarded to impactful defensive players and a slew of premium draft picks, things must be better in Year 2.

3. Will a new-look offensive line produce a better result?

For the better part of a decade, the Dolphins’ offensive line has stunk. The lone exception: In 2016, when a line with three first-round picks paved the way for a monster Jay Ajayi season.

Four years later, similar resources have been allocated — three draft picks, including Austin Jackson at No. 18 overall, plus the signing of Ereck Flowers, Miami’s $30 million man. The new group showed improvement in training camp, but the real proof will come when games begin.

4. Which rookies will have an immediate impact?

We already discussed Tagovailoa; he might not even be active Week 1.

But the Dolphins could still have as many as four rookies start in Foxborough: Jackson, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis and either Solomon Kindley or Robert Hunt, who are competing for a starting spot on the right side of the offensive line.

Grier acknowledged in the spring he needed to hit a home with this draft. So far, so good.

5. Will a kinder, gentler Flores emerge in Year 2?

Probably not. He’s the same high-intensity guy he has been his whole career. But there have been subtle changes. The TNT wall is gone. And players have noticed he has been a bit lighter around the facility.

“Over time, relationships evolve,” Flores said recently. “I think the players who were here a year ago, they’re more comfortable with me, I’m more comfortable with them. ... It’s been — obviously a year later, some of those relationships are stronger than they were a year ago, which I think that’s the way it should be.”

6. Will we get one more season of FitzMagic?

This is a transitional season for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa is the future.

But Ryan Fitzpatrick is the here and now. And he will remain that way for as long as he plays well.

Flores absolutely loves his 37-year-old quarterback, so he’s probably going to stick with the vet so long as he keeps the Dolphins competitive.

7. Is DeVante Parker’s 2019 season a one-year blip or a sign of things to come?

Potential finally became production for Parker, who set career-highs in catches (72), yards (1,202) and touchdowns (nine) last season.

History suggests he won’t be a one-year wonder. Receivers who finish in the top 10 in yards (as Parker did in 2019) have on average caught 84 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns the following season.

But with Parker, staying healthy has always been an issue. When he’s good, he’s good.

8. Who will be the Dolphins’ leading rusher?

Hard to say, but here’s one guarantee: It won’t be Fitzpatrick, the sport’s unlikeliest team rushing king in 2019.

Expect the Dolphins to split work fairly evenly between newcomers Jordan Howard (the duo’s thunder) and Matt Breida (the lightning). And something will have gone really wrong if each doesn’t have at least twice Fitzpatrick’s rushing total from last year (243).

9. Can the Dolphins consistently pressure the quarterback?

The Dolphins not only finished last in sacks (23) last year, they did so convincingly. Three teams tied for second-fewest — the Falcons, Lions and Seahawks with 28.

Their advanced stats — pressures and quarterback knockdowns — weren’t much better.

The Dolphins addressed that glaring weakness by adding Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah in free agency and Davis in the draft.

10. Will they catch a break with the schedule?

Officially, the Dolphins have the third-hardest slate of games in the league, with their 16 opponents winning a combined 52.9 percent of their games in 2019.

But that’s misleading. Much has changed. The Patriots, who are a shell of their former selves, are on the schedule twice. And Miami will face just two quarterbacks who made the Pro Bowl last year: Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.

This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 10:15 AM.

Adam H. Beasley

Miami Herald

305-376-2387

Adam Beasley has covered the Dolphins for the Miami Herald since 2012, and has worked for the newspaper since 2006. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Communications and has written about sports professionally since 1996. Support my work with a digital subscription