Dolphins’ Flores hints at modest free agency, plus updates coaching staff, talks Fitz

Expecting a repeat of last year’s free agency frenzy by the Miami Dolphins?

Dolphins coach Brian Flores has some bad news for you.

“We do have some money from a cap standpoint that we can spend, but it’s an interesting year,” Flores told Thursday ahead of next week’s start to the new league year. “I’m going to be playing that [Rolling Stones] song, ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ on that Day 1 of free agency to be honest with you. We might get priced out on some guys that we’d like to have. They may just want to go elsewhere. We’ll try to do the best we can.”

A year ago, the Dolphins had nine figures’ worth of cap space and could afford basically whoever they wanted.

They spent much of it. Now those bills are coming due. They still have resources, just not as much.

With the salary cap in at $182.5 million, the Dolphins have, as of Thursday morning, $33 million in space and without taking a bunch of obvious steps to create more.

Flores added: “I would say just getting the cap number yesterday sets the stage for us to say, ‘We’re going to have this, do this, this, this and this,’ and forecast and predict said player, ‘we expect him to get this, which wipes out this amount of cash we have to spend.’”

League rules prohibit the Dolphins or any team from publicly discussing any pending free agents that aren’t their own until those players’ contracts expire next Wednesday.

But Flores did provide a sense of the type of players they will pursue. And it doesn’t sound like those players will be the biggest names on the market.

“I think you always want the most talent you can get, the most playmakers offensively, defensively and in the kicking game,” Flores said. “But at the end of the day, we don’t need 11 stars. You need 11 guys, 11 teammates who will work together with one goal in mind. That’s really what we’re looking for.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to fit that mold, and the Dolphins have not closed the door on his return in 2021. If Fitzpatrick intends to return for a 17th season, which seems to be the case, the Dolphins would be open to having him back.

“We have a lot of respect and admiration for [Fitzpatrick],” Flores said. “He’s tough. He’s smart. He’s competitive. He loves to play. He really embodies all of the characteristics we’re looking for here. Honestly we would love to have him back. .... We’re looking for somebody with those characteristics in the backup QB situation.”

It’s far from certain Fitzpatrick will want to return in that role, however. He has repeatedly said he wants to play, and in Miami, he would be the clear backup to Tua Tagovailoa.

Speaking of Tagovailoa, he will indeed have two offensive coordinators in 2021: Eric Studesville and George Godsey, who will work in a “collaborative” manner, Flores said.

No word yet on which of those two will call plays, but many around the league expect that Godsey will, at least primarily.

“They’ve both done an outstanding job at their respective positions,” Flores said. “Have a lot of respect for both guys. Very knowledgeable. Very good teachers and they both have different perspectives. We’ve had a lot of great dialogue over these last couple of months with those two, as well as our entire offensive staff.”

▪ More coaching staff news: Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman will serve as the Dolphins’ assistant head coach in 2021; Mike Judge is now the team’s assistant tight ends coach; Shawn Flaherty has been promoted assistant offensive line coach; Charles Burks will be the team’s cornerbacks coach; Austin Clark will coach the defensive line; and Rob Leonard will coach Miami’s outside linebackers.

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 12:28 PM.

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