Dolphins current inability to fill holes a problem team created with previous failed moves
The Miami Dolphins did this to themselves. It’s all their doing.
They haven’t charged into free agency during the open negotiating period and the official start of free agency because the club doesn’t have a ton of salary cap space to splurge on the best and brightest.
So the club is looking for bargains because money’s tight.
Head coach Brian Flores signaled this might be the case when he said last week, “I think I’m going to be playing the song ‘you can’t always get what you want,’ on Day 1 in free agency, to be honest with you, because we may get priced out on some guys we’re looking at that we’d like to have.”
And you want to feel sympathetic because this makes it sound like it’s someone else’s fault. Like it’s all someone else’s doing.
But the truth is the Dolphins got themselves into this.
While other teams, many with less cap space than Miami, have added established players the Dolphins are adding, well, guys.
They’ve added interior defensive lineman Adam Butler for $3.25 million, re-signed backup tackle Adam Pankey for about $1 million this year, signed punter Michael Palardy for $1.4 million, agreed to contract terms with developmental receiver Robert Foster for about $1 million this year, added backup running back Malcolm Brown for $1.7 million.
All this busy work, along with the additions of tackle Isaiah Wilson, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and linebacker Bernardrick McKinney, have left the Dolphins around $20 million under the salary cap.
And some fans are freaking because the team has been so far unable to address the significant and obvious issues to, you know, improve from a year ago. The Dolphins have been unable to ...
▪ Sign a veteran center because David Andrews wants around $7 million per year.
▪ Sign a quality veteran wide receiver because so far no one has lowered his price to the Dolphins window of about $3-$4 million for 2021.
▪ Add a quality edge rusher although the market was saturated with them and teams such as the Titans, with less cap space than Miami, added Bud Dupree while Haason Reddick went to Carolina for $6 million with around $2 million in incentives if he plays great.
It’s gut wrenching to watch.
So what gives, Miami Dolphins?
This:
The Dolphins have no one to blame for their current situation but themselves. They are paying the price (literally) this free agency period for past mistakes in both free agency and the draft.
The reason, for example, everyone is sweating the need for a veteran center is because Michael Deiter, selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, didn’t work out at left guard like he was supposed to.
So the Dolphins spent $30 million to sign Ereck Flowers to cover for the mistake and play left guard.
And Deiter, moved to center in 2020, apparently is not ready to inherit the starting center job, either. At least that’s not how the team is acting from its chase of Andrews and perhaps others to play the position.
So the Deiter selection to address left guard has to be covered up by a $30 million free agency signing for a left guard and now there’s not enough to pay $7-$8 million this year for a free agent center. Because Deiter can’t start there, either.
See how it works?
Anyone sweating the idea of Miami needing edge rush help from what was a substantial class of free agent rushers need look to the team’s draft history for the root of the problem.
In 2017, the Dolphins selected defensive end Charles Harris ahead of T.J. Watt in the draft’s first round. And Harris was a bust.
In 2019, the Dolphins selected Christian Wilkins ahead of Brian Burns in the draft’s first round. And while Wilkins has been a solid space eater, he has only 3.5 sacks in 30 games.
And Burns, a versatile edge player from Florida State, has 16.5 sacks in 31 games, including nine sacks last season.
That’s not all. The Dolphins did try to address the pass rush issue in free agency once already.
They signed linebackers Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy to fit the defense and get after the quarterback last year. And now both are gone one year later -- Lawson traded and Van Noy cut outright.
And those signings and ensuing charges for their failure are still costing the Dolphins because the team is paying $6.7 million in dead money on their salary cap for the privilege of not having either player.
Said another way, the Dolphins’ failed moves with those two players cost them a chance to be a factor in the edge rusher market this year.
Actions have consequences, folks.
The Dolphins last year signed cornerback Byron Jones in free agency to couple with Xavien Howard. And weeks later they drafted Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene in the first round.
Igbinoghene may or may not work out but the Dolphins today are looking for help at running back because in picking the cornerback they passed on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, J.K Dobbins and D’Andre Swift.
And all those running backs averaged 4.4 yards per carry or better as rookies -- all better than any Dolphins starting running back.
Did I tell you the two running backs the team did acquire last offseason -- Jordan Howard in free agency and Matt Breida in a trade for a fifth-round pick -- were bust additions and are both gone?
You might think that merry-go-round of moves that don’t ultimately solve problems long term is acceptable because at least the team has Igbinoghene -- and he’s been told he’s going to get a chance to compete for the slot cornerback spot this season.
Well then, why did Miami agree to sign slot cornerback Justin Coleman on Wednesday?
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 8:51 PM.
