Dolphins #LoadupforTua offseason plan must turn to NFL draft for its biggest prizes
If 2019 was the #TankforTua season and the Miami Dolphins did that successfully, then 2021 must be the #LoadupforTua offseason because the club wants to surround its young quarterback with as many weapons as possible, to give him a chance to play as well as possible.
But a funny thing happened to #LoadupforTua during free agency: The Dolphins haven’t exactly loaded up.
They added Houston Texans speedy wide receiver Will Fuller, who is definitely a speed upgrade for Miami’s otherwise plodding offense. And the team is paying $10.625 million for the one-year addition.
But Fuller, like most humans, comes with caveats: He’s suspended for the first game of 2021 and has an injury history that includes a torn ACL in 2018 and hamstring injuries in 2019, so he has missed 27 games (or about a season and a half) in his five-year career.
Beyond Fuller, making the Dolphins offense significantly better has been more ambition than accomplishment during free agency. The salary cap was too tight. Talented players and their agents shockingly wanted to maximize their money.
And the New England Patriots, the most consistent talent pipeline the Dolphins have tapped the previous two years, started signing their guys instead of bleeding talent.
It was fascinating to watch as the Patriots signed not one but two tight ends, while the New York Jets signed not one but two wide receivers — even though neither team has a good quarterback to speak of.
But the Dolphins, who have a quarterback they want to surround with playmakers, paid handsomely for a one-year rental of a receiver who can help but has durability issues. And the addition, by the way, adds to Miami’s fleet of other wide receivers with injury histories.
The fact most of the best offensive free agent playmakers as well as much of Miami’s cap space are gone forces us (and the Dolphins) to shift hopes for a legitimate #LoadupforTua campaign to the NFL draft.
Simply: If the Dolphins offense is going to take a leap in 2021 so that it can compete with the division champion Buffalo Bills, who scored 97 more points than them last year, the draft has to be not just a home run but a grand slam.
And not just this draft, by the way.
The 2020 draft has to step up this year, too.
Because the Dolphins spent a lot of resources for the offense last year.
The team drafted two offensive tackles in the first two rounds. It added another offensive lineman in the fourth round. And, obviously, it made Tagovailoa the top selection.
So Tagovailoa has to be surrounded with more upgrades beyond Fuller, yes. But Tagovailoa himself needs to be an upgrade over a season he repeatedly has said wasn’t good enough.
This also means left tackle Austin Jackson, another first-round pick, needs to improve greatly. Because he ranked 75th of 79 offensive tackles graded by metric site ProFootballFocus.com.
This also means right tackle Robert Hunt, a second-round pick, needs to improve greatly. Because he ranked 52nd of 79 offensive tackles graded by PFF.
Rookie guard Solomon Kindley, by the way, graded 70th of 80 guards graded by PFF.
And think what you may about ProFootballFocus but some teams use these metrics to add to their own evaluations.
And we all witnessed Tagovailoa sacked twice per game on average while the Miami running game was 29th in the NFL, averaging a paltry 3.9 yards per rush.
So, last year’s drafted linemen need to develop even as this draft offers more offensive firepower.
Like what, you ask?
It’s clear the Dolphins are not done at wide receiver. They currently own the No. 3 overall pick in the April 29 draft, which gives them a lot of flexibility but, ultimately, only one choice.
Yes, Miami can trade down.
Yes, Miami can select receivers Ja’Marr Chase or Devonta Smith, or WR/TE Kyle Pitts.
That’s a lot of flexibility.
But ultimately the choice has to address offense. It has to result in the Dolphins getting a weapon, a playmaker.
And the three picks (possibly four after a trade-down) Miami gets the first two rounds need to also stock the playmaker cupboard with a lead running back and perhaps another wide receiver to flood that group with talent..
That’s the only choice if the Dolphins want to succeed with #LoadupforTua.
And now the small trouble with all this (because you knew that was coming):
The Dolphins don’t have a great recent draft history of picking players that become difference makers as rookies like, say, Justin Jefferson, Chase Young, or Justin Herbert were for their teams last season.
Guys play. They may even start.
But star?
It has taken most Dolphins draft picks a minute to find their footing. Even Xavien Howard and Minkah Fitzpatrick -- easily the best draft choices general manager Chris Grier has made during his tenure -- took a year to become really, really good.
So the Dolphins must hope this changes this year. And they must hope last year’s draft picks blossom. And they must hope Fuller stays healthy.
That’s the formula now to #LoadupforTua.
