Kelly: What exactly are the Dolphins doing six years into this rebuild? | Opinion
Let’s be real about this season and admit we’re witnessing the Miami Dolphins doing the franchise’s usual December flirtation with the postseason.
It’s a slow dance, two-step with relevancy South Florida’s NFL franchise has annually done for two decades, with little success when it comes to sweeping us off our feet.
After getting the fan base hot and bothered these Dolphins will find some way to step on your foot, activating your bunions. It never fails, which is why we’re sitting on a 24-year drought without a playoff win.
“Very surprised,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said when asked if Miami’s 5-7 record was a shocker. “ I don’t think that shows the character of who we are as a team. Doesn’t show the work that we’ve put in this offseason together.
“Nobody else will say it but, I feel like this has a lot to do with myself. Obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down [with a concussion], basically leaving my guys out to dry. That’s what I would say,” said Tagovailoa, whose 108.0 passer rating is the third highest in the NFL this season. “Anyone can have an opinion about football, it’s this, it’s that, you know, I do take heart to that as well. [But I ] don’t wanna do that to my guys again.”
Tagovailoa is referring to the four games he missed while sidelined by his concussion, of which Miami lost three games with Skylar Thompson and Tyler “Snoop” Huntley as the team’s replacement.
Problem with Tagovailoa falling on the sword is that the Dolphins are 4-4 with the 2023 Pro Bowl quarterback at the helm, and 3-3 since his return. And it was the defense that collapsed in two of those losses (against Arizona and Buffalo).
And it was the defense and special teams that laid eggs against the Green Bay Packers in last week’s 30-17 loss to a playoff-bound team.
It’s time we come to terms with reality and realize that as presently constructed, with this existing leadership, with these same grocery pickers, this franchise isn’t going anywhere.
Even if Miami’s fortunate enough to sneak into the playoffs by winning the season’s final five games, getting to 10 wins — which would be a monumental feat — the Dolphins would likely get stomped on by the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens, whatever superior team Miami faces on the road as the seventh seed.
And after that beatdown the franchise will likely talk about the heartbreak, remind everyone Tagovailoa was sidelined, and how close they were and how strong they finished right before maxing out another one of owner Steve Ross’ credit cards while general manager Chris Grier pretends he knows how to build a winning franchise.
Grier has been in a leadership role in Miami for more than a decade, and what has been the end result?
Should we expect the same ole, same ole?
Miami’s leadership will probably trade for some aged and expensive proven veteran, like they did with Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and then Jalen Ramsey. Or the Dolphins could sign some big-time free agent while letting go of players this organization has developed because they became too expensive.
And then Miami will select, and subsequently miss on draft picks, leaving gaping holes in the roster injury-prone free agents and unproven undrafted rookies will have to fill.
And when Ross figures out that approach didn’t work he will probably fire Grier a year later than he should, pressing the reset button and attempt to find someone who wants to work with coach Mike McDaniel, whom the next general manager will give one season to prove himself before pressing the reset button.
This has become the Dolphins way.
My hope is that Ross and CEO Tom Garfinkel, who happens to be the only man in this organization I trust because of his track record on the business side, will watch these final five games and ask themselves “how do we get off this mediocrity merry-go-round?”
And tanking the season, which was their last answer to that question, when they fired team czar Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Adam Gase at the conclusion of the 2018 season, when the team visibly quit on Gase, isn’t the right answer.
Neither is trading for an available superstar quarterback (Deshaun Watson in the 2019 season), or signing an aged one (Tom Brady in the 2020 offseason).
Why?
Because quarterback isn’t the primary problem, and as long as Tagovailoa continues to put up league-leading statistical seasons he and McDaniel should be here.
What this franchise needs are fresh eyes from new leadership, someone who can charter a new course for this franchise, which faces yet another financial crisis this offseason, and must rebuild the trenches on both sides of the ball in 2025.
Ross must ask himself if he’s certain he has the right people leading this franchise, and if there’s doubt, hesitation, concern he should know what to do because he can’t afford to wait another season, or 10.
