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Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN
MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins‘ Tremendous Bowl window is open; at the very least, that is how they’ve operated over the previous 12 months.
It is why they had been one of many greatest movers in free company final 12 months, signing Terron Armstead and buying and selling for Tyreek Hill. It is also why they traded a first-round decide for Bradley Chubb and signed all three to offers value a mixed $305 million over the subsequent 5 years.
After an early exit from their first playoff look since 2016, the Dolphins’ splashiest strikes this offseason will probably come on the sideline after agreeing to phrases with longtime NFL coach Vic Fangio to turn out to be their new defensive coordinator. At the moment projected at $12 million over the salary-cap restrict, Miami does have some in-house choices to make earlier than free company begins:
Bridgewater joined the Dolphins on a one-year, $6.5 million deal final offseason to function as Tua Tagovailoa‘s main backup. He ended up filling in for the injured Tagovailoa on a number of events, though he himself was injured all through the season as effectively.
With issues nonetheless lingering about Tagovailoa’s availability over the course of a full season, the Dolphins nonetheless want a high-level, ideally veteran, backup for the 2023 season. Rookie Skylar Thompson began the staff’s regular-season finale and wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills however shouldn’t be essentially a lock for the backup job. Bridgewater shouldn’t be prone to discover a beginning job elsewhere and is perhaps the simplest choice for Miami to fill a necessity with out spending draft capital. This time round, nevertheless, Bridgewater’s deal will not be totally assured.
Mostert was resurgent in 2022 with 891 dashing yards on 181 carries and 202 receiving yards on 31 catches — all career-highs.
A damaged thumb stored him out of Miami’s playoff sport, however he performed in 16 video games after enjoying simply 9 video games in his earlier two seasons. This needs to be a straightforward choice for the Dolphins, who struggled to run the ball effectively in 2022. They don’t have any working backs signed for the 2023 season.
Mostert turns 31 in April however is efficient sufficient as a runner and invaluable sufficient as a pacesetter to warrant being re-signed to at the very least one other one-year deal. It is potential the Dolphins draft a working again, however basic supervisor Chris Grier has been hesitant to spend vital draft capital on the place since 2016, taking only one working again sooner than the fourth spherical.
This will likely be one other vital choice looming for the Dolphins because the 27-year-old Wilson ran for 392 yards on 84 carries in eight video games after being acquired in a commerce with the San Francisco 49ers. Spotrac lists his market worth at one-year, $2.9 million — it might make sense to convey him at the very least into coaching camp to compete with Mostert and a potential rookie all through the offseason.
Wilson and Mostert proved they might be efficient collectively, however the Dolphins hardly ever dedicated to the run, averaging the second-fewest makes an attempt within the league final season.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now in regard to Gesicki, whose utilization fell off a cliff in 2022.
After signing his franchise tag, he was changed by Durham Smythe within the beginning lineup late into coaching camp and completed with simply 362 yards on 32 catches. It represented a major dropoff contemplating he’d recorded at the very least 50 catches and 700 receiving yards in every of his earlier two seasons. Gesicki performed simply 478 snaps after averaging 716 snaps over the earlier three seasons.
It could be a shock if Gesicki returns in 2023 — however whichever staff indicators him will get an expert who not as soon as publicly complained about his diminished position. He is extra of a receiving tight finish than a conventional blocker, and whereas he took average strides in blocking in 2022, he is only working out of the slot.
Different names to look at:
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Byron Jones shouldn’t be a free agent however represents an $18.3 million cap hit in 2023. The Dolphins can transfer on from his contract whereas saving $13.6 million by releasing him after June 1.
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Cornerback Nik Needham is recovering from a torn Achilles however his return will likely be extremely anticipated if the Dolphins do certainly transfer on from Jones. He and 2022 undrafted rookie Kader Kohou would give them an economical duo at nickel nook and boundary nook reverse Professional Bowler Xavien Howard.
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Linebacker Elandon Roberts is a two-time captain and will return, though Miami’s linebacker corps as an entire most likely wants an overhaul this offseason.
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