A first look at players the Dolphins might target this offseason
So, unless there is an obvious upgrade that is not obnoxiously expensive at one of their positions, this line may only really need to upgrade at right guard to become solid. Some of the options are younger left tackles like Branden Albert and Eugene Monroe or Chicago guard Matt Slauson.
The draft might be a good place to look for depth for this struggling unit.
The rest of the offense is not in very bad shape, but there are potential upgrades.
The most obvious is at tight end, where the team could benefit from adding Jimmy Graham, who New Orleans is likely to franchise if they cannot come to terms with him. If there is no Jimmy Graham clone to be found anywhere, I believe Dion Jordan is worth exploring at his original college position. He cannot leap as high as Jimmy, but is still athletically superior to most linebackers. Obviously, a healthy return by Dustin Keller would also help, a lot.
The next biggest potential offensive free agent is a quarterback. Jay Cutler is an erratic gunslinger that I would love to have on my team. Many Bears fans have grown tired of him and former Dolphin Josh McCown has outperformed him this season, but I still think he is capable of big things in this league. At this point he is more polished than Ryan Tannehill, but so is Matt Moore, and Tannehill appears on the cusp of greatness, when his processing speed catches up to NFL level. Tannehill has obvious areas of development, but Miami has found their guy, no need to spend here.
The running game could have certainly used a full back this season like Vonta Leach, who may be available again due to his 32 years of age and the fact that the NFL has fallen out of love with the position. A full back can be great as a pass blocker, lead blocker, pass catcher and as a short yardage back. Leach may not be the best option, Charles Clay could develop in that role, but he was underwhelming in short yardage and the Dolphins are thin at tight end.
The most intriguing free agent addition could be at wide receiver, where Denver’s Eric Decker, who at 6’3″, 215 lbs brings a physical presence that has been missing since Brandon Marshall departed upon Philbin’s arrival. Mike Wallace had a disappointing season, but if he and Tannehill spend another off-season together, they both could reach new heights. The rest of this group has been great, from Hartline to Gibson to Matthews. There are those who think Armon Binns could be that guy for this team after missing this season due to injury.
The defense was mostly solid, but the linebackers were highly disappointing. A lot was invested into upgrading the position last season and I would not cut anybody before giving them one more pre-season to prove themselves, but competition is needed. Brian Orakpo would be worth splurging for should he not be franchised. Dion Jordan might also be an upgrade here if he is deemed expendable at defensive end. (continued on page 3, CLICK HERE)