Top 3 Offseason Needs: Miami Dolphins

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Miami Dolphins, who earned a postseason berth for the first time since 2008 after finishing 10-6 under new head coach Adam Gase.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending free agents:

• Kiko Alonso, LB (RFA)
• Andre Branch, DE
• Jermon Bushrod, G
• Donald Butler, LB
• Jordan Cameron, TE
• Chimdi Chekwa, CB
• John Denney, LS
• Thomas Duarte, TE (ERFA)
• Mike Hull, LB (ERFA)
• Jelani Jenkins, LB
• Dominique Jones, TE (RFA)
• Jason Jones, DE
• Spencer Paysinger, LB
• Lafayette Pitts, CB (ERFA)
• Bacarri Rambo, S
• Dion Sims, TE
• Anthony Steen, C (ERFA)
• Kenny Stills, WR
• Michael Thomas, S (RFA)
• Damien Williams, RB (RFA)
• Nicholas Williams, DE (RFA)
• T.J. Yates, QB

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

1. Ryan Tannehill, QB: $20,300,000
2. Ndamukong Suh, DT: $19,100,000
3. Branden Albert, T: $10,600,000
4. Mario Williams, DE: $10,500,000
5. Mike Pouncey, C: $8,975,000
6. Byron Maxwell, CB: $8,500,000
7. Reshad Jones, S: $8,037,938
8. Cameron Wake, DE: $7,000,000
9. Isa Abdul-Quddus, S: $5,083,333
10. Koa Misi, LB: $4,778,000

Other:

• Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $30,734,458
• 22nd pick in draft
• Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for T Ja’Wuan James

Three Needs:

1) Find a tight end: The Dolphins offense as a whole managed to grow under Adam Gase, as the unit improved from 22nd in DVOA in 2015 to 14th last season. Ryan Tannehill posted the highest quarterback rating of his career, second-year running back Jay Ajayi emerged as a legitimate threat by registering three 200+ yard rushing performances, and receivers Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, and Kenny Stills each put up more than 700 yards through the air. The one component missing from Miami’s newly-potent offense? A legitimate threat at tight end.

Veteran Jordan Cameron has been a free agent bust since signing a two-year, $15MM deal prior to the 2015 season, but it’s been no fault of his own that he’s struggled to produce after leaving the Browns for the Dolphins. In 2016, Cameron suffered the fourth reported concussion of his career, and was sidelined for the majority of the year by his most recent brain injury. Cameron, 28, is now considering retirement due to the repeated head trauma, and Miami isn’t expected to be interested in a reunion even if Cameron does decide to continue playing.

Given that Cameron only played in three games last year, the Dolphins’ tight end cadre was headlined by Dion Sims, who posted 26 receptions for 256 yards and four touchdowns in 11 starts. Though Sims has never topped 30 catches or 300 yards during his four-year NFL career, Miami reportedly views him as its starter going forward, and as such, intends to re-sign him this offseason. Indeed, despite the club’s interest in retaining Sims, nearly every tight end currently on the roster is a free agent of some kind, so the unit figures to see a good deal of turnover during the next few months.

One place to look for a new weapon at tight end could be the free agent market, where the No. 1 option available figures to be the Patriots’ Martellus Bennett. The 29-year-old recently turned down a $7MM per year extension offer from New England, and while details were scant as to the structure or guarantees in the deal, the rejection does give some indication as to what Bennett’s asking price could be. Bennett figures to be an offseason priority for the Pats, and the Dolphins likely won’t be the only team competing for his services. However, Bennett does have a connection to Gase, as the veteran tight end played under the current Fins head coach while the latter served as Bears OC in 2015 (alas, Bennett posted his worst statistics in recent memory under the tutelage of Gase).

If Bennett proves to be too costly, there are certainly other options available in free agency, though only a few offer the relative youth and perceived upside that does Sims. Houston’s Ryan Griffin (27), Indianapolis’ Jack Doyle (26), Green Bay’s Jared Cook (29), and Dallas’ Gavin Escobar (26) all jump off the page as potential second-tier tight ends who might have a lower price tag than Bennett. If Miami wants a veteran presence to replace Cameron, the club could take a look at Vernon Davis, who just finished a solid first campaign with the Redskins, or Jacob Tamme, who should come cheaply given the nature of his recent shoulder injury.

The Dolphins, who hold the 22nd overall pick in the draft, are situated right in the wheelhouse where a tight end selection might make sense. Alabama’s O.J. Howard is generally regarded as the nation’s best collegiate TE, but Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com recently ranked Miami’s David Njoku slightly ahead of Howard, listing the Hurricanes pass-catcher as the draft’s 13th overall player. Both Howard and Njoku could be in consideration during the first round, while Evan Engram (Mississippi), Jake Butt (Michigan), and Gerald Everett (South Alabama) could make sense farther down the line.

2) Solidify the linebacker position: With new defensive coordinator Matt Burke in tow, the Dolphins figure to add at least two new starting linebackers this offseason, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported earlier this week, meaning the club could need to part with a few LBs already on the roster. Donald Butler, Jelani Jenkins, and Spencer Paysinger are all free agents and likely won’t return to South Beach unless it’s in a backup role, while Koa Misi could be released amid concerns about his long-term health.

2016 trade acquisition Kiko Alonso, an upcoming restricted free agent, will likely play a major role in Miami’s plans for the linebacking unit, as Salguero notes at the link above that Dolphins coaches previously bandied about the idea of shifting Alonso from middle linebacker to the weakside. Although the staff opted not make the switch in-season — in an effort not to “mess with [Alonso’s] head” — it’s entirely possible that the club will reconsider the move this offseason. The flexibility of Alonso means the Dolphins can target linebackers, both in free agency and in the draft, without regards to their specific position (middle vs. outside), as Alonso can presumably fill in whatever spot remains open.

Alabama’s Reuben Foster is the best all-around linebacker in the 2017 draft, and would represent an absolute godsend for the Dolphins, but he’s extremely unlikely to be available at pick No. 22. Given that Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com recently said Foster is the “best inside linebacker Alabama has ever produced,” Miami could attempt to trade up, but will more likely look at linebackers a bit farther down the board. Fellow ‘backers Jarrad Davis (Florida) — who was recently sent to the the Dolphins in Kiper’s first mock draft of the year — Raekwon McMillan (Ohio State), and Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt) could be potential Miami targets.

In free agency, the top two linebackers are likely already spoken for, as the Browns are reportedly nearing an extension with Jamie Collins, while the Patriots don’t figure to let defensive leader Dont’a Hightower get away. That’s not to say there aren’t high-quality options available on the open market, however, and one reasonable target for the Dolphins might be Buffalo free agent Zach Brown, who rehabbed his career with the Bills this season after flaming out with the Titans. Brown, 27, ranked as Pro Football Focus‘ No. 17 linebacker, and should be obtainable for a reasonable price. Arizona’s Kevin Minter is another underrated linebacker who could add experience to the middle of Miami’s defense.

Other linebackers could soon hit the market after being released by their respective clubs, and a few might make sense for the Dolphins based on Burke — who was previously Miami’s LBs coach — and his professional history. Before joining the Dolphins in 2016, Burke worked for the Bengals for two seasons, meaning inside linebacker Rey Maualuga could be an option for Miami if released by Cincinnati. Maualuga is 30 years old (today!) and is only an early-down run thumper at this point, but he’d offer 104 games of starting experience. The Lions were also a previous stop for Burke, so if DeAndre Levy gets cut loose by Detroit, he could make his way to Miami.

3) Rebuild the pass rush: For all of the criticism Ndamukong Suh has garnered over the years, there’s no question that he’s an excellent player that has thus far lived up to the massive contract he signed with the Dolphins two offseasons ago. Suh ranked as the league’s fourth-best defensive tackle in 2016, according to PFF, while defensive end Cameron Wake graded out as No. 10 at his position. Those two pass rushers can’t do it by themselves, however, meaning that Miami will need to supplement a defensive line which ranked just 31st in adjusted sack rate last year.

There should be open spots on said line, especially at end, where Mario Williams is fully expected to be released when the new league year begins. Williams, 32 later this month, became a reserve as the season progressed, and the Dolphins can save $8.5MM on the salary cap by cutting bait, making the transaction an easy decision. Former mega-bust Dion Jordan, too, isn’t expected to be on Miami’s roster much longer, while Jason Jones has already been released. Andre Branch gobbled up much of the playtime reserved for Williams, and though he’s indicated that he’d like to return to South Beach in 2017, could perhaps find a better deal in free agency.

If the Dolphins intend on drafting a defensive lineman in the first or second round, one prospect who could be a natural fit is Florida’s Caleb Brantley, who Rob Rang of CBSSports.com says “springs off the snap with the initial quickness to penetrate gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield.” Brantley played under defensive line coach Terrell Williams — who now holds the same position with the Dolphins — with the Gators in 2015, so the Fins coaching staff should have a good handle on his attributes. Defensive ends are also plentiful in the 2017 class, and though Miami won’t have a shot at Myles Garrett or Jonathan Allen, it could get lucky and see a draft-day fall for Tennessee’s Derek Barnett. Alternatively, they could take a look at Stanford’s Solomon Thomas, UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley, or Michigan’s Taco Charlton, the latter of whom Josh Norris of Rotoworld recently mocked to the Dolphins.

Free agency doesn’t offer a ton of options on the edge — especially given that Miami is unlikely to pay for an elite defender like Jason Pierre-Paul — and aging veterans such as Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers comprise much of the pass-rushing market. Interior players could be a bit more abundant, and Nick Fairley stands out as a more-than-capable rusher from the inside. Oakland’s Stacy McGee — not a well-known name by any stretch — might be on Miami’s radar thanks, again, to the presence of Williams, who served as the Raiders’ DL coach from 2012-14 and therefore should have some familiarity with McGee, who last season earned positive marks from PFF while playing in a limited role.