One of the top storylines in Miami is how the team’s offense will grow under new head coach Mike McDaniel. Before the team takes the field for the first time with him in charge, though, the organization will have to decide if it wants to retain tight end Mike Gesicki, and how much they are willing to pay to do so. As The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes, scheme fit with the new coach could play a big role in the decision. 
Before the 2021 season started, it was reported that the Dolphins weren’t looking into an extension with the former second round pick. At that point, he was coming off a career-best season, where he posted 53 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns. That placed him amongst the most productive tight ends in the league, and set him up for another successful season.
2021 saw the Penn State product record 73 catches for 780 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. The reception and yardage totals ranked fifth and eighth in the league, respectively. The season also cemented Gesicki’s status as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s second favorite target, behind rookie Jaylen Waddle.
However, most of Gesicki’s production has come from lining up more as a wide receiver than a tight end, Jackson notes. Much of the reason for that is his sub-par blocking, both in the run and pass game, something that could be seen as a detriment for McDaniel, who is coming from a run-heavy scheme in San Francisco. The stylistic difference between Gesicki and George Kittle, whom McDaniel coached for years, could be problematic in terms of working the former into a new scheme in Miami.
More importantly, in the short term at least, Gesicki’s alignment could lead to problems in negotiations. He could attempt to be listed as a WR, rather than a TE for franchise tag purposes, something that would carry a difference of roughly $8MM. While Jackson notes that the odds of such a strategy working aren’t great, compromises are possible. If he were to sign on the TE tag, Gesicki would earn an estimated $10.8MM in 2022.
Ultimately, Jackson writes of Gesicki that “it wouldn’t be shocking if the Dolphins kept him”. Given his production, and the overall lack of weapons Miami currently has, tough, the uncertainty around his situation so close to free agency is certainly striking.
They don’t need to sign Gesicki but they should. He’s a solid offensive weapon. An offense that doesn’t have many.
Dolphins need to trade up and grab Tyler Linderbaum if he drops outside the top 15.
I bet they bring in Ross Dwelly from SF.
If you are Gesicki, do you really want a noodle armed lefty controlling you future dollars? Hell no. Head to a contender that actually has a decent starting QB that will throw the ball 4 yards past the line of scrimmage. No use in tying yourself to that sinking ship
Maybe he can throw more than 4 yards past the line of scrimmage if he has an offensive line that performs substantially better than five holograms would.
Joe Burrow made it work. Andrew Luck made it work. Josh Allen before 2020 made it work… how long are we going to keep these excuses up?
Andrew Luck was the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning, played a whopping 8 postseason games, and retired before he was 30. Joe Burrow tore his ACL in his first year and got sacked 50 times this year. Tua’s not as good as either of those guys, but the Dolpins went 7-5 with him this year and he’s played in such a way that he’s avoided getting sacked nearly as frequently despite playing behind an even worse line.
I love how Dolphins fans use team record to prop up Tua but then use Team record to excuse his short comings. Either way wins are a QB stat, or they aren’t. Tua has shatly the bed anytime the Dolphins needed him to rise up. Buffalo absolutely demolished Miami in a win and in game. Tua was embarrassed by a wounded Tennessee team in a similar game this year. Squeaking by a weak ass schedule on the merits of a decent defense does not make him any good. Tua is meh. He will never be anything better.
I’m actually a Jets fan, so this is far from homerism. Yeah, two teams that have invested heavily in the pass rush destroyed the worst line in the NFL. Tua is never going to be like Luck or Burrow in style or probably quality, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a winning QB. His career average depth of target is .3 lower than Drew Brees’, but Brees had much better protection and a scheme built around him.
I agree. Look who they beat lol. A good defense beat up on BACK-UP and rookie quarterbacks. Baltimore had how many starters out that game?? They beat the JETS twice. Yea ok, post TUA up on a 7-5 record…..
OK, but you can also come up with arguments like that to take anyone down a peg. The Titans were in the worst division in football. The Bengals ascended when every other team in their division had an injured or way over the hill QB. Again, I’m not saying Tua is a top flight QB or that the 7-5 record proves he’s great or whatever. But he’s shown enough to make it seem possible he could be in the Jimmy G ballpark with an offensive line that’s any better than horrendous. And that guy on a rookie contract is certainly something you can work with.
Gesicki’s best season was last year with Tua and he has also been one of Tua’s biggest supporters publicly. So I really don’t think that will be any factor in whether or not he stays.
Maybe Gesicki needs to focus hard on his blocking (Not saying he hasn’t) and hopefully it improves and he becomes that “conplete” TE
I’d sign with a true contender. Miami is on a path to returning to near-doormat status.
I would imagine all Dolphin players with a close connection to Flores will be on the endangered list now that McDaniel has taken over as HC.
I don’t agree. Many players like McDaniel and have been outspoken about him in a positive way. Plus he uses TE’s quite a bit in his game plans.