The Miami Dolphins had a solid season in 2023 despite struggling to win some games. They ended with 11-6, the same record as the Buffalo Bills, atop their division. They were exciting to watch, with all their explosive weapons and speed on offense.
QB Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards with 4,624 yards. WR Tyreke Hill also led the NFL in receiving yards, with a total of 1,799 yards. With the addition of rookie RB Devon Achane and Raheem Mostert, they had quite the 1-2 punch in the backfield. They sure were fun to watch on television, but I’m not so sure “fun to watch” is the winning formula for the postseason.
As many teams do in the off-season, the Miami Dolphins had decisions to make regarding quite a few players on the defense. Knowing that it was almost time to decide on Tua for the quarterback position, it probably wouldn’t be realistic to keep all the players on the current roster.
Dolphins Roster Changes May Hurt the Team
The first guy out the door was a very productive defensive tackle, Christian Wilkins, who signed in the off-season with the Raiders. The next move, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkle, who had been on the team for multiple seasons, went to the Minnesota Vikings to reunite with former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Flores is coordinating the defense for the Vikings. The Miami Dolphins also decided to release cornerback Xavien Howard, a really good veteran corner who had been on the team for many seasons. These decisions were made to create more cap space.
On a positive note, on the defensive side of the ball, the team did sign on longtime defensive tackle Calais Campbell. However, at the advanced stage ofcareer, who knows what he has left in the tank, as he is in his late 30s. Overall, the loss of the three key players mentioned above is going to take a huge toll on the defense in 2024, which was already only average at best.
Benefit Of Rookie Deals
The Dolphins were able to have the quality players they had because QB Tua Tagovailoa had been on his rookie deal. That’s why you got to see so much talent around him. That’s kind of how the league works now, when it’s time to reward the quarter back for his play, that means you have to say goodbye to many key players on the roster.
The Miami Dolphins made a couple more moves on offense, including re-signing WR Jaylen Waddle to a four-year, $84.75 million-dollar deal. This is a guy who has struggled to stay healthy the past couple of seasons. They also gave Star WR Tyreek Hill a pay raise, to make sure he was taken care of, and paid the money the top receivers in the league are getting now. Next however, the big domino would fall.
Will Miami’s Strategies Prove Successful In 2024
The Miami Dolphins extended QB Tua Tagovailoa to a massive, four-year, $212.5 million deal, with $167 million guaranteed at signing. They are now spending over $110 million on a QB and two WRs. I’m not sure gutting your defense and paying a ton of money to receivers is the key to success in the NFL. Also, signing a quarterback who has been shown numerous times that he can’t perform well in cold-weather games. I’m unsure if the Dolphins know this, but the playoffs are in January, and the Super Bowl is in February, the coldest time of the year.
Maybe the Miami Dolphins are scoring many points on offense and playing in high-scoring games with the mindset of outscoring the opponent. It sure hasn’t worked for anyone in the past. As they always say, “Defense Wins Championships.” I can’t imagine it would start working now, but we shall see. Best of luck to the Miami Dolphins and their fans in 2024.
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