Bill Barnwell (ESPN) ranks our Offseason.......#8 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Bill Barnwell (ESPN) ranks our Offseason.......#8

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8. Miami Dolphins

What went right: The first item on the offseason agenda was getting Tua Tagovailoa some help. Enter Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle, with the former signing a one-year deal worth $10.6 million. The Dolphins suddenly went from having a bottom-five receiving corps to one of the best groups in football on paper, although Fuller will be out for the first game of the season as he finishes up his PED suspension. Miami also added valuable depth behind Tagovailoa by signing Jacoby Brissett to a one-year pact.

The Dolphins continued to reap the benefits of the Laremy Tunsil trade by trading down from the No. 3 overall pick while nabbing three first-rounders from the 49ers, who used the pick to select quarterback Trey Lance. Miami then traded away one of those picks to move back up from No. 12 to No. 6 in a deal with the Eagles, but the net gain is still impressive. By moving from No. 3 to No. 6, the Dolphins wouldn't have their pick of the receivers in this year's class, but we overestimate our ability to judge between players at the same tier. Ja'Marr Chase might end up as a better prospect than Waddle, but I wouldn't be willing to bet a first-round pick on it. The Dolphins ended up with a superstar prospect at receiver and a future first-rounder, and as we saw from the Tunsil trade, nobody knows where those picks may land.

What went wrong: After going on a spending spree last offseason, the Dolphins basically erased most of their moves. They traded away Shaq Lawson and Ereck Flowers and cut Kyle Van Noy. I suppose you can say the moves amounted to sunk costs at this point, but they didn't really make any major investments in free agency to replace those guys, either. Benardrick McKinney came over from the Texans as part of the Lawson trade, and he'll help replace Van Noy, but Miami didn't appear to spend wisely last offseason.


Is it a make-or-break year for Tua in Miami?​

Chris Canty explains how Tua Tagovailoa can improve in his second year as the Dolphins' QB.
I wasn't a fan of the Flowers move when it happened, and I can't fault the Dolphins for moving on, but I also don't know if they did enough to address the offensive line this offseason. They signed depth pieces such as D.J. Fluker and Matt Skura, the latter of whom was benched by the Ravens last season after struggling to snap the ball to Lamar Jackson. General manager Chris Grier used a second-round pick on Notre Dame lineman Liam Eichenberg, but there's a chance that the team didn't add a single above-average starter up front this offseason.

What they could have done differently: Could the Dolphins have held onto that extra first-round pick from the 49ers? It cost the Eagles only a third-round pick to move up from No. 12 to No. 10 and draft DeVonta Smith. Waddle might end up as a better player than Smith, but holding onto that extra first-rounder could have been really valuable if the Dolphins end up souring on Tagovailoa or want to add a young star via trade.

Of course, they also could have held onto that pick at No. 3 and drafted Lance. I don't think what we saw from Tagovailoa in 2020 was disqualifying -- and it would be ridiculous to give up on the former Alabama star after a half-season as the starter -- but the best way to come away with a franchise quarterback may be to draft a couple of them in the top five and see who wins in a competition. I think Tagovailoa is going to be a good NFL quarterback, but if Lance turns out to be a superstar in San Francisco, trading down could come to haunt this franchise.


What's left to do: Add another offensive lineman. Nick Easton, Larry Warford and Trai Turner are all still available in free agency. The Dolphins should be adding pieces to the puzzle up front; if Eichenberg can beat someone like Turner out for a starting job at guard, that's great. They are young up front, but we didn't see enough from their starters a year ago for anyone to be locked into a starting role.


 
i'm always happy when a FA we sign really hits (Ogbah) and we want to keep them around.

i'm not sure that the FO looks at them as any more than replaceable pieces, there for a year (or so) to fill a hole temporarily.

when someone is hurt and/or underperforms (van noy, flowers), that is never ideal, but if it's a one year deal (or an easy out), cut them and move on.
 
i'm always happy when a FA we sign really hits (Ogbah) and we want to keep them around.

i'm not sure that the FO looks at them as any more than replaceable pieces, there for a year (or so) to fill a hole temporarily.

when someone is hurt and/or underperforms (van noy, flowers), that is never ideal, but if it's a one year deal (or an easy out), cut them and move on.
Almost glad we moved on from both.
 


i

8. Miami Dolphins

What went right: The first item on the offseason agenda was getting Tua Tagovailoa some help. Enter Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle, with the former signing a one-year deal worth $10.6 million. The Dolphins suddenly went from having a bottom-five receiving corps to one of the best groups in football on paper, although Fuller will be out for the first game of the season as he finishes up his PED suspension. Miami also added valuable depth behind Tagovailoa by signing Jacoby Brissett to a one-year pact.

The Dolphins continued to reap the benefits of the Laremy Tunsil trade by trading down from the No. 3 overall pick while nabbing three first-rounders from the 49ers, who used the pick to select quarterback Trey Lance. Miami then traded away one of those picks to move back up from No. 12 to No. 6 in a deal with the Eagles, but the net gain is still impressive. By moving from No. 3 to No. 6, the Dolphins wouldn't have their pick of the receivers in this year's class, but we overestimate our ability to judge between players at the same tier. Ja'Marr Chase might end up as a better prospect than Waddle, but I wouldn't be willing to bet a first-round pick on it. The Dolphins ended up with a superstar prospect at receiver and a future first-rounder, and as we saw from the Tunsil trade, nobody knows where those picks may land.

What went wrong: After going on a spending spree last offseason, the Dolphins basically erased most of their moves. They traded away Shaq Lawson and Ereck Flowers and cut Kyle Van Noy. I suppose you can say the moves amounted to sunk costs at this point, but they didn't really make any major investments in free agency to replace those guys, either. Benardrick McKinney came over from the Texans as part of the Lawson trade, and he'll help replace Van Noy, but Miami didn't appear to spend wisely last offseason.


Is it a make-or-break year for Tua in Miami?​

Chris Canty explains how Tua Tagovailoa can improve in his second year as the Dolphins' QB.
I wasn't a fan of the Flowers move when it happened, and I can't fault the Dolphins for moving on, but I also don't know if they did enough to address the offensive line this offseason. They signed depth pieces such as D.J. Fluker and Matt Skura, the latter of whom was benched by the Ravens last season after struggling to snap the ball to Lamar Jackson. General manager Chris Grier used a second-round pick on Notre Dame lineman Liam Eichenberg, but there's a chance that the team didn't add a single above-average starter up front this offseason.

What they could have done differently: Could the Dolphins have held onto that extra first-round pick from the 49ers? It cost the Eagles only a third-round pick to move up from No. 12 to No. 10 and draft DeVonta Smith. Waddle might end up as a better player than Smith, but holding onto that extra first-rounder could have been really valuable if the Dolphins end up souring on Tagovailoa or want to add a young star via trade.

Of course, they also could have held onto that pick at No. 3 and drafted Lance. I don't think what we saw from Tagovailoa in 2020 was disqualifying -- and it would be ridiculous to give up on the former Alabama star after a half-season as the starter -- but the best way to come away with a franchise quarterback may be to draft a couple of them in the top five and see who wins in a competition. I think Tagovailoa is going to be a good NFL quarterback, but if Lance turns out to be a superstar in San Francisco, trading down could come to haunt this franchise.


What's left to do: Add another offensive lineman. Nick Easton, Larry Warford and Trai Turner are all still available in free agency. The Dolphins should be adding pieces to the puzzle up front; if Eichenberg can beat someone like Turner out for a starting job at guard, that's great. They are young up front, but we didn't see enough from their starters a year ago for anyone to be locked into a starting role.



Wonder if this guy is as clueless as he sounds. Moved on from 3 players. I'm guessing he would have kept all 3. Skura is a depth player. Glad he told me. He MAY not be a long term answer, but 'depth?' "if the Dolphins end up souring" on TT? Yeah, like most teams do when the QB doesn't play top 10 year one. <sarcasm> And that's *IF* "Lance turns out to be a superstar." Add a top OLman with what cap?
No, I don't like all the moves made and hx suggests some of those changes won't be upgrades, but this guy sound like KVN, Flowers, Lawson were critical pieces. I know, one guy's opinion,
but the write up doesn't sound like #8.
 
i'm always happy when a FA we sign really hits (Ogbah) and we want to keep them around.

i'm not sure that the FO looks at them as any more than replaceable pieces, there for a year (or so) to fill a hole temporarily.

when someone is hurt and/or underperforms (van noy, flowers), that is never ideal, but if it's a one year deal (or an easy out), cut them and move on.
I will be surprised if Ogbah is a Miami Dolphin in 2022. While he played very well in the first part of the 2020 season, his play regressed over the last half of the season. Hopefully with the addition of Phillips, Ogbah will be able to get back to the player he was over the early part of the 2020 season. If he has a really good season, his contract demands will certainly go up and if he plays like he did in the latter half of the 2020 season, the Dolphins will likely be looking to upgrade at DE in the draft or free agency after the 2021 season.
 
Methinks Bill Barnwell is far too dismissive of Liam Eichenberg. I expect him to be good. He also doesn't mention the drafting of Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland - they could both be key Defensive players for the future. BTW - I don't expect us to pursue Warford, Eason or Trai Turner, I think that we continue to develop the young O-linemen we've got.
 
Trey Lance at #3?

Let alone using up 3 number ones and a three for him.

Never saw that as an option.

I saw Bernardrick McKinney as a major improvement over Elandon, not as an effort to "partially replace the massive and devastating and possibly franchise ending loss of Kyle Van Noy."

That being said, this guy's take sounds like somebody with a very cursory, superficial knowledge of the Fins.
 
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I will be surprised if Ogbah is a Miami Dolphin in 2022. While he played very well in the first part of the 2020 season, his play regressed over the last half of the season. Hopefully with the addition of Phillips, Ogbah will be able to get back to the player he was over the early part of the 2020 season. If he has a really good season, his contract demands will certainly go up and if he plays like he did in the latter half of the 2020 season, the Dolphins will likely be looking to upgrade at DE in the draft or free agency after the 2021 season.
Could be.

I just used his name as a recent free agent who came in and played well enough to want to keep around.
 
Barnwell appears to be out of touch to what has/is been taking place in Miami.

The plan has been to build this team through the draft. The players signed in 2020 provided the leadership the team needed at the time. Fitz at QB to lead the offense and groom a rookie QB. Flowers as I recall was instrumental in getting the OL that included 3 rooks together in the off season practicing on their own getting ready for the season and building cohesion. Van Noy provided leadership on defense when healthy.

Results don’t lie as Miami doubled their win total from 5 to 10.

The players let go and traded were never going to be part of the core of this team’s rebuild. Miami had the resources and offered the vets what it took to get them to sign to plug holes short term as the youth on the team developed. Miami was not a destination for the most talented free agents last year given where they were in the rebuild unless they Dolphins put themselves in salary cap hell to do so which would have been a huge mistake.

That Barnwell thinks Miami drafted Eichenberg to compete at guard, not to compete at RT as Hunt moves to guard is clueless.
 
a Good read but I dont agree in some ways. I dont agree with drafting Lance. We have Tua and we have yet to truly see him as he is. There is no way in hell you can give an accurate assessment of Tua last year after having the off-season he did learning to walk and run and no real pre-season what-so-ever.

We owe it to our frnachise to allow Tua another 2 years to succeed. Grier, has set us up to draft another QB in 2023 should Tua fail (I dont think he will). We have a perfectly viable fail safe in place should Tua under perform. The Dolphins future is so very bright, let us rejoice in our newfound future.
 
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