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Is the rebuild over?

ForksPhin

ForksPhin

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In giving some thought to the roster, I started wondering if our view has changed substantially over the course of this truly enjoyable season. I read “we’re only in year two of a tear-down and rebuild” very frequently on this site.

Taking another view...does the upcoming offseason really represent another year of the rebuild, or is this team’s foundation built significantly enough that the offseason will be a standard offseason where we seek to upgrade a few spots, but roll into 2021 with much of the roster already “built.”

Roster turnover has reached the point in the NFL where every roster churns year-over -year. But think about some of the position groups on this team...

Secondary - Howard, Byron Jones, Needham, Igbinoghene, McCain, Rowe, Brandon Jones. This top seven is fairly young and under contract. You wouldn’t expect much turnover here.

Front 7 - Lawson, Ogbah, Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Sieler, Van Noy, Baker, Van Ginkel, Strowbridge. Once again, all young outside of Van Noy. Under contract. Biggest questions here would be whether you bring back Roberts and Biegel. Certainly, additions here would be welcome in the draft (I.e. Micah Parsons). But clearly the foundation of the front seven will not change drastically.

Special Teams - Sanders is as entrenched as any kicker in the NFL. Haack will need to be re-signed. Guys like Fejedelem, KGH, and Frazier were added mainly for special teams. KGH and Frazier may need to be replaced, but overall, this isn’t a rebuild situation.

QB - Tua. Not much else to say. We need a young backup and can potentially bring back Fitzpatrick, assuming a backup job is acceptable. My guess is that he won’t be back - he wants to be on the field.

TE - Gesicki, Shaheen, Smythe. Once again, the top three looks pretty stable going into 2021.

RB - Gaskin, Ahmed, and maybe Cox look to be the only running backs that could have a role in 2021. This is a spot to upgrade in the draft or with a low-level FA pickup.

WR - Parker, Williams, Grant, Hurns, Wilson, Perry, and Bowden would be the top seven heading into the offseason. All are under contract. Clearly, we need to see some turnover here. Parker, Williams, and Bowden will definitely have significant roles in 2021. As with RB, this is a position group that needs to be upgraded with draft capital (which is abundant). I would love to see Chase or Smith added in the first round. I also wouldn’t be opposed to adding a FA like JuJu Smith-Schuster. I think he would thrive with a QB like Tua.

Offensive Line - Jackson, Hunt, Kindley, Flowers, and Davis have all played significant roles in 2021 and all will be back. Karras is a free agent question mark. Depth is lacking (although it has performed sufficiently well for us in 2020). Davenport is a free agent. Still, there is a good chance that at a minimum, four spots on the offensive line are locked up for 2021 - Jackson, Hunt, Flowers, and Kindley. Davis will also be either a starter or the top backup.

So, is the ”rebuild” basically complete? I think we are going into the off-season with very few clear openings outside of RB, WR, and LB.

This off-season will be more about adding four top players in the first 50 or so picks in the draft, and potentially adding an impact FA (WR? Pass rusher?). There may be very little turnover.

I can’t wait to see our top four picks in the 2021 draft. We are adding to a roster that has a pretty damn good foundation. The 2020 draft added a surprisingly good number of immediate contributors - Tua, Jackson, Hunt, Kindley, Brandon Jones, Raekwon Davis (and even Strowbridge hasn’t looked out of place when he’s been on the field). Add some skill position playmakers with the first four picks in April 2021 and we might be on to something very special.
 
Plus, you have to factor in injuries and make sure you have quality depth to step in and step up, and an agile enough coaching staff to not try and jam a square peg into a round hole. The Dolphins beat the Bears in 1985 because Buddy Ryan refused to alter his game plan against Marino.
 
Namor said:
Winning teams are always trying to upgrade talent.
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Absolutely. But winning teams aren’t typically looking to upgrade all over the roster. I think the Dolphins have reached the point where they will only need upgrades in a few targeted spots. The massive turnover from 2019 to 2020 has been incredibly successful. And now we’ve got a cheap QB and a cheap offensive line (by NFL standards) given the rookie contracts everywhere. This roster is set up for something special if we can add difference-makers. And the cheap QB and offensive line plus four picks in the top 50 make it possible, if not likely.
 
I wouldn't say complete, but the tear down was completed last year and the foundation has been laid this year. Now it is time to add high levels of talent, speed and strength. It is clear that this coaching staff can maximize the players potential and correct certain aspects of their game, but getting players with higher ceilings is a must and I think this draft is going to focus on offensive skill players early in the draft.
 
coalesce said:
Plus, you have to factor in injuries and make sure you have quality depth to step in and step up, and an agile enough coaching staff to not try and jam a square peg into a round hole. The Dolphins beat the Bears in 1985 because Buddy Ryan refused to alter his game plan against Marino.
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That’s the difference, though....here we are talking about depth. At the end of last season, we were talking about a train wreck of a roster that was filled with street free agents. The roster was being churned on a weekly basis.
 
It's not close to being over yet. They need massive playmakers at WR, RB, and maybe another TE. Plus I don't think the offensive line is done yet. The defensive line and linebackers could use more help as well.
 
I think in the sense of “rebuild” we are done. Not much roster turnover should be expected, at least with the starters.

But we did plan for this year to be another rebuild year, giving us more cap space and draft capital than other teams in our situation. We have a great opportunity to continue building this team, both improving starters and adding quality depth/rotation pieces
 
traptses said:
I think in the sense of “rebuild” we are done. Not much roster turnover should be expected, at least with the starters.

But we did plan for this year to be another rebuild year, giving us more cap space and draft capital than other teams in our situation. We have a great opportunity to continue building this team, both improving starters and adding quality depth/rotation pieces
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Agreed. We’re adding riches to a rebuilt foundation. Even if we add starters to the defense, we’re talking about upgrading a defense that has played some great football - leading the league in turnovers, second in points allowed.

We definitely need upgrades at WR and RB. And we’re set up perfectly to do it in the draft or with a smart FA acquisition or two.
 
The tear down is complete we pulled the bandaid off last year prior to the start of week one 2019

The tweaking has just begun but Smythe and Sheehan are rock solid the WRs group and LB group will be churned

The RB group is weak and will be built up

Gesicki is a question mark because he may overvalue what he brings to the table so it is going to be about salary demands whether the Dolphins keep him

Clearly Tua can get the ball out to anyone he wants as we saw this past Sunday so this hurts Geisiki agent when he sits with Grier
 
The rebuild isn't over until we can say a sustainable model (correct management of salary cap, draft picks, FA) is there.
 
Nice post. The fact that Miami is making a playoff run and are guaranteed an above .500 record points to the rebuild being over.

That's not to say the team doesn't still need talent, but the right moves could go a long way in determining whether the Dolphins are a super bowl contender over the next several years.

I like the idea of Juju Smith-Schuster. But mostly I'd look to extend players who are already here. There's a role for Roberts if he wants to stay. He's made a few game changing plays for the Dolphins.

Karras is a tough decision and plays a big role in determining the direction of the offseason, particularly the draft. There are some good centers in this draft and Miami could upgrade and really set up this offensive line.
 
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