Key Off-Season Additions

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is entering his sixth season in the NFL — seventh if you count the season he missed due to injury — and his “age 30” season. This should be the prime of his career. If ever there was a time for him, and the team, to take the next step in their development, it’s now. But Tannehill can’t do it on his own, and the front office seems to understand that. It’s been a long time coming for some of us older fans, but Dolphins brass finally seems to have a plan in place and a strategy for implementing it. The team was able to make some key acquisitions in the offseason. Acquisitions that, in stark contrast to previous years, weren’t the “big splash,” but provide the team with some much-needed versatility and leadership to the offense.

Up front, the Dolphins upgraded an offensive line that has been in shambles for years. Tannehill has been one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the league since his rookie season. Not every one of those sacks can be placed at the feet of his offensive line. But the majority of them have been due to the turnstile-like line he’s had. A big part of the issue has been injuries and the inability for a single unit to gel together. To that end, the Dolphins finally jettisoned one of their most injury-prone players, center Mike Pouncey. When healthy, Pouncey is still capable of being one of the better center’s in the league. But what the Dolphins are sacrificing in potential, they’re more than getting back in consistency with his replacement Daniel Kilgore.

Trading Pouncey for Kilgore alone doesn’t make a big difference in the play up front. That’s where free agent signing Josh Sitton comes in. Sitton comes in and is an immediate — and profound — upgrade over what the Dolphins had at the guard position last season. The combination of Sitton and Kilgore, along with the hold-overs from last season’s squad, should provide the Dolphins with a much better performing, and more consistently healthy, unit protecting Tannehill. As we’ve seen over the years, Tannehill is more than capable back there when he has the time he needs.

Offensive line wasn’t the only place the Dolphins offense upgraded, either. Long-time running back Frank Gore returns to the city he played his college ball to — ostensibly — finish out his career with the aqua and orange. Gore has been one of the most consistent backs since he entered the league and is, in my mind, a sure-fire Hall of Fame player. Adding Gore to a backfield with Kenyan Drake gives the Dolphins a potent one-two punch. Gore will likely be used in short yardage and goal-to-go situations initially. But given his track record in the league, it wouldn’t surprise me if his workload increases as the year progresses and he ultimately winds up approaching the 1,000-yard mark with five to seven touchdowns.

The Dolphins also gave Tannehill some toys to play with in the passing game that should improve an offense that seriously struggled to push the ball downfield in 2017. Tannehill on his own should improve that offense, but bringing in Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola should only serve to multiply that effect. I may be in the minority of Dolphins fans in this opinion, but I firmly believe that trading the offensive handcuff that was Jarvis Landry and bringing in these two veterans is going to have a significant impact. Both on the field and in the locker room.

Next Page: Reason No. 2