The Miami Dolphins made a shocking decision at the end of the 2021 season when they fired head coach Brian Flores. Flores had seemingly done a great job keeping the Dolphins afloat as they navigated their way out of a rebuild.
In his first season as head coach, he was given a roster that wasn’t expected to be competitive as ownership wanted to be in a position to land the best quarterback prospect available. Flores began instilling his culture in the building and the team still got their prospect in Tua Tagovailoa.
Two consecutive winning seasons ensued, yet Flores still got the boot. Ownership cannot get out of their own way, as they will now be looking for a new head coach but want that person to retain most of their defensive staff.
The Dolphins are putting on a masterclass on how to not run a franchise. But, whoever does take that job, should know that the team will be aggressive when looking to upgrade the talent on the roster.
Miami was tied to Deshaun Watson in trade talks and could look to pursue him again this offseason. Russell Wilson was another name to keep an eye on. But, if the Dolphins strike out on adding a veteran, at least they know they have Tagovailoa, who improved in his second season, in the fold.
To help Tagovailoa and the whole offense take that next step in Year 3, some upgrades are needed at the skill positions. Jaylen Waddle and DeVante Parker are a nice duo to start at wide receiver, but the team needs more in the backfield.
Could a trade with the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey be feasible? Over at Bleacher Report, a piece was put together with trade ideas that would reshape the league in 2022. McCaffrey to the Dolphins was one of them, and it would certainly elevate Miami’s offense.
There has been no indication given that the Panthers are looking to restart offensively, but general manager Scott Fitterer did admit that if a call comes in they will answer and look at the deal. There is no intention to trade McCaffrey, but that could change should they be presented with a huge offer.
Would the San Francisco 49ers’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft be enough to convince the Panthers to part ways with their best offensive player? Miami would certainly hope so, as they need help in the backfield.
McCaffrey has battled injuries the last two seasons, appearing in only 10 games since his monster 2019 season. But, when he has been on the field, he has remained nearly as productive.
In those 10 games, he has 1,159 total yards and eight touchdowns on 212 touches. If he can remain healthy, he is more than capable of still putting up gaudy numbers similar to the 2,392 yards and 19 touchdowns he compiled in 2019.
For a team that was as close to the postseason in 2021 as the Dolphins, they will be aggressive to ensure they make the playoffs in 2022. A move for McCaffrey would certainly put them on track to do that and help bring the best out of Tagovailoa at the quarterback position.
