The Miami Dolphins’ 2020 offseason campaign is going to serve as a critical stretch for general manager Chris Grier, head coach Brian Flores and the rest of the team — the signings and selections made in year two will technically serve as the opening influx of talent. It will set the tone. And, if it done correctly, the Dolphins will not check every box of needs on their roster. If that sounds like a bad thing, it is not.
Here’s why.
Miami’s operation and talent acquisition needs to operate with the intent of investing in the future and investing in problem areas on the roster. For a long time, the Dolphins tried to check boxes and fill every void and vacancy in a single offseason. Not only did that approach prove to be ineffective, it also prompted Miami to wastefully spend a lot of extra cash. Miami needs to resist the urge to just “check boxes” in the starting lineup and rather use this time and opportunity to genuinely invest into critical areas that need improvement.
This may come in the form of drafting multiple players at the same position. We’ve seen some teams have success with this method in the past. One of the most notable instances of this was when Washington double dipped to draft Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in the same draft. Griffin has a brilliant but short starting tenure as a starter before injuries took their toll and soon it was Cousins’ ship to steer.
For Miami, the list of needs is so vast, it would be irresponsible to simply try to find a new starter in each and every single one of these areas:
- Quarterback
- Running Back
- Left Tackle
- Center
- Right Guard
- Right Tackle
- Defensive End
- Defensive End/Rush LB
- Cornerback
- Nickelback
- Free Safety
Make no mistake, Miami can realistically find pieces to plug into these roster spots — but they shouldn’t expect to have the long-terms answers at every spot after just a few months. Instead, Miami needs to identify the biggest area of weakness relative to their vision for the team — and attack that relentlessly this offseason. Don’t just address needs, invest in fixing issues.
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