The Miami Dolphins have done well this offseason to retain the pieces of the roster that showed promise throughout the course of their “evaluation” season in 2019. Much of Miami’s efforts were centered around the idea of finding out which players could feasibly be long-term contributors and which players, when given the opportunity, aren’t capable of filling a long-term role.
A few of Miami’s low profile contributors — wide receiver Isaiah Ford and defensive lineman Zach Sieler — signed their restricted free agent tenders yesterday with Miami, ensuring they will be back for yet another season of football in South Florida.
Ford and Sieler were two of Miami’s “exclusive rights free agents” this offseason, meaning that Miami could place a tender on them and ensure that they’d be given another season of control over both players. With the tenders now signed, both Sieler and Ford are officially locked and loaded for the 2020 season with Miami. Ford will be embattled in a congested wide receiver room and will have his hands full ensuring he makes the active roster once the season starts. The Dolphins’ WR room is generally considered one of the deeper position groups on the roster. For Sieler the pathway to making the roster isn’t necessarily easier given that he’s competing with Davon Godchaux and Christian Wilkins for reps. But Sieler was a small-school gem out of Ferris State, his untapped potential may be a variable that works in his favor by the time it is all said and done.
If Miami’s coaching staff is able to coax his potential to reality, Sieler may go on to have a productive 2020 with the Dolphins in a rotational role.