Tag: Mike Gesicki

Miami Dolphins’ history with the franchise tag

Here’s who Miami has used franchise tags on.

The NFL introduced the franchise and transition tags back in 1993 when their collective bargaining agreement went into effect, allowing teams to keep players on one-year deals who otherwise would’ve hit the free agent market at the start of the new league year.

Starting Tuesday, all 32 teams can decide to place one of the tags on a player, allowing them to either have them play on the tag, sign them to an extension or trade them.

This year, the Miami Dolphins don’t really have any candidates for the tags, but what does history tell us about what they’re going to do?

These are the nine players that the Dolphins have used one of the tags on since 1993.

Panthers named best free-agent fit for TE Mike Gesicki

ESPN has named the Panthers as the best free-agent fit for Griddyin’ Mike Gesicki.

Could the single worst Griddy in the NFL be coming to a Bank of America Stadium near you?

ESPN staff writer Matt Bowen thinks it should.

On Tuesday, the former safety ran down the best fits for each of the league’s top 50 free agents. And given the Carolina Panthers’ alarming lack of production out of the tight end position, he believes Mike Gesicki should shuffle his way over to Charlotte.

Bowen writes:

In Frank Reich’s offense, Gesicki would serve as a vertical seam option who can stress opposing defenses as a three-level target. Gesicki caught just 32 passes in Miami last season for coach Mike McDaniel, but the 2021 tape and numbers (73 receptions) tell us that the 6-foot-6 tight end can produce when deployed as a matchup player and red zone target.

2022 marked Gesicki’s least productive season since his 2018 rookie campaign. The former second-round pick recorded 362 receiving yards and five touchdowns off 32 catches for the Miami Dolphins.

But that actually looks pretty solid compared to what the Panthers got out of their tight ends this past year. Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble and Stephen Sullivan combined for 417 yards and three scores on 42 grabs.

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Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki shares highlight tape prior to free agency

“Just Keep Going. . . “

The 2022 season was a rollercoaster for many in the Miami Dolphins organization, including tight end Mike Gesicki, who got to experience his first postseason berth, but it came in one of his worst statistical seasons.

Gesicki was set to hit free agency last year, but general manager Chris Grier and new head coach Mike McDaniel opted to use the franchise tag on the tight end to keep him around for another season. And, in a new scheme, Gesicki recorded just 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns while playing fewer snaps than his best friend, Durham Smythe.

Now, the Penn State product is expected to hit the market in 2023, and it’s unlikely that he’ll see another franchise tag or a long-term deal in South Florida.

With that knowledge, Gesicki took to social media on Monday night and shared a highlight tape, showcasing some of his best moments from his time in Miami.

“Just keep going,” followed by that emoji, appears to be Gesicki’s official motto, as he’s been using it on Twitter since 2020. It’s something that he actually acts on, as he could’ve complained about his usage in 2022, but instead, he said all of the right things, and his commitment to his team and winning was never questioned.

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3 free-agent tight ends Eric Bieniemy could be interested in for the Commanders

The tight end position is a critical part of Eric Bieniemy’s offense. Could the Commanders look to free agency to find a new starter in 2023?

New Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy likes the new weapons on his football team. Washington is loaded at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson and Dyami Brown. The Commanders are in good shape at running back with Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson.

We know of Washington’s needs on the offensive line, which will be addressed either through free agency and/or the 2023 NFL draft. While young quarterback Sam Howell is unproven, Bieniemy reportedly is prepared to with the rising second-year passer in 2023.

That leaves one position to address: tight end. The Commanders have five tight ends returning in 2023. Veteran starter Logan Thomas, John Bates, and three rising second-year players in Armani Rogers, Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges. Thomas will be 32 in Week 1 and caught just 39 passes and one touchdown in 2022. Thomas will count almost $8.7 million against the salary cap in 2023, per Over the Cap. Thomas is either a contender for a reduced salary or a possible salary-cap casualty.

What does that mean for the position?

Bates is excellent in his role. He is a reliable blocker and a capable receiver. He will not be confused for Travis Kelce. As for the three young players, all have promise but have accomplished nothing.

We know the tight end is a big part of Bieniemy’s offense. Sure, no one Washington lands in 2023 will be Kelce, but could Bieniemy use free agency as a way to upgrade the position next season?

Here are three tight ends Bieniemy could target in 2023 free agency next month.

Mike Gesicki grew up a huge Giants fan

Tight end Mike Gesicki, who will be a free agent come March 15, grew up as a huge fan of the New York Giants.

The New York Giants are in the market for tight ends this offseason and it’s not out of the question they add one through the draft and in free agency.

One possible free agent target could be Mike Gesicki, a New Jersey native who grew up a Giant fan.

“I grew up a big Giants fan. I watched every single game. Me and my dad on Sundays, we’d sit there on the couch and watch all of the games. It was cool,” Gesicki said in 2019.

Gesicki played his college ball at Penn State and was a second-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2019. The 6-foot-5, 247-pounder saw his career take a downturn under new Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel last year and is not likely to be re-signed by Miami this off-season.

The Giants could be one of the teams interested in Gesicki, who played in all 17 games in 2022 but only started one. In 2021, he had 73 receptions for 780 yards and had over 50 catches in each of the previous two seasons.

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Dolphins have just one player ranked in ESPN’s top 50 free agents

Miami doesn’t have many priority players hitting the market.

The Miami Dolphins have 31 players set to hit free agency this offseason, but not all of them were key contributors to the team in recent years.

Running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson will hit the market, but they didn’t crack ESPN’s Matt Bowen’s list of top 50 free agents (subscription required). In fact, the only Dolphin who made the cut was tight end Mike Gesicki, who is coming off of one of his least-productive seasons since entering the league.

Here’s what Bowen wrote about Gesicki:

“Playing on the franchise tag this season, Gesicki caught just 32 passes, a big drop from the 73 he had in 2021. He just didn’t fit well in coach Mike McDaniel’s system in Miami. Given Gesicki’s 6-foot-6 frame and ability to flex to the slot or out wide, however, he could be an attractive target in free agency for a team that uses him all over the field in the pass game. Gesicki has upside in the red zone.”

After a year in the scheme didn’t work, Gesicki will likely hit the market and find a new team. He still has impressive skills as a pass-catcher that can create mismatches, but his limits in the blocking game definitely hurt the impact that he can make for some teams.

Still, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get a deal that pays him near the top of the tight ends in the NFL today.

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Grading the Dolphins tight ends after their 2022 season

Not the best year from the room.

The Miami Dolphins have completed their 2022 campaign after losing to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.

While head coach Mike McDaniel, general manager Chris Grier and company are looking forward to the 2023 season, this is a great time for us to reflect on the season hat was for the aqua and orange.

We’ll be going through different positions and reviewing how they played in 2022. After starting with the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers, we’ll take a look at the guys lining up next to the tackles and in the slot. These are our grades for the Dolphins’ tight ends.

4 free agents Dolphins shouldn’t re-sign this offseason

They can spend money wiser.

The Miami Dolphins were eliminated from the NFL’s postseason tournament after losing to the Buffalo Bills on wild-card weekend. Now, they’ll have an opportunity to get an early start on their offseason plans.

While there have already been changes made to their coaching staff, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel also have some work to do with their roster.

31 players from their 2022 roster are set to hit the free-agent market at the start of the new league year, but Miami would probably be smart to avoid re-signing these four.

Best photos of Brenton Strange during his time at Penn State

Here are the top photos of Brenton Strange throughout his time at Penn State.

We continue our series of top moments from Nittany Lions prospects. Next up, we have tight end [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag].

Strange has had a productive college career at Penn State, improving every year he has stepped on the field. The Nittany Lions have done an impressive job developing tight ends for the next level. Two formers from Penn State are now starting tight ends in the NFL — [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] on the Steelers and [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] on the Dolphins.

This year’s NFL draft class is deep at the tight end position, headlined by Notre Dame‘s Michael Mayer. If you want to talk about sleeper prospects at their positions, Strange could certainly be added to that list.

Strange has impressive hands and does have the skills to be a productive tight end in the NFL. Whether he is a starting tight end or a backup, the talent of Strange will not disappoint at the next level.

Let’s take a look at the top moments from Brenton Strange during his time at Penn State.

TE Mike Gesicki shares heartfelt message to Dolphins fans

Could this be goodbye?

The season may have just come to a close for the 2022 Miami Dolphins, but the team and the players are reflecting on this past season and looking forward to the next.

For tight end Mike Gesicki, his last snap on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills may have been his final in a Dolphins jersey, as he’s set to hit free agency this offseason.

The 27-year-old was supposed to be on the market last year, but Miami placed their franchise tag on him, paying him over $10 million for the year. However, this time it doesn’t feel like that’s going to happen.

Gesicki took to social media on Wednesday to share a message with the fan base.

Whatever the future may hold for the former Penn State tight end, it was evident that he gave it his all when representing the aqua and orange, even if the last season wasn’t as great as he would’ve wanted.

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