Tag: Myles Gaskin

What’s next for the Miami Dolphins after elimination?

Miami may look to make changes on the field and on the coaching staff.

As the eight remaining playoff teams get set for their weekend matchups, the Miami Dolphins front office and brain trust start their preparation for the 2023 season.

Following last Sunday’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, head coach Mike McDaniel enters his first offseason process in ending a season and assessing players along with the people he hired or inherited on his staff.

This will be the first time in his career and, of course, with Miami, that McDaniel will work with the powers that be following a head-coaching performance and renovate the roster and staff while building at the same time.

On the player end of things, 31 Dolphins from this season will enter free agency. Of the big names in this group, tight end Mike Gesicki will likely have a number of suitors who’ll utilize him to the maximum of his ability and skill set. After posting a heartfelt message on social media, Gesicki, in a vague way, that while he loves Miami and is appreciative of the Dolphins, it appears the honeymoon is over.

Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is also a free agent, and it’s not expected that he’ll be back in Miami Gardens next season following a year of injuries and underperformance. Staying on the offensive side of the ball, every single running back who recorded a carry for Miami in 2022, is now a free agent.

Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin and in-season addition Jeff Wilson, Jr. could all be on different teams next season, but it’s too early to speculate. With a loaded free agent running back class, the Dolphins could focus there, however, paying top dollar for a runner isn’t something that Chris Grier has proven to be in the market for in his tenure.

McDaniel brought a pair of San Fransisco wide receivers with him to Miami, River Cracraft and Trent Sherfield, and now they’re both free agents.

Defensively, the Dolphins have decisions to make regarding the homegrown talents of linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Nik Needham. Van Ginkel, a 2019 fifth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin is a valuable two-unit player for Miami, excelling on special teams and, more importantly, in the outside linebacker rotation for the Dolphins in a loaded room.

Needham was undrafted in that same year of 2019, and although initially cut, the Dolphins rewarded him a practice squad spot followed by an in-season promotion. Through trials by fire and social media, Needham worked to become a fixture in the Dolphins lineup as a second-year player in 2020, and, in 2021, he was one of the NFL’s top slot cornerbacks.

Needham suffered an Achilles injury in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, and although a free agent now, and rehabbing ahead of schedule. He even told reporters that Miami has communicated that they have plans for him and are interested in bringing him back.

Both will have suitors beyond the Dolphins, as Needham was recently signed by Athletes First, a top-tier agency representing a long list of NFL talent. Van Ginkel is also being courted by heavy-hitting representation, so these are situations to track this offseason.

Veteran defenders such as captain Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram, Eric Rowe and Duke Riley enter free agency, so that makes four free-agent linebackers who saw significant snaps in 2022. You can add in a fifth in Sam Eguavoen as well.

The Dolphins inked punter Thomas Morstead to a one-year deal last offseason. He had a fine year on the field and became a fan favorite off of it. Miami would be wise to throw another one-year deal his way with his work ethic and leadership.

There are a number of other veteran free agents Miami has decisions to make on, as well as coaching. McDaniel brought in his offensive coaching staff upon being hired in Miami, but essentially inherited the defensive crew, led by coordinator Josh Boyer.

Boyer was originally hired by former head coach Brian Flores. While last season had a bit of controversy as to who exactly was running the show on defense regarding play-calling, Boyer was retained last offseason despite the firing of Flores.

UPDATE: Boyer was fired on Thursday, along with three members of his staff.

This season, a talented Dolphins defense was underwhelming through the course of the season but did sustain a slew of significant injuries to key players. Emmanuel Ogbah, Brandon Jones, Needham and not to mention the Byron Jones saga, all led to Boyer playing with a limited deck.

Miami finished 2022 18th in total defense and 24th in scoring defense. The main issue was on third downs, as they were tied for the NFL’s 24th-ranked unit here, and, many times throughout the season, it was key conversions that plagued the Dolphins.

At the moment, it’s not confirmed one way or another if Boyer will be retained, and another coach where the speculation is flying is special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. The Dolphins ranked near the bottom of the league in special teams categories.

Now that 24 teams are looking to 2023, the coaching carousel is underway, but the timetables will be anybody’s guess on what, when, who and how this will play out from a staffing side.

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Ravens announce inactives for Week 2 vs. Dolphins

The Ravens announced inactives for their Week 2 matchup with the Dolphins

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium in their 2022 home opener. The Ravens suffered numerous injuries last season to key contributors before the year even began. However, one of those players will make his 2022 season debut on Sunday.

Baltimore released their inactives list for their Week 2 matchup with Miami, featuring a host of big names. Most of the players listed had a “questionable” tag on the team’s final injury report of the week on Friday. The Ravens have opted to take the cautious with some of their talent.

After speaking with the media earlier in the week and looking like he may suit up, Baltimore has decided to rest running back J.K. Dobbbins. He suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the 2021 preseason. The team also announced that offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, tight end Nick Boyle, wide receiver James Proche II, defensive tackle Travis Jones and cornerback Brandon Stephens will miss Week 2. However, the Ravens will be getting back star cornerback Marcus Peters after he missed all of 2021 with a torn ACL. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey will also suit up against the Dolphins after he was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report.

The Dolphins also announced their inactives, headlined by running back Myles Gaskin.

4 Dolphins change jersey numbers before season opener

Three are rookies, and one is a veteran.

When rookies are drafted or signed to their organization, they typically have limited numbers that they can choose from due to their being many players on the roster already.

Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Channing Tindall, who was the team’s first draft pick in 2022, got No. 51 when he arrived in South Florida after wearing No. 41 during his collegiate career at Georgia. No. 41 was being worn by linebacker Darius Hodge, but Hodge was recently released during the roster cutdowns.

With that, Tindall shared on his Instagram story that he’s going back to his collegiate number for the season.

Erik Ezukanma, another Dolphins rookie, is also changing his number. While he wore No. 84 and No. 13 at Texas Tech and had been wearing No. 87 in Miami, he’ll be wearing No. 18 going forward. That number was previously held by Preston Williams.

Undrafted rookie tight end Tanner Conner, who had been wearing No. 48 in the preseason, is switching back to his collegiate number – No. 80, which was held by tight end Adam Shaheen. Shaheen is on season-ending injured reserve after knee surgery.

One player that’s changing their number that isn’t a rookie is running back Myles Gaskin. Gaskin had worn No. 37 during his time in Miami, but he’s moving on from that and is switching to No. 3. Lynn Bowden Jr. had worn No. 3 this offseason, and Will Fuller donned it last season.

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Trying to make sense of Miami’s crowded backfield

How do we see Miami’s murky backfield shaking out in fantasy?

Despite going a combined 19-14 over the past two seasons, the Miami Dolphins effectively blew things up this offseason, replacing head coach Brian Flores with San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, and then aggressively overhauling their depth chart. While the acquisition of wide receiver Tyreek Hill grabbed the headlines, the Dolphins’ backfield saw plenty of attention as well — that should come as no surprise given Myles Gaskin led the team in rushing with just 612 yards.

In an effort to put a more dynamic ground game around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami signed a trio of backs in free agency: Chase Edmonds (two years, $12.6 million), Raheem Mostert (one year, $3.125 million), and Sony Michel (one year, $2.1 million). Gaskin returns as well. It’s a crowded backfield, so let’s look at the candidates to see who’s worthy of your attention.

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Dolphins RB and S ratings in Madden NFL 23

Two safeties made it into the 80s.

With the end of another NFL offseason insight, football fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the newest installment of the Madden video game series, Madden 23.

After the release of wide receiver/tight end ratings on Monday, and linebacker/defensive end ratings on Tuesday, EA Sports, the publishers of the game, released running back and safety ratings on Wednesday. The Dolphins have some solid players at each position, but no one made it into the elite 90s.

Here’s a look at most of Miami’s running back and safety ratings for launch and how they compare to other players at the same position:

  • Jevon Holland – 83 overall (t-No. 10 FS)
  • Eric Rowe – 80 overall (t-No. 17 SS)
  • Chase Edmonds – 79 overall (t-No. 33 RB)
  • Raheem Mostert – 78 overall (t-No. 37 RB)
  • Sony Michel – 77 overall (t-No. 42 RB)
  • Myles Gaskin – 74 overall (t-No. 59 RB)
  • Brandon Jones 72 overall (t-No. 40 SS)
  • Clayton Fejedelem – 70 overall (t-No. 45 SS)
  • Sheldrick Redwine – 70 overall (t-No. 47 FS)
  • Salvon Ahmed – 69 overall (t-No. 91 RB)
  • Quincy Wilson – 67 overall (t-No. 61 SS)
  • Verone McKinley III – 63 overall (t-No. 79 FS)
  • Gerrid Doaks – 62 overall (t-No. 157 RB)

While Dolphins fans may not be the happiest with these rankings, they can rest on the fact that Mostert was listed as the fastest running back in the league with a 95 speed rating.

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2022 Dolphins positional preview: RB group has quickly become loaded

A quick look at the RB room before camp starts.

In 2021, the Miami Dolphins’ rushing attack was lackluster, to say the least.

Prior to Week 14 when Duke Johnson took over as the lead back, the Dolphins had averaged just 79.2 rushing yards per game, the second-lowest average in the NFL ahead of only Houston.

By the end of the year, Miami had improved to 92.2 yards per game, but that was still the fourth-fewest per game with Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Houston rounding out the league.

This offseason, the Dolphins made a number of moves to improve their rushing attack, including switching to a new offensive system and bringing in more talented players to block for the backs.

Before training camp starts, it’s fitting to look around and assess where the team is at each position and take stock of the players and their roles. After looking at quarterbacks on Tuesday, we’ll look at running backs.

Why the Dolphins RB room will be the group to watch this summer

With a bunch of veterans and a UDFA, there will be competition.

Now that we’re in the month of July, the smell of football is in the air and hitting like aromas from a July 4 barbeque. While there are still a few weeks until the Miami Dolphins open up Mike McDaniel’s first NFL training camp as a head coach, there’s a solid chance several players are not in vacation mode at the moment.

With an influx of talent in all areas and phases of football, a number of Dolphins could be in jeopardy of losing their role. Not only that, but some rooms also seem over-occupied at the moment, and cuts or trades could very well happen as Miami prepares to trim their roster through the summer and preseason.

When looking at the offseason acquisitions in South Florida, a certain room added three veterans through free agency, as well as an undrafted rookie. They joined a trio of contracted Dolphins in Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed as well as practice squad seventh-round 2021 draft pick Gerrid Doaks.

Ironically, the two Washington Huskie friends in Gaskin and Ahmed could be the ones with their work cut out for them. The emergence of rookie UDFA ZaQuandre White impressing in camp could make one or both expendable. Gaskin was a seventh-round pick in 2019, and Ahmed was an UDFA originally signed by San Francisco, but he ended up in Miami in 2020.

Gaskin could hold trade value if Miami is to go that route, and that wouldn’t be surprising at all based on general manager Chris Grier’s track record. If there’s a draft pick to potentially recoup, Gaskin would be the asset to send, leaving a three-way battle with Ahmed, Doaks and White to earn that fourth running back role.

Gaskin can be a very solid pass-catching back and has proved that so far in his career. Gaskin caught 49 passes for Miami last season for 234 yards and four receiving touchdowns. 2021 did see his lowest career output in both yards per carry (3.5) and yards per reception (4.8). Inversely, last season Gaskin averaged 4.1 yards per carry on the ground and 9.5 yards per catch.

Ahmed showed flashes in limited action in 2020 and 2021 but regressed in his production. As a rookie, he rushed for 319 yards on 75 carries, good for a respectable 4.3 yards per attempt. He found the endzone three times and added 11 receptions in just six appearances.

In two occasions in 2020, Ahmed recorded 20+ carries. He gained 85 yards and 122 yards in those games, scoring in each contest. The Dolphins beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 and New England Patriots in Week 15 with the help of Ahmed.

2021 was a different story, as Ahmed never went over eight carries. His yards per carry was 2.8, and he only rushed 54 times while seeing offensive action in 11 games.

This doesn’t bode spectacularly well for Ahmed or Gaskin, as the Miami rushing attack in 2022 could be brand-new, with potentially four or five backs yet to record an official rush for the Dolphins. Raheem Mostert was a Dolphin in 2015, but in his one game, he didn’t record a touch.

The Dolphins could run with Mostert, who had sparks of spectacular play while a 49er with McDaniel, as well as Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel as their three-headed committee. Mostert has electric speed and could be the game-breaker Miami sorely needs, while Edmonds could be the most relied upon back in both the rushing and receiving components. Look for Michel to be the short-yardage and goal-line back.

It will be interesting to see the battle between Doaks and White, as there’s no certainty there. Both could either make the team or practice squad. The running back room is certainly one to focus on this summer in training camp. McDaniel, who specializes in the running scheme, just may be the perfect evaluator.

Rookies report to training camp July 19, and fans will be able to watch practice live for a number of sessions.

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PFF ranks Dolphins’ RB group extremely low

They’re near the bottom of the league.

Heading into Week 11 of the 2021 season, the Miami Dolphins’ rushing attack was the worst in the league. The group, headlined by Myles Gaskin, had averaged 73.6 yards per game on the ground, ranking 32nd.

Luckily, Miami was able to get some help when they called up veteran Duke Johnson to the active roster and claimed Phillip Lindsay off of waivers. They finished the year averaging 92.2 yards per contest, ranking 29th.

This offseason, while bringing in offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins put forth a concerted effort to bring in talent and create competition. They tendered Salvon Ahmed before signing Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel. Oh, and they still have Gaskin, Gerrid Doaks and undrafted rookie ZaQuandre White on the roster as well.

Looking around the NFL, it would be reasonable to assume that all of the veteran additions would improve the standing of Miami’s running backs among analysts.

Well, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey took it upon himself to rank the running back groups for all 32 teams in the league, and the Dolphins landed in his third-tier called “Gets the job done (good starter or good depth)” and No. 28 overall.

Here’s what Linsey wrote about Miami’s stable of backs:

“The Dolphins are certainly more talented at running back than they were in 2021, but it’s a hodgepodge collection of talent that will have to settle into order over the course of the offseason.

Raheem Mostert has the familiarity with new head coach Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme and the speed that works well in it, but he’s struggled to stay healthy. Chase Edmonds was Miami’s most expensive offseason acquisition at running back, but he has yet to hold down a lead role over the course of his career. Sony Michel and Myles Gaskin round out the group, ranking 52nd and 49th respectively in PFF grade last season out of 62 qualifiers.”

The Dolphins are only ahead of the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons. They’re just behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers.

In their career, the expected top three backs in Miami have had varying levels of success. Sony Michel has averaged 4.2 yards per carry, Edmonds has averaged 4.7 and Mostert has averaged 5.7.

Now, it’s obvious that all three are in new roles, behind a new offensive line, and there are questions about them, but to put a group that has a career 4.9 yards per attempt average near the bottom of the league is questionable.

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Dolphins UDFA RB ZaQuandre White is a name to know this summer

There may be a chance he sneaks onto the roster.

NFL training camp is a bit more than a month away, but minicamps and OTAs across the league have given coaches and fans a taste of what the summer could bring. In Miami, one thing the summer will certainly include, other than sweltering heat, is training camp battles.

As rookie head coach, Mike McDaniel told South Florida reporters that rookies, especially undrafted free agents have a tall task ahead of them.

“I say it to the rookies all the time – the undertaking they have where they’re transitioning from a different game and these are grown men that have been earning a paycheck and you’re trying to get reps from them and perform at a high level, so certain positions I think are more akin to show fast and furious,” he said.

McDaniel, who has brought a welcoming personability to his press conferences, spoke highly of UDFA running back ZaQuandre White. “Dr. White,” as McDaniel now calls him, will battle several for what could be the final spot in a running back room. The former South Carolina Gamecock will have to outperform players like Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Gerrid Doaks let alone brand new Dolphins Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel.

White, a Florida product out of Cape Coral, could be a perfect student to learn under McDaniel, who specializes in his run schemes. Mostert actually followed McDaniel from San Fransisco, a testament to the coach’s ability to work with running backs.

White is an exciting player who can be a chunk-play type of a runner for Miami. He has the ability to make defenders miss and make huge plays as evidenced in his 2021 season in South Carolina when he averaged 6.6 yards per carry and broke off a 63-yard run.

When discussing reps, and players making the most of them in minicamp, McDaniel name-dropped and even nicknamed his rookie runner.

“Typically running backs, you get a little more opportunity because it’s a little more natural to what you’ve done in the past – hey, don’t get tackled – and I’ve been very impressed with, I call him ‘Dr. White,’” he said.

It’s never bad for a head coach to have a positive connotation and nomenclature for an undrafted player, especially one who’s technically the team’s seventh running back on the pre-training-camp depth chart.

Like a good medical student, getting in on any chance to watch the pros and learn is something that “Dr. White” seems, well, run with. Special teams could be his key to admission to a potential spot on the 53-man roster.

It’s not uncommon for undrafted skill-position players to earn a spot on special teams and, in White’s case, could compete for a kick-off return role. Regardless of offense or special teams, you can make a solid wager that White will come to training camp prepared. While his work may be cut out for him, White’s a growing name of interest to see who can be the latest Dolphin gem as an undrafted free agent.

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2022 NFL coaching changes: Miami Dolphins

Mike McDaniel leaves the 49ers offense to become the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

The Brian Flores era lasted three seasons in Miami, not counting ongoing litigation. His teams finished 5-11, 10-6, and 9-8 while just missing the playoffs the last two seasons. In 2021, the Fins were 1-7 before finishing 8-1. Notably, the Dolphins lost to the Jaguars to end their 20-game losing streak, but back-to-back winning seasons were believed to keep Flores on the job, particularly considering the quality of the roster and impact of injuries that indicated that Flores had done an admirable job with what he had to work with at the time.

But Flores was released with the official statement of “…I determined that key dynamics of our football organization weren’t functioning at a level I wanted it to be…”

That was speculated to mean that Flores and general manager Chris Grier had a power struggle and that Grier won. Regardless, the Dolphins moved on to new head coach Mike McDaniel who acted as a position coach for the offense in stints with the Washington Redskins (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014), Atlanta Falcons (2015-2016), and then was the run game coordinator for the 49ers (2017-2020) and then the offensive coordinator last season.

McDaniel played under head coach Kyle Shanahan whose lengthy NFL resume was entirely on the offensive side of the ball, and he’s always had a heavy hand in the play calling for the 49ers. McDaniel tagged along at every stop for Shanahan since 2006, and the new head coach will call plays for the Dolphins after working under Shanahan who he described as “one of the best aspects the San Francisco 49ers have going is we have one of the best play-callers to have done it,” about his old boss.

McDaniel will throw some nuances onto the offense, along with Frank Smith, but this will be a 49ers scheme that employs a complicated and diverse offense.

Coaching tendencies

McDaniel will call plays. He did not do that for the 49ers, but the influence is clear. The offense seeks to optimize all players, and to rely on a committee backfield, a strong tight end, and a diverse passing scheme that spreads the ball among all receivers. It is interesting that the only season as the offensive coordinator in San Francisco is the one that  developed Deebo Samuel into a hybrid weapon that no longer neatly fits any offensive position.

Last year, the 49ers’ offense ranked right around average in all the fantasy positions.  They ended No. 12 in pass yards (4,413), No. 14 in passing touchdowns (25), and No. 14 in overall quarterback fantasy points. And that was up from the previous three seasons where the position only  ended around No. 20 in fantasy points each year.

The 49ers had long relied on a committee approach with running backs but last year – the only one with McDaniel as offensive coordinator – surprised when they relied heavily on just one running back. Elijah Mitchell had injury issues, but when he was healthy, he became a workhorse and logged over 20 carries in each of his last five games played.

The stats fell for tight ends last year when George Kittle struggled with injuries. He had been Top-5 when healthy over the previous three years. Kittle was often  the primary receiver in past seasons.

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The scheme spreads the passes around to the wideouts, tight end, and running backs. That’s left wide receivers to rarely offer more than average stats and fantasy points. Deebo Samuel became mostly a running back in the second half of last year, but the 49ers ranked no better than average considering the receptions by the position.

Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel combined for ten games with six or more receptions. And that was influenced by the down year by George Kittle. The changes to the 49ers offense last year was finally relying on a workhorse back and the creative use of Samuel. How much of that was a function of McDaniel and not just Shanahan responding to situations will be seen this year in Miami.

Personnel changes

The Dolphins rated average in passing and receiving last year but were one of the worse teams rushing the ball. That’s a function of the offensive line and the lack of quality in running back. Overall, no team threw more passes (174) and completions (122) to their tight end. At 1,271 yards for the position, the Fins were No. 3. Mike Gesicki caught 73 passes but the others combined for 59 receptions. While they only rated around average in wideout categories, the great chunks came from Jalen Waddle.

The Dolphins’ hire of McDaniel was made partly with Tua Tagovailoa in mind. He enters his third NFL season and this is his first as the unquestioned starter. He dealt with Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2020 and then played last season with the specter of Deshaun Watson being acquired. The commitment is there for Tagovailoa who should benefit.

The offensive line needs improvement and was one of the worst units in 2021. They allowed the most quarterback pressures (235) and the Fins rushed for the second-fewest yards per carry (3.5). They brought in Boston College’s Matt Applebaum as the offensive line coach to implement a zone-blocking scheme that will benefit the run game in particular, but the Fins have to refresh at least some of the linemen if appreciable improvement is to happen.

The backfield ended with Myles Gaskin and Duke Johnson as the most productive, but it was a glaring weakness and further impaired by the poor blocking. This is an area that the Fins can upgrade easily and see at least some improvement. McDaniel was there for the 49ers’ first workhorse back in Elijah Mitchell but the Dolphins have no one remotely capable of that level of production, let alone the blocking that the 49ers enjoy.

Mike Gesicki is a free agent but could be a franchise tag. It would make sense and he would be a nice fit for the scheme that will rely on a tight end more than most.

Jaylen Waddle was a great pick last year, even though he cost the Fins a first-round pick to acquire. DeVante Parker is signed through 2023 and  returns but Will Fuller is a free agent after being a colossal bust in his only season with the team.

Fantasy football takeaway

This is a new offense and benefits won’t happen overnight, particularly if McDaniel mirrors the complex scheme of the 49ers. But Tua Tagovailoa gets a bump with the commitment they have in him. He gets a confidence boost and hopefully an upgrade to their offensive line that did him no favors for the last two years.

The area to watch is the backfield and how the new regime handles acquiring new running backs. This could remain a committee approach and certainly doesn’t merit any change with the below-average set of rushers currently on the team. The benefits of changes to the offensive line and backfield won’t be completely apparent until 2023, but it would be encouraging and worth noting if they elect to bring in a capable veteran or use an earlier draft pick on a running back. Myles Gaskin never proved to be worthy of a primary role, and it would be a shock if they didn’t make significant moves for the position.

Mike Gesicki won’t want to be a franchise tag, but that’s likely the best outcome in fantasy terms. Tua Tagovailoa relied on his tight ends last year more than any other team, so Gesicki remains a lock for a Top-10 fantasy season and potentially a career-best.

The outlook for DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle remains unchanged. Waddle’s 104 catches as a rookie cement him as a fantasy starter and Parker hangs on as the No. 2 that offers only marginal fantasy value, and that’s only if he can remain healthy after missing six games in 2021.

Like most teams turning the soil on coaching, there are reasons for optimism in the first year of HC Mike McDaniel and OC Frank Smith. But it is unlikely any of the fantasy prospects will see any significant leap in fantasy points.