As the calendar flips to April, the month of March was madness in Miami. The last 20 days or so made for perhaps the best offseason in Dolphins’ history, most notably the Tyreek Hill trade with Kansas City.
Not having a trade deserving of league-wide praise and fear since the Ricky Williams acquisition from the New Orleans Saints in 2002, Miami masterfully improved their roster with savvy moves by general manager Chris Grier, coupled with creative salary cap manipulation by Brandon Shore.
This duo worked in tandem to not just bring in players who could be instant difference-makers but also secured an immediate future of options, flexibility and, most importantly, potential.
That potential is very hard not to see, as the Dolphins retained the vast majority of their 2021 team, with the exception of role players like Mack Hollins, Justin Coleman and Duke Johnson. The Dolphins also released veterans Jesse Davis, who is now a Minnesota Viking, and Allen Hurns, who was let go with a failed physical designation.
On the flip side, Miami retained key players starting with the franchise tagging of tight end Mike Gesicki. Gesicki had career-highs in catches and receiving yards in 2021. Miami tendered cornerback Nik Needham, who was a restricted free agent following his most productive NFL season in 2021. In his third year as a pro, Needham was asked to handle slot duties and responded by not allowing a single touchdown at that position all season.
The Dolphins also re-signed their biggest free agent in defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, keeping him in Miami with a deal that allowed Miami to be continually aggressive in the offseason. The retaining of players like Preston Williams, Elandon Roberts, Duke Riley and Sam Eguavoen were basically table-setters for the main course of March.
Durham Smythe, Brennan Scarlett and Sheldrick Redwine will also be returning to South Florida as will be running backs Salvon Ahmed and Elijah Campbell, who were both tendered as well.
Back to the new additions.
Terron Armstead, the consensus top 2022 NFL free agent, inked a deal with the Dolphins and immediately upgraded Miami’s questionable offensive line. Fellow lineman Connor Williams was signed along with running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, fullback Alec Ingold, slot receiver Cedrick Wilson, Jr. and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Special teamers Keion Crossen and Trent Sherfield are fine additions to a unit that lost gunner-extraordinaire Hollins to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The excitement over the last month for the Miami faithful even started a few weeks prior with the hiring of Mike McDaniel, and his assembling of a coaching staff full of super coaches that could rival “The Avengers.” On paper, 2022 looks to be a snap when it comes to answering the question, “how much better did Miami get?”
Considerably.
Unfortunately, we’re not able to time-travel to the future, nor go back in time to change the past, yet this Miami team has all the reason to believe that they’re legitimate contenders in not just the AFC East but the conference as a whole.
Seriously, no fooling.
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