Is Miami Wasting “Prime Years” of Tua, Tyreek, and Waddle with a Poor Offensive Line?
Yes, we are back talking about the offensive line. Why? Because it is a pain point with this Miami Dolphins organization that has cost them in the past.
I know Mike McDaniel said on Monday at his media session that Miami currently has more NFL-caliber offensive linemen than it can keep on its roster. If he truly believes that, then I want what he is smoking.
This is nothing more than “coach talk” and a head coach who is “talking up” his players to the media, which is fine. I get that. All head coaches should do that.
But it’s not true.
Let’s keep it real and be honest: Miami currently has some fringe offensive line players on its roster who are lucky to be in an NFL training camp. A couple of those guys will make this roster after final cuts.
And while the analytics nerds you read at sites like PFF and ESPN Next Gen Stats will tell you, don’t worry, Miami’s offensive line will be fine.
And while certain reporters (local and national) will tell you, oh, don’t worry, Miami’s offensive line is fine and good enough.
You will hear next-level spin that, “Mike McDaniel’s Offense doesn’t need a great offensive line because the ball is coming out so quickly.”
You will hear next-level spin that, “Miami had the #1 offense last season with pretty much this same offensive line, so don’t worry.”
You will hear lunacy like, “Can’t have a superstar at every position, so just accept Miami goes cheap on the offensive line and it will be ok.”
You will hear either die-hard homer fans, clueless media types, or analytics nerds trying to convince you not to believe your eyes and believe what is on this sheet of paper.
MIAMI HAD THE #1 OFFENSE LAST YEAR
This notion that Miami had a #1 offense last year so don’t worry about the offensive line because the same group is essentially back, is laughable.
In the one game Miami won vs a good team (Dallas), they only scored one offensive touchdown.
In the rest of the games, they lost to “good teams.” They scored 7, 14, 19, 14, 17, 20. Some of the scores in those games were in “garbage time.” They couldn’t get to 20 points per game against any good team.
And it isn’t Tyreek, Waddle, or Tua’s fault for those low-scoring outputs. It’s mainly because the offensive line got pushed around and didn’t do its job.
So yes, your offense can run up big numbers and look great vs. the NE, NYG, LAV, and Denver’s of the world, but when you play a truly good team, and you need your offensive line to give Tua an extra second or two to make a play, they can’t.
When you need your offensive line to make a push on 3rd and 1 to convert that first down, they can’t.
So, yes, Miami had the #1 offense last season, but that doesn’t tell the true story of Miami’s offensive line and why a team would want to bring it back essentially the same group.
Not to mention, if this was the #1 offense last year with that not very good, often injured offensive line, just imagine how good and how much better this offense would be IF it had a decent to good offensive line?
YOU CAN’T HAVE A SUPERSTAR AT EVERY POSITION
I file this excuse in the category of no crap. Nobody is saying Miami needs five superstars to start on the offensive line.
But Miami hasn’t built this correctly.
Chris Grier whiffed on Liam Eichenberg.
It took until year 4 for Miami to get anything out of Austin Jackson
Grier drafted an offensive lineman in Round 2 this year, Patrick Paul, who has zero position flexibility, and he knew he wouldn’t play this year because he had Terron Armstead and Kendall Lamm in front of him.
Grier hit on Robert Hunt but could not lock him up a year early, and he left for another team when he priced himself out of Miami.
Nobody is upset that Grier didn’t pay Robert Hunt $100 million to stay. No offensive guard is worth $100 million.
But to literally do nothing, which Miami did…nothing, in replacing Hunt is malpractice for a General Manager.
It is laughable that they thought it was okay to get by with Lester Cotton, Robert Jones, or Liam Eichenberg as starters again.
According to the analytics nerds, Miami had the 31st-ranked pass block win rate. So, if you buy into those numbers, is bringing everyone back the answer?
It makes no sense.
Again, nobody is saying Miami needed to break the bank and sign 2 or 3 high-priced offensive linemen. But there is much room between paying a guard $100 million and not paying anything to replace him.
Couldn’t they find a decent, proven veteran guard to play for $10 million? Or $20 million? We get it. We will not spend $100 million over five years on an offensive guard, but nothing on any guard?
Let’s just bring back Isaiah Wynn (who still isn’t healthy from last year’s injury) and an Eagles cast-off, Jack Driscoll, who has been awful in training camp thus far.
I understand Miami can’t have a superstar at every position. How about going “cheap” at safety? Or linebacker? Or tight end? And we reallocate that money to the trenches and the offensive line, where it is sorely needed.
THE DOLPHINS SUPER BOWL WINDOW
Based on the structure of the contracts they gave to Tua, Tyreek, and Waddle, the Miami Dolphins have a three-year window to make a Super Bowl run.
After those three years, Tyreek’s contract will be up; if it’s not working with Tua, they can move on, and the Dolphins’ ownership and front office will have some big decisions to make.
So, the question: Is Miami Wasting One of Those Three Years of Tua, Tyreek, and Waddle together with a lackluster offensive line?
The hell with looking to the future and saving cap space; Miami should be “ALL IN” and make a huge push to win big these next three years.
And that isn’t with developmental or low-level offensive linemen; they should be trying to put an offensive line in front of their $235 million quarterback to maximize not only his talent but also the talent of the high-priced WRs they just paid in Hill and Waddle.
Windows in the NFL close fast. Buffalo and San Francisco are prime examples of that as many believe 2024 for them is the final year of their “Super Bowl Window” and if they don’t get it done this year, they won’t and will have to start over so to speak.
Miami is now entering this 3-year window, and it feels like this year, which is year one, is kind of being wasted because we know this offensive line isn’t good enough to take them far enough.
Miami may make the playoffs again. And this offensive line may be the reason they are out in the first round again.
I know it’s late in the game, and it’s only mid-August. However, Miami has 10 draft picks in the 2025 draft; they should be looking to move heaven and earth to add one capable offensive lineman. I know no team will trade a good one at this point, but there may be a guy out there who is depth on one team but would be a starter on ours.
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