Grading the Miami Dolphins’ roster and what that might mean for 2021 regular season – Miami Herald

I don’t grade on the curve. Let’s establish that right now.

You remember back in school that mean teacher who handed back your best book report filled with red circles and a rough grade? That’s me.

So the grades for every Miami Dolphins position group as we head into the 2021 regular season aren’t going to be understanding, or generous, or in any way soft.

That understood:

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: It’s all about Tua Tagovailoa and hopes are high within the organization that the second-year player has done the necessary work to make a leap. Tagovailoa is still listed at 217 pounds but he is thicker, stronger, apparently more prepared to stand in the pocket, take a hit and survive. Having said that, the Dolphins have been working on multiple roll outs and quick passes in their new offense to protect their starter. If he gets that protection, and if he avoids injury, Tagovailoa seems poised to improve in 2021. Does that mean he’ll be elite? Hard to fathom. But improved to the point he’s part of the solution rather than the problem is how it trended during training camp. The addition of veteran Jacoby Brissett as Miami’s backup is a good move given his experience as a former NFL starter and attitude. Brissett understands and accepts it’s Tagovailoa’s team. But he has the ability to succeed, as he’s done in the past with the Colts and Patriots, when pressed into service. GRADE: B-minus.

Running backs: Myles Gaskin had a really nice training camp. He’s better, folks. And I predict he could be a central figure in the Dolphins passing game. But that said, he and Salvon Ahmed are smallish and generally not explosive as running backs. And Malcolm Brown is a solid player who came to the Dolphins with solid credentials and delivered nothing more than a solid training camp as of this writing. So where are the big plays going to come from? Who’s going to deliver the 65-yard runs? The Dolphins have to deliver an answer to that question and then the grade can rise. GRADE: C.

Tight ends: Mike Gesicki is in a contract year so he is more than motivated to have a huge year. And there’s no reason he won’t do that, given his obvious connection with Tagovailoa when he was healthy in training camp. Adam Shaheen, in his fifth NFL season and second with the Dolphins, might just be something of a late bloomer because he made plays in camp when Gesicki missed time. Durham Smythe remains solid but the club at this writing was hoping for big things from rookie Hunter Long, which is a hope more than a certainty considering he is a rookie and missed time during camp with an injury. GRADE: B-minus.

Wide receivers: The key to this group’s success is staying healthy. And, yes, that’s a key for everybody but it’s something to focus on for these players because most of them have significant injury histories. During training camp, for example, DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Will Fuller and Albert Wilson all missed practice time while nursing injuries. The saving grace here is this group is quite deep. First-round pick Jaylen Waddle, Jakeem Grant, reserves Mack Hollins, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Isaiah Ford all flashed at times during camp. All seem capable of succeeding to varying degrees. All can help Tua Tagovailoa be better. The question is who will stay healthy long enough to produce. GRADE: B-minus.

Offensive line: No idea whether they’re going to be good. More concerning is the Dolphins can have no real idea if the group is going to be good, either. Why? Well, because we won’t really know about Liam Eichenberg as a rookie until he gets regular-season games on his resume. We won’t really know about Michael Deiter as a starting center until he gets a good number of regular games on his resume. Robert Hunt is moving from right tackle to right guard, so let’s see how that goes. The Dolphins expect Austin Jackson to be really good and he has the tools to be that, but we’ll have to wait to see. Standing apart from the unknowns is Jesse Davis, who is a proven swing lineman who can start at either right tackle or left guard. The group, by the way, needs to upgrade its depth and the Dolphins were trying to do that by seeking help either in a trade or through waivers. GRADE: C.

DEFENSE

Defensive line: The Dolphins love their depth here. They have it to the point former first-round draft pick Christian Wilkins and promising young veteran Zach Sieler had something of a training camp competition for a starting job and will both play a lot of snaps in 2021. They have it in that Raekwon Davis is the unquestioned starter at nose tackle, but John Jenkins and Adam Butler are very solid options in a pinch. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah remains the only established difference-maker for the group so somebody else, whose name you just read, needs to step up and deliver big moments during the season. GRADE: B.

Linebackers: The Dolphins have a plan that seems solid because their inside linebackers are set with Benardrick McKinney and young star Jerome Baker while their hopes on the outside hinge on Andrew Van Ginkel and first-round rookie Jaelan Phillips producing big moments (sacks). The concern is McKinney seems to be mostly a one-down, run-down player and the hopes around Van Ginkel and Phillips are all a projection of what they might be able to do rather than a certainty about what they’ve done in the past. Baker really is the only known three-down player here. Brennan Scarlett has shown nice pass-rush ability in the past and might be good depth outside. GRADE: C-plus.

Cornerbacks: After attending to some minor contract drama with Xavien Howard and making sure Byron Jones didn’t get his feelings hurt, the Dolphins can be secure in knowing they have one of the best starting corner duos in the NFL. Nik Needham had a solid season in the slot last year and the Dolphins believe Justin Coleman might be even better there this year, his 2020 struggles with Detroit notwithstanding. Jason McCourty worked at safety during the preseason but is an option at corner in case of injury, and the club still has hope second-year player Noah Igbinoghene makes a leap after struggling at times as a rookie. One name few know but shouldn’t be ignored is first-year player Javaris Davis, who is smallish at 5-8 but had a very good training camp as he tried to win a roster spot. GRADE: A.

Safeties: So maybe if the Dolphins don’t ask Eric Rowe to cover Raiders Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller man-to-man an entire game, everyone would have a higher opinion of this group. This is, to be sure, a good group regardless of that questionable coaching strategy. Rowe is solid and Jason McCourty is a solid plan until rookie Jevon Holland earns the starting job. That could be quite soon because Holland continually made plays in training camp and carries himself like a star, often around the ball, covering a lot of ground, soaking up the nuances of the defense like a sponge. Yeah, he’s going to be very good. GRADE: A.

SPECIALISTS: The kicker? Jason Sanders is an All-Pro. The returner? Jakeem Grant is an All-Pro. (Not for nothing but Salguero, who votes on All-Pro team, did a masterful job getting his deserving guys on the team). Anyway, long snapper Blake Ferguson has the potential to be a Pro Bowl guy with a little improvement over the next year or two. And punter Michael Palardy, aside from his good kicking, has a very good left-handed passing arm that may come in handy in 2021. Just sayin’. GRADE: A.

Overall grade: The Dolphins should be a 9- or 10-win team. The problem is, as they learned last season, 9 or 10 wins might not be good enough to get into the playoffs. And if they’re not a playoff team, they’re a failure. Because the current building program under the current administration has not yet taken that step and must do exactly that this season. GRADE: B-minus.