After a 2020 NFL season that saw the Miami Dolphins fall agonizingly short of the playoffs, how did they approach free agency in 2021? Let’s take a look at some of the Dolphins’ free-agent additions, as well as players they allowed to leave this offseason.
Who have the Miami Dolphins signed in free agency?
The Miami Dolphins have certainly had an active offseason. The 10-6 team from 2020 brought in several new faces while letting some old friends leave the franchise. However, did the Dolphins play it smart in 2021 NFL free agency with no real splash signings, or did they miss an opportunity to turn themselves into a contender?
Will Fuller adds speed and talent to the Dolphins wide receiver corps
One of the big criticisms of the Dolphins last season was their pass-catching group. With a rookie QB, you need receivers who can make space and open windows for him to throw into.
Unfortunately, among qualified receivers, the Dolphins had two of the three worst pass-catchers for separation, according to Next Gen Stats. DeVante Parker tied for the worst number at 1.7 yards on average, while Mike Gesicki was third with 2 yards. Isaiah Ford ranked in the middle of the pack at 2.8, while Jakeem Grant led the group with 3.1 yards.
[sv slug=”drizly”]Using Pro Football Network’s Offensive Value Metric, the Miami Dolphins receivers ranked 56th (Ford), 59th (Grant), and 70th (Parker) among qualified players. Gesicki ranked 30th among qualified tight ends. All of this meant that their QBs, Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick, had to make plays for the offense and could not rely on their receivers to do so for them.
Will Fuller immediately improves Miami’s WR room
By adding Fuller, the Dolphins bring in a receiver who ranked fourth in OVM last season. Fuller instantly adds upside and explosiveness to the Miami receiving group. Grant and Ford have speed, but Fuller is a higher-caliber athlete than either of those.
In 2020, Fuller was on pace for 1,278.5 receiving yards and 11.6 receiving touchdowns before getting suspended. Over the past three seasons, Fuller has seen his catch percentage sit around the 70 mark, which is significantly higher than his first two seasons.
Now, Fuller will miss the first game of the 2021 season through suspension, but the Dolphins have added an immediate upgrade to their receiving group for just $10.6 million on a one-year deal. It is hard to find fault in that addition, at least in terms of improving their offense in 2021.
The Miami Dolphins added veterans as both starters and depth options
The addition of center Matt Skura gives the Dolphins an immediate veteran replacement for Ted Karras. Skura had some issues in his final season in Baltimore but is a capable center. Skura could prove to be a long-term option at the position alongside Tua.
Jacoby Brissett replaces Ryan Fitzpatrick as the backup QB for the Dolphins. Brissett brings experience as a starter for the Patriots and Colts. Brissett is less of a gunslinger than Fitzpatrick was. He has played in 49 games in his career, starting 32. In that time, he has thrown 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. While his career completion rate of 59.6 percent is slightly less than ideal, he offers a safe, reliable backup option if Tua gets injured during a game.
Malcolm Brown, Duke Riley, and Justin Coleman all add more veteran experience that can compete to start.
Brown has yet to have a chance to really make a mark on the NFL but has proven to be a reliable backup and role player for the Rams. Riley has had a stop-start career in his four seasons but played over half the snaps on defense for the Eagles last season. Coleman has started 29 games in his career. While he had mediocre numbers, he could push for a role in the slot in the preseason. All three bring valuable special-teams experience to the Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins let some contributors leave in free agency
The Dolphins were always going to have some turnover this offseason. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was never likely to return as a backup. Meanwhile, his presence would only have clouded the situation surrounding their young QB. He moves to Washington, where he will have a real chance to compete for a starting role.
Davon Godchaux played just five games in 2020. However, he was impressive in 2019, with 75 combined tackles. The issue was that he did not disrupt the play often enough. He leaves Miami with just 3 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 16 QB hits in his career. He actually swaps almost perfectly like-for-like with Adam Butler, who spent four years with the Patriots. In his four-year career, Butler has 15 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 22 QB hits.
The release of Kyle Van Noy was somewhat surprising. Van Noy had 6 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, forced 2 fumbles, and defended 6 passes. However, Van Noy’s cap number was high for that production, and the Dolphins had structured the deal in such a way it cost little to get out of.
The Dolphins also made an intriguing trade this offseason
As well as releasing Van Noy, the Miami Dolphins made further moves on defense. They traded pass rusher Shaq Lawson to the Texans in return for linebacker Benardrick McKinney. Lawson had just 4 sacks and 4 tackles for loss in 2020. He did add 18 QB hits, but the overall production was underwhelming.
Meanwhile, the emergence of Andrew Van Ginkel meant the Dolphins could afford to move on from Lawson. Van Ginkel had 5.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, and forced 3 fumbles last season. After playing just 46 percent of the defensive snaps last season, Van Ginkel will get the chance to impress this season.
Featured | Ryan Gosling’s First Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft
McKinney comes to the Dolphins off the back of a season in which he played just four games. However, McKinney has over 100 combined tackles in three of the four seasons preceding 2020. Even in the season he did not hit 100, he still had 95 combined tackles. McKinney brings a little of everything to the Dolphins and can start at linebacker from Week 1. Last season, McKinney allowed a passer rating of just 50.3, although he was only targeted 7 times.
All told, the Miami Dolphins made some fascinating moves. They avoided locking themselves into several high-priced question marks. Meanwhile, they put the pieces around Tua Tagovailoa to help him improve. Throw in four picks in the top 50 and five in the top 100 in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the Dolphins have the opportunity to add a lot of talent to their team. To do it all without committing to any big-money, long-term deals seems a smart way to have played the first wave of free agency.
Want more NFL news and analysis?
Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay up to date with all things around the NFL. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis concerning the new 2021 NFL season.