Last night, the Miami Dolphins players, coaches and front office witnessed their division rival in the New England Patriots defeat the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl XLIX.
With the 2014 season now in the books, general manager Dennis Hickey and the rest of his staff must be prepared to spend an entire offseason retooling and rebuilding a roster that underperformed in the team’s final games.
While the offense had their best single-season statistical performance since the 1996 season, there are still holes that must be filled. It’s not just the offense, however, as the Dolphins once proclaimed dominant defense struggled down the stretch last season, allowing 37 or more points in each of their final three games.
Fortunately for Miami, the holes on the offense are minimal compared to those of the defense. With quarterback Ryan Tannehill solidifying himself as a franchise piece, the Dolphins decade-long issue appears to be solved. What is not solved, however, is the need for a player to spell power back Lamar Miller and another guard on the offensive line.
Unlike the couple of pieces needed on offense, the defensive situation is a bit more complex. Outside of the consistent pass rush and cornerback Brent Grimes, the Dolphins defense is filled with injuries and question marks.
Cameron Wake finished with another double-digit sack season while Grimes had another Pro Bowl season, recording five interceptions. The problem lies within the lack of quality, consistent depth that was signed or drafted onto the roster.
The play from this Dolphins team over the last few seasons is inexcusable. Of course, a majority of the players on the roster are from former general manager Jeff Ireland. However, this is no longer Ireland’s roster. Although Hickey has not been promised security, he must find a way to rid the old personnel and bring in his own players.
The weakest spot on the team is clearly at linebacker. Two years ago, Miami brought in Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe and inked them to sizable free agent contracts. So far, the moves have not worked out as Wheeler has struggled, while Ellerbe missed 15 games last season with a hip injury.
In addition to Wheeler and Ellerbe, fellow linebacker Koa Misi has not adapted well to his recent move to the inside.
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Along with the issues faced at the linebacker position, the Dolphins have a serious problem moving forward in the secondary. Players such as Will Davis, Louis Delmas and Michael Thomas all suffered season ending injuries, while cornerback Jamar Taylor had his own battle staying healthy.
It’s hard to direct blame to the front office for injury, but these are developing into question marks moving forward. Whether it is via free agency or the draft, an answer for these injuries must be found.
The Dolphins defense let a lot of people down last season. It was something that is quite unusual, as they are consistently one of the better unit’s in the league. Injuries did occur, there is no denying that. However, these injuries will now develop into a major concern for the Dolphins moving forward.
Also, there is no excuse for the lack of talent at the core of the defense. The previous front office was given the go-ahead to bring in quality free agents and they failed to do so. Instead, they brought in underperforming linebackers on big salaries, putting the team in a financial bind.
These are real problems for the Miami Dolphins, and if they do not improve their defense this offseason, they will continue to have a hard time finding their way back to the postseason.