New England Patriots: Eye on the AFC East — Miami Dolphins
By Hal Bent
OFFENSE:
At quarterback, the Dolphins are likely to jettison starter Ryan Tannehill and find a non-Brock Osweiler replacement. Tannehill has had numerous opportunities over the years to prove he can deliver as a competent starting quarterback in this league; unfortunately, he has never fully panned out, and at this point maybe it’s time for a full reset.
At running back, the ageless Frank Gore will likely return and take snaps away from Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage, who both displayed big-play ability.
Rookie tight end Mike Gesicki came with big hype but little production in 2018. Neither Nick O’Leary, A.J. Derby, or Durham Smythe seemed capable of being a contributor at the position.
At wide receiver, Kenny Stills ($9.75 million), DeVante Parker ($9.38 million), Albert Wilson ($8.3 million), and Danny Amendola ($6 million) all have high salary-cap hits for 2019 that do not match their 2018 production (all salary data courtesy OvertheCap.com). Wilson was the best of the bunch before injuries ended his season, and Parker can be released without any dead money charge.
The offensive line is solid at both tackle spots with Laremy Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James. The interior offensive line missed the injured Josh Sitton ($7 million cap hit in 2019) and struggled throughout the season. Centers Travis Swanson and Wesley Johnson were notably poor, while guards Ted Larsen and Jesse Davis also graded out as below average.