By Kevin Perez
NFL free agency opened March 14th and it did not take long for the Miami Dolphins to make a flurry of moves. With a new head coach and coaching staff, the Dolphins were active in the market from early on.
The Dolphins tagged their starting tight end Mike Gesicki who secured 72 catches for two touchdowns last season giving him another chance to prove himself with a new offense in 2022. They also re-signed defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who had a career season for himself last year recording nine sacks and forcing one fumble.
Continuing to address the offensive side of the ball, the running back position has been a weakness for the Dolphins in past years. With new head coach Mike McDaniel who prioritized a run-heavy game scheme in San Francisco, the Dolphins made sure to address the running back position immediately.
Miami added major speed in the backfield with two signings. The Dolphins first secured Chase Edmonds who is one of the better dual-threat backs in the league and then signed former 49ers speedster Raheem Mostert, who is now reunited with Mike McDaniel in Miami.
The Dolphins did not stop there with speed. Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. was also brought in after a breakout season in Dallas last year. The Dolphins sent shock waves through the NFL by acquiring wide receiver Tyreek Hill in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for five draft picks.
The Dolphins added an elite receiver and one of the fastest players in the league to a receiving core of Jaylen Waddle, one of the league’s rising stars, with Cedrick Wilson Jr., Devante Parker, and Mike Gesick, giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a multitude of weapons.
Another weakness for the Dolphins has been their offensive line, which ranked dead last in pass block win rate, depriving Tagovailoa time to get anything going most of the time.
In response, the Dolphins signed offensive tackle Terron Armstead to a five-year deal worth $74.4M and more with incentives up to $84.7M. Armstead is one of the most experienced linemen in the league, having spent nine seasons with the New Orleans Saints and appearing in three Pro-Bowls.
Armstead will also receive help from guard Connor Williams, who the Dolphins signed as well. Both these players will try and stabilize what has been one of the worst offensive line units in the NFL.
After their flurry of moves and arguably one of their best off-seasons ever, the Miami Dolphins have improved vastly and made the moves they might need in order to compete with the already improving AFC.
Free agency is yet to be over, and the Dolphins still have some money to spend. Regardless, fans are already excited for the new future of the team in South Florida.
