The Good

When the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill they gave up a boatload of draft picks. It was a bit of a risk for Miami as they mortgaged their future to win now. The aggressiveness of the Dolphins front office makes sense. They are looking to capitalize on Tagovailoa’s rookie contract and surround him with weapons. Hill pretty much exceeded all expectations in his first season for Miami. He racked up 1,710 receiving yards and 8 total touchdowns. Hill and fellow WR Jaylen Waddle have quickly become one of the best receiving duos in the NFL. You can expect similar numbers in 2023 for Hill and Waddle as they continue to grow together.

The Bad

If you’re looking for a weakness on this Dolphins roster it has to be at the tight end position. Mike Gesicki is no longer with the team as Miami has decided to invest in other positions on offense. It makes sense for the most part. Head coach Mike McDainel has stated in the past that the TE position is not a big part of their offense. While I agree to a point, having an elite TE can open up an offense even more. Think of what Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews have done to their offensive units. Teams will focus their defense more on the outside instead of having to cover the middle which a good TE would occupy.

To no fault of their own, the Dolphins will be thin at the cornerback position until Jalen Ramsey returns. The aggressiveness I touched on earlier by the front office landed the Dolphins Ramsey this offseason. Having Ramsey opposite Xavien Howard will give Miami two lock-down cornerbacks. The hope is for Ramsey to return from injury later this year and hopefully in time for the playoffs. In the meantime, CB Kader Kohou will need to step up for Miami but there are concerns there.

The Prediction

I’m expecting the Miami Dolphins to battle it out with the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title. In the end, the Dolphins will fall just short of the Division but will secure a wild-card berth. This is a big year for Tua Tagovailoa. If he does well, expect a contract extension. If not the Dolphins will likely be looking for a new quarterback next year.

2023 Record: 10-7 (2nd in the Division)

The post Miami Dolphins Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins may have an exciting, new aerial attack with Tua Tagovailoa and his new toys in 2022, but it will very important that they showcase a lethal pass defense moving forward. The Phins really had a stingy pass defense (sixth in passing touchdowns allowed) last season. The alpha male, Xavien Howard, had 16 pass deflections and 5 interceptions (after having 10 ints in 2020). Of course, he signed a monster five-year extension worth $90 million dollars in April. The other veteran starter Byron Jones had a slightly mediocre campaign, as PFF gave him a 65 grade. He also didn’t record an interception after recording two ints in 2020.

Nik Needham was a modest CB3 last season — as he garnered 2 ints (including a pick-six), 50 combined tackles, and 5 pass deflections. He had a 66.2 grade by PFF. Last but not least, the Dolphins expect Noah Igbinoghene (2020 first-round pick that has disappointed) to be an occasional force moving forward. He can be an x-factor in their secondary.

The Phins secondary ranked 14th in interceptions last season — after being tied for first in ints in 2020. The Dolphins pass defense should have countless more opportunities than last season to pick off opposing signal-callers. The Phins should definitely have an explosive offense w/ Tyreek Hill that should force opposing offenses to keep pace with their offense, so Howard and his posse should look forward to having lots of ints in 2022.

Although, It should be noted that the Phins will have more challenging competition in their division. Devante Parker went to the dark side in New England, so he will pose as a serious threat to the Phins secondary twice a season. The Jets should also have an improved passing attack with Zach Wilson. It’s clear that Phins secondary needs to stay on their toes in each divisional contest if they want to be an AFC juggernaut.

The post Miami Dolphins secondary outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

Cornerback Xavien Howard’s time with the Miami Dolphins is coming to an end. The former second-round pick is looking for a restructured contract and the Dolphins don’t seem willing to make it happen. 

Howard has proven to be one of the most elite cornerbacks in the NFL. His 2020 season was one of the best seasons for a corner in recent years. 

Howard’s presence would help improve any secondary in the NFL. He is a proven lockdown corner that teams are forced to avoid. In 2020, he was targeted 90 times. On those 90 targets, he came away with 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended. 

After signing a new deal in May of 2019, Howard became one of the league’s highest-paid corners. He is just now entering the second year of that extension. While Howard’s contract overall is one of the largest at his position, his annual pay falls right near the middle of the pack. Howard is due $12.1 million in 2021, which would make him the 11th highest paid corner this upcoming season. Howard believes he is worth more than that and wants a new deal. After also locking up cornerback Byron Jones, the Dolphins will have a hard time doing this. 

This is where the possibility of trade comes into play. If the Dolphins can’t figures out a way to make Howard happy, he won’t report to the team. Both sides seem intent on not budging. There are a few teams that could make the play to go after Howard if the Dolphins and he do seem to part ways. Let’s take a look at the possible landing spots for one of the league’s best corners. 

New Orleans Saints

A cornerback group of Xavien Howard, Marshon Lattimore, Patrick Robinson, and CJ Gardner-Johnson could be too much for the Saints to pass on. The secondary group has had its struggles and Howard would add much-needed depth. 

With both him and Lattimore on each side of the field, they could keep up with nearly any receiving duo in the NFL. Offenses would be forced to go after one of them, and that would be a tough task to deal with. 

A player of Howard’s level could be exactly what this defense needs. If this team hopes to stay competitive, especially in a division with a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have one of the league’s best receiving groups.  

The Saints future is very much in the air. They have questions on the offensive side of the ball and there is still no sign on who will be the QB1. But an elite defense can take a team far, even if they have an offense that struggles. New Orleans could create something special if they add a player like Howard.

Arizona Cardinals 

The Arizona Cardinals could be a much more intriguing landing spot for Howard. After losing Patrick Peterson to free agency, Arizona is missing a true lockdown corner. Howard could be that CB1 that every team looks for. 

Arizona added Malcolm Butler in free agency but outside of Butler, the group is somewhat unproven. Another proven veteran could be necessary to keep this group in games.

2019 second-round pick is currently the corner opposite of Butler. He struggled throughout last season, allowing 57 receptions on 82 targets.

Howard in this secondary would help handle the issue of secondary play. It would also allow Murphy to fall back into more of a relief role where he can step in when necessary. 

The Cardinals have put together a strong defense, with playmakers all over that side of the ball. Howard could prove to be the last piece needed to put it all together for Arizona. 

Los Angeles Chargers 

The Los Angeles Chargers could be a dark horse candidate to sign Howard. The Chargers biggest defensive weakness could arguably be their secondary group. Neither starter from last season performed at a high level. 

Howard would come to this team and be an instant upgrade. His ability to hold down an entire portion of the field is something that the Chargers have not had in their secondary. 

After a strong performance last year from the team as a whole, the Chargers could be putting together something special. But without an elite secondary, this team could not live up to their true potential. Howard could be what puts them over the edge.  

A secondary consisting of both Howard and safety Derwin James would be something that opposing offenses would have to be on the lookout for. 

The post Best Trade Destinations for Dolphins CB Xavien Howard appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins entered Week 17 with the number one scoring defense. In the Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins defense opened the floodgates and allowed a whopping 56 points. Nonetheless, the Dolphins defense finished the regular season with a fourth overall scoring defense. It’s safe to say the Dolphins defense had an impressive 2020 season. 

Headed into the 2021 season, Brian Flores has his defensive sights set on perfection. Brian Flores will be entering his second year and the Dolphins defense is filled with numerous beginners poised to take the next step. There is a catch, however. 

Xavien Howard, who was the NFL’s third ranked CB from last year, is holding out for a hefty contract. It seems very likely that Howard will be a Dolphin long term, but it’s not clear when he will return and if he in fact doesn’t get traded. There poses a real possibility of Howard missing game time next season.

With or without Howard, I believe the Dolphins defense will show up largely next season. I simply believe there is too much optimism to disacknowledge the fact that the Dolphins wouldn’t be a Top 5 unit in 2021.

Here are a few reasons why the Dolphins will flex an elite defensive unit next season. 

• More efficient third down offense 

It’s very underrated that the Dolphins defense wasn’t just fantastic last year, but magnificent with a 26th ranked Dolphins third down offense. The Dolphins third down offense has been flat out horrific. The Dolphins offense routinely let the defense out to dry by giving them little rest with little third down efficiency.

It’s not disputable that the Dolphins should expect major change with their third down efficiency. The Dolphins signed prominent deep threat WR Will Fuller in free agency and drafted Jaylen Waddle, who’s drawn comparisons to Tyreek Hill. 

Fuller didn’t only have 14 receptions for 20+ yards, but he also had a ridiculous 16.6 YPC last year. Waddle had his own 16.9 YPC in Nick Saban’s offense last season, which helped his teammate DeVonta Smith gain more production and his team ultimately win the National Championship. Waddle is expected to more than a major asset to the Dolphins offense by some reputable networks. Roll Tide Wire foresees Waddle as the Dolphins MVP in 2021.

• Jerome Baker

The leading Dolphins tackler in 2020 was none other than Jerome Baker. NFL analyst Bucky Brooks has Baker pegged as one of NFL’s most underrated talents. The third year LB didn’t only record 112 tackles, but also a monstrous seven sacks from the LB spot. 

Baker clearly flourished as the ILB in Flores scheme and his athletic ability showed to be atop the NFL’s best. Expect Baker to remain one of the top all around LBs in 2021 as he earned a well paid contract extension this offseason.

• Traded for Benardrick McKinney

The Dolphins may be missing talent at the CB position on Day 1, but the defense will have more playmaking ability elsewhere. Flores added another high end ILB to the defense with the trade acquisition of Benardrick McKinney. 

McKinney is an excellent complement to Baker at LB, as he excels against the run and pass. In McKinney’s Pro Bowl season, he displayed a 105 tackle mark, 1.5 sacks, 5 TFLs, and seven pass deflections.

The Dolphins could be missing Xavien Howard in September, but they will still have the very talented Byron Jones at CB, followed by a dominant LB duo of McKinney and Baker.

The post 3 reasons why the Dolphins defense will be elite with or without Xavien Howard appeared first on Pro Football Mania.