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The Brian Flores Era has officially started in Miami.
And within the next several days, the Miami Dolphins will begin to solidify their coaching staff for the upcoming season.
Chad O’Shea, Patrick Graham, Jim Caldwell, are just a few of a dozen new faces that will begin to call Davie, Florida their home.
No one knows how this thing will play out long-term, but there is reason for optimism.
Earlier this week, ESPN compiled their list of NFL teams most likely to undergo a makeover in 2019. As you can expect, there plans to be a lot of overhaul within the AFC East. Here is what the top-5 looked like.
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Oakland Raiders
- Miami Dolphins
- Buffalo Bills
The article begins with this intro from Mike Sando:
This NFL offseason will prove again that the league and its teams never rest.
With that in mind, we are back with our annual offseason overhaul rankings for all 32 teams. It’s a chance to project which teams might undergo the most significant changes as the hiring cycle for coaches and general managers gives way to roster cuts, free agency, trades and the draft.
We start with the teams that missed the postseason or were eliminated early. Check back after each playoff round to see where the newly eliminated teams rank, and why we’ve placed them there.
Here is what they had to say about the #4 team on their list, the Miami Dolphins...
Owner Stephen Ross punctuated the Dolphins’ leadership changes by suggesting the team needed a long-term rebuild after attempts to maximize the short term failed to meet his expectations. GM Chris Grier and the new coach will spearhead those efforts.
Veterans Frank Gore, Josh Sitton, William Hayes and Daniel Kilgore are all 30 or older and finished the season on injured reserve. What will the future hold for them? Gore and mainstay pass-rusher Cameron Wake are among the veterans with expiring contracts.
The team could also decide to shift away from quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been with Miami throughout his career, which began in 2012. Tannehill’s career 49.1 QBR ranks 33rd out of 39 quarterbacks with at least 1,000 pass attempts in that span. Only Matt Schaub, Brock Osweiler, Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Brian Hoyer and Blaine Gabbert rank lower.
With lots of big decisions looming, the 2019 Miami Dolphins will surely look different than last year’s team. For better or worse, this team is rebuilding. Which means they will cut ties with dead weight and inflated contracts, and pave way for a youth movement.
Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t.
But the 2019 Miami Dolphins will look very different. And for that we should all be thankful.