Peter King believes Miami is trending in the right direction

The Miami Dolphins have spent the last decade establishing themselves as offseason winners with big-money free agents and high hopes. However, those hopes have rarely translated to success on the field, as the team is yet to win a playoff game in roughly 20 years.

After a bumpy start to the 2019 season, the Dolphins spent the second half of the year showcasing the potential of a franchise led by first-year head coach Brian Flores, which saw the Dolphins go 5-4 following Halloween.

Those five wins in the nine-game stretch is exactly why Peter King, of NBC Sports, has the Dolphins at 19 in his most recent offseason power ranking.

“Most Overused Peter King Stat of the Offseason . . . 2019 records (including playoffs) since Halloween: Miami 5-4, New England 4-5,” King wrote. “And then the Dolphins added an electric quarterback, half the Patriots roster, and reinforcements for the offensive line.”

The Dolphins are currently two spots above the New England Patriots and could continue to rise because of the situation at quarterback, according to King.

“Around the draft, I kept hearing Miami’s the perfect place for Tua Tagovailoa, because he can take a redshirt year to get his ankles and surgically repaired hip absolutely perfect for 2021,” King wrote. “So Tua behind Ryan Fitzpatrick was the perfect scenario. It could be, but not because the Dolphins drafted him to take a rehab season. If we learned one thing from watching Flores last year, when half his roster got traded to get in position to have the first pick in the draft, he’s not coaching for next year.”

The major difference between the 2020 Miami Dolphins, and the offseason hopes of years past, is that nobody is necessarily expecting the team to make a leap and become a threat for the playoffs. However, the feelings projected by King is that the Dolphins will continue their upwards trajectory as they solidify a roster that could become a consistent playoff contender for years to come.