Best, worst offseason moves for the Miami Dolphins

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29. While the Miami Dolphins have had some solid acquisitions in free agency, their biggest connection came via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Here are the best and worst offseason moves the Dolphins have made.

Best | Trading for CB Jalen Ramsey

The Dolphins added a six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro cornerback in the middle of his prime. It cost them just a third-round pick -- which they had acquired from the Patriots -- and a backup tight end.

Ramsey should help bolster a Dolphins pass defense that ranked 27th  in yards allowed (234.8 yards per game) and recorded the fourth-fewest interceptions (eight) last season. Pairing Ramsey with Xavien Howard gives Miami one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL. The duo had a combined 28 forced incompletions, 23 pass breakups and six interceptions in 2022.

Best | Signing LB David Long Jr.

Overshadowed by Zach Cunningham and Rashaan Evans, Long Jr. was drastically underappreciated for everything he accomplished in Tennessee. He consistently dropped into coverage and held his own in doing so, he had 75 or more tackles each of the last two seasons and he was consistently among the Titans top tacklers in run defense.

Miami lost leading tackler Elandon Roberts (107) to the Pittsburgh Steelers and pairing Long Jr. with Jerome Baker, who totaled 100 tackles and six tackles for loss in 2022, allows the Dolphins keep a solid run-defending duo in the middle of their defense.

Worst | Not improving the RB room

While the Dolphins re-signed Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Myles Gaskin, who combined for just 1,309 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season, none of the above three are a true No. 1 running back.

David Montgomery, Miles Sanders and Jamaal Williams all signed for relatively cheap and Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt remain available, yet the Dolphins didn’t kick the tires on any of them. The team needs a true bell cow back capable of 20 or more carries per game, if only to help take some of the pressure off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If Miami goes into the season with the same RB trio it did last season, it’s doing a great disservice to its quarterback.

Worst | Losing both Mike Gesicki and Hunter Long

Miami managed just 47 receptions, 491 yards and six touchdowns from its tight ends in 2022 and now Durham Smythe and Eric Saubert are the only players at the position under contract for 2023.

Letting Gesicki hit the open market would not have been a bad move had Long -- who totaled 89 receptions, 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns at Boston College -- transitioned to the starting job in the fall. Miami only has four draft picks for later in April and the team will either have to use one on a tight end or head to a meager free agent market to fill the starting position.