Miami Dolphins Need to End These Experiments

Miami Dolphins Need to End These Experiments

The Miami Dolphins are 1-6 this year. Though it has been an expectedly poor season, some players have stood out and made an impact while others have struggled. Some players and coaches had a chance to prove themselves, but have done nothing but dig themselves a deeper hole week after week.

Bobby Slowik

While Miami has seen an uptick in offensive production, Slowik has been very disappointing. Even if you remove the fact that he is working with below-average talent, he still hasn’t shown the ability to build a sturdy scheme for these young players. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, Slowik seems to have taken a liking to certain aspects of the Mike McDaniel playbook, such as splitting the fullback out wide and predictable play calls from under-center formations. Slowik seems unable to keep his foot on the gas when Miami has a lead, and the offense’s overall talent isn’t good enough to help them out of any hole. The Dolphins should be done with the Bobby Slowik experiment.

Jonah Savaiinaea 

The former 2nd-round selection from the Chris Grier regime had a historically bad rookie season. Still, the team underwent a complete overhaul, and he was given the chance to move to a more natural position. Unfortunately, it has been too small an improvement, and he is a liability at times. Though his power and athleticism are valuable in space, like screen passes and trap runs, his anchor and hand placement are very poor. He hasn’t played consistently well at guard, and it showed against New England in Week 8. With the recent addition of former Seahawks guard Christian Haynes, it may be time to bench Jonah.

Willie Gay

The Dolphins originally signed former Chiefs and Saints linebacker Willie Gay to a deal prior to last season. He saw minimal playing time, which outraged many fans. Gay had a really great stint on his rookie deal with Kansas City. After being resigned by the new regime, Gay has consistently been out of place on the field. Playing over 40% of defensive snaps is a no-go given how he plays. Jeff Hafley needs his linebackers to fly around the field and make plays in coverage and space, but Gay has been a liability in coverage all season. At 28, it’s unlikely Gay is part of the future plans. Miami needs to give someone else an opportunity.

Who Needs to Step It Up?

Players like Malik Willis and Dante Trader are on very thin ice. Though Willis continues to show flashes despite a bad supporting cast, he is far from where he needs to be as an NFL quarterback. He will have the rest of the season to keep pushing for the “franchise quarterback” tag. Dante Trader looks slower and a lot less savvy than he did as a rookie. Michael Taaffe has stepped in and become the only safety making game-changing plays, and Trader has had to split time with other defensive backs.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will likely have the rest of the year to prove he is worth keeping long term. Miami has struggled to kick field goals, punt, and defend against opposing kick return opportunities. Obviously, the players on the field need to make plays, but it starts with the coaching and the game plan throughout the week.