Miami Dolphins common supervisor Chris Grier addressed a number of matters about his roster Monday as he met with the media following his workforce’s 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild-card playoff recreation Sunday.
To start, the Dolphins don’t seem to have a lot flexibility heading into the offseason with Miami presently $16.4 million over the 2023 wage cap, in line with OverTheCap.com.
This shouldn’t be one thing that worries Grier as he’s assured he’ll regain that room to work with.
“We always have flexibility, and we’ve done a lot of work to make sure we’ve maintained that,” Grier mentioned. “What it is right now is not what it will be to start the season.”
The Dolphins can be working to restructure quite a lot of high-priced contracts, a specialty of senior vp of soccer and enterprise administration Brandon Shore, who can convert gamers’ base salaries into signing bonuses, releasing up cap house.
First order of enterprise for Grier at Monday’s press convention was to reply about cornerback Byron Jones, who by no means suited up for the Dolphins through the 2022 season after decrease left leg surgical procedure final March. He remained on the physically-unable-to-perform listing all season after Miami was initially optimistic he might play early within the season.
“Byron worked hard trying to get back,” Grier mentioned. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. He did his best. Trainers, doctors, everybody worked hard.”
Grier was not ready to talk in lots of definitives along with his roster simply in the future faraway from his group’s contested defeat by the hands of the Bills, who have been two-touchdown favorites at dwelling.
“After the tough loss [Sunday], we’re kind of licking our wounds and just going about our process,” he mentioned. “We’re just not there right now to deal with it, but Byron did everything he could to try and play so no qualms with that at all.”
Grier touched on tight finish Mike Gesicki, who performed on the franchise tag in 2022, however his 32 receptions for 362 yards in his first common season in Mike McDaniel’s offense have been the bottom he’s had since his rookie yr.
Gesicki nonetheless caught touchdowns, although, with 5 within the common season and one other within the first half of Sunday’s playoff recreation. Grier detailed a dialog with the tight finish that occurred hours earlier than assembly with reporters.
“Told Mike I was proud of him. He did a nice job, made some plays [Sunday],” the Grier mentioned.
“We’ll see what the future holds. He’s earned the right to be a free agent. We’re happy for him. He did a nice job.”
Defensive deal with Christian Wilkins may very well be in line for a giant extension after recording a whopping 98 tackles, probably the most by a defensive lineman since 1994. He is ready to play on the fifth-year possibility of his contract for $10.75 million in 2023.
“It’ll be important to talk to him, work with him and keep him here because he’s been a big part,” Grier mentioned. “He was one of the first guys here through this [rebuild]. … He had been through a lot of stuff, and [we talked about] how happy he was to get a chance to go to the playoffs.”
Wilkins parlayed his 89-tackle 2021 season along with his even-greater manufacturing this season. He recorded eight sacks between the 2 campaigns.
Coaching workers evaluation
If the Dolphins are going to make modifications on the teaching workers, they don’t seem like imminent early within the workforce’s offseason after Sunday’s elimination.
“Pretty early. I think 24 hours ago, we might’ve had a lead,” McDaniel mentioned in response as to whether conversations have taken place about modifications along with his assistants. “One of the issues that I discovered from my expertise within the National Football League is that it’s very lengthy, it’s very emotional, and you may lend your self to residing with remorse if you happen to make any kind of choices emotionally.
“We’re going to go through the process, and you got to kind of let things simmer for, really, the entire coaching staff — just like you do with players — and have communication. It’s going to take a minute.”
At the highest of the watch listing is defensive coordinator Josh Boyer.
As a holdover from former coach Brian Flores’ period when McDaniel got here alongside final offseason, Boyer’s protection completed the 2022 common season thirtieth in takeaways, twenty seventh in go protection, twenty fourth in scoring protection and third-down protection and 18th in whole protection.
McDaniel favored the best way the protection turned it round within the last stretch, nonetheless. It stored the New York Jets out of the top zone in an 11-6 win within the regular-season finale to qualify for the playoffs. Then, the Dolphins compelled three turnovers, scored on one among them and registered seven sacks to stay shut with the closely favored Bills in Sunday’s wild-card loss.
“I was very, very proud of the defense, the coaching staff and the players on, specifically, the very end of the season, McDaniel said. “I think the last three regular-season games, in a place of adversity, they found their best self, I think. I couldn’t be prouder of [Sunday], specifically.”
Miami particular groups coordinator Danny Crossman additionally might have his standing with the workforce up within the air after his unit had kick/punt protection busts, missed discipline targets and different miscues all through the season.
Futures contracts
The Dolphins signed seven gamers to order/futures contracts Monday: defensive deal with Josiah Bronson, offensive lineman Lester Cotton, cornerback Tino Ellis, linebacker Cameron Goode, extensive receiver Braylon Sanders, deal with Kion Smith and defensive deal with Jaylen Twyman.
The gamers, who have been all on Miami’s follow squad this season and lots of have been elevated to the roster for video games, depend in opposition to the Dolphins’ 90-man roster heading into the offseason and 2023 coaching camp.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com