Tight finish Mike Gesicki and the Miami Dolphins’ new offense below coach Mike McDaniel haven’t meshed.
The proof has reached a peak over the group’s previous 4 video games since its bye week. When Gesicki hauled in his one catch for five yards within the loss to the Buffalo Bills, it was his first reception in a month after three video games with out one.
In these final 4 video games, he has been focused a complete of 5 occasions. Twice in that stretch, he was solely concerned on 20 % of Miami’s offensive performs, amounting to a career-low 9 snaps within the Dec. 4 loss on the San Francisco 49ers.
The frustration is likely to be reaching a boiling level on the sector. Following the 12 snaps he performed in Orchard Park final Saturday evening, a Bills video of Buffalo tight finish Dawson Knox mic’d up revealed Gesicki telling him, “I’m happy you got paid. I’m happy you’re ballin’. I’m happy they’re [expletive] using you.”
A jab at his group’s lack of utilization of the 6-foot-6 go catcher’s skills?
After Gesicki posted profession highs of 73 receptions for 780 yards in 2021, he’s all the way down to 25 catches for 274 yards in 14 video games in his first marketing campaign below McDaniel. Surprisingly, he has two extra touchdowns than final yr, scoring 4 occasions to date. In phrases of receptions and yards, he’s on tempo to have his least productive season since his rookie yr.
“I’m a competitor. I’ve made plays in this league for a long time, and I’ve proven the player I am,” Gesicki stated Wednesday when requested if it’s been irritating. “I feel that there’s most likely defensive coordinators on the market which might be going into watching our movie and need to put in time — or at the least used to need to put in time — to ‘how are we going to affect the game plan with 88 out there?’
“In my opinion, I could help, but I’m just going to go about it in the most professional way I can and make the most of my opportunities when they do present themselves, if they do. That’s really all I can do.”
And whereas Gesicki, enjoying on the franchise tag with the Dolphins this season, could have his inside frustrations — and even categorical them when he’s unaware a sizzling mic from an opposing group is rolling — he has stated all the best issues concerning the scenario.
“Obviously, you want to be out there making plays, be out there in general,” Gesicki stated. “There’s quite a bit that goes into it, but it surely’s not about me. This group isn’t constructed round me.
“I’m going to do my job. I don’t call the plays. I just go out there and execute them. Try to do the best of my ability. That doesn’t make me feel any way. I just want to help this team win football games in any way possible, whether that’s me being a good teammate or me being on the field — whatever it is.”
Said fellow tight finish Durham Smythe, Gesicki’s famous finest buddy on the group who was an Adam Gase-era draft choice with him in the identical 2018 class: “It says quite a bit about him, simply the best way he’s dealt with it publicly, on this constructing. At the tip of the day, he desires to win soccer video games. I feel that’s why his spirits are so excessive.
“He wishes he could contribute a little bit more. … We’re not worried about it. Everyone knows what he can do in the right situation.”
The Dolphins utilizing the franchise tag on Gesicki final offseason primarily made it a one-year trial run to see if he might match below McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and tight ends coach Jon Embree, who emphasize the blocking facet of the tight finish place on this offense that options the wide-zone scheme within the run recreation. The tag worth for tight ends in 2022 was $10.9 million.
It seems extremely unlikely Gesicki, even after the group didn’t commerce him within the offseason or earlier than the Nov. 1 deadline, can be again with the Dolphins. He figures to enter free company coming off a down closing season in Miami, which might have monetary ramifications.
“I try not to focus on that,” he stated. “I’m not enthusiastic about my subsequent contract, something like that. I feel a whole lot of groups round this league know me because the playmaker that I’ve been, however that’s probably not what I’m targeted on proper now as a result of we’ve obtained a whole lot of soccer forward of us. And there’s a whole lot of thrilling issues for the way forward for the Miami Dolphins proper now.
“I’m happy to be a part of it. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to put a smile on my face, come in here every day, be the best teammate I can be, do whatever I can do day in and day out to help the organization.”
The fifth-year tight finish out of Penn State holds out hope that he can issue into the stretch run for an 8-6 Dolphins group attempting to achieve the postseason for the primary time since 2016, starting with the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
“I know, at some point — it could be this year, but if not, it will be next year,” stated Gesicki, who added he nonetheless catches 160 balls after follow, “I’m going to make the most of my opportunities when they come.”
Added Smythe: “It would shock me if an opportunity for him didn’t come up that was in a big moment.”
Smith stated communication with Gesicki has been key throughout this difficult stretch the place his offense has not been in a position to make the most of Gesicki’s strengths as a red-zone goal who could make contested catches.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com