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Miami Dolphins - 2017-18 NFL Season Analysis
A Change of Plans
The Dolphins organization was excited to get the 2017 season going with a home opener VS the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately due to the looming Hurricane Irma, the Week 1 matchup has been postponed and will now be played during the team’s BYE week in Week 11. Players are not too happy about the change of plans. Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry was quoted saying:
“Listen, it’s a long season. Let’s be honest about it. It’s a long season, and I think the stretch after our bye week is probably one of the toughest... That bye week will give us an opportunity to kind of get some guys healthy. In this NFL, in the league, you’re going to get banged up week in, week out. For us, that bye week, it comes at an appropriate time. For us, to keep it there would be huge; but I know there are unfortunate situations and it’s out of our hands and it’s up to the NFL and the teams to decide what happens; but we could use that bye at that time."
Player Additions
QB – Jay Cutler
DE - William Hayes
S - Nate Allen
LB - Lawrence Timmons
TE – Julius Thomas
Player Departures
TE - Dion Sims
TE - Dominique Thomas
T – Branden Albert
S - Isa Abdul-Quddus
DE – Mario Williams
Player to Watch – Jay Ajayi – RB
Ajayi exploded onto the scene last year rushing for over 200 yards three different times. While there is concern about his knee health, Ajayi still has a ton of upside. With Jay Cutler taking over at QB you can expect the running back to become more involved in the pass game. The powerful agility Ajayi flashed over the course of last season has him looking like a top tier running back in 2017.
The Receiving Core
The Miami Dolphins have a rather stacked receiving core. With Jarvis Landry, Davonte Parker and Kenny Stills out wide, Cutler will have loads of options for the deep ball. Over the off-season the Dolphins brought in TE Julius Thomas. Last time Thomas was working the Adam Gase he was in Denver and had back to back 12 TD seasons. He will be an over-the-middle and end-zone threat for the Phins this season. If Jay Cutler can manage to have a decent season, you can expect big things from the Dolphins receivers.
2017 NFL Draft
Round 1 - Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Round 2 - Raekwon McMillan, LB, Ohio State
Round 3 - Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson
Round 5 - Isaac Asiata, G, Utah
Round 5 - Davon Godchaux, DT, Louisiana State
Round 6 - Vincent Taylor, DT, Oklahoma State
Round 7 - Isaiah Ford, WR, Virginia Tech
Predicitions
It will be a great year for the Phins as they continue to move forward under the coaching of Adam Gase. With a powerful offense and a solid D, they have the potential to give the New England Patriots a run for their money in the AFC East.
Miami Dolphins Website: http://www.miamidolphins.com/