The Miami Dolphins have had a disappointing season and heading into 2016 there could be some major changes for the franchise. The team potentially could have a top five draft pick and with a new head coach likely taking over, Ryan Tannehill's future could be uncertain, as players like Paxton Lynch, Jared Goff and Connor Cook could be available in the draft.
The Dolphins spent a decent amount of money in the offseason on an extension for Tannehill and a free agent contract for Ndamukong Suh, but that did not result in a playoffs appearance. Head coach Joe Philbin was fired and while Dan Campbell has shown some good qualities as after taking over, the team is likely going to bring in someone else as the head coach in 2016.
Chip Kelly was just fired by the Eagles and he could be a potential candidate for the Dolphins, but that move also creates some other issues for the team. The Eagles now will be looking for a head coach as well and that adds another team to the list of teams that will be trying to bring in candidates for interviews. The Dolphins may look at Kelly, while a number of other assistants around the league could be candidates, including Adam Gase, Doug Marrone, Mike Shula and Hue Jackson. Expect Stanford head coach David Shaw to also get some calls.
A new head coach coming in also could mean Ryan Tannehill's future is up in the air for the Dolphins. While Tannehill has shown some progress, there is a chance that a new head coach will want to go in a different direction. The Palm Beach Post writes that if the Dolphins end up with a top 6 pick, the team could consider a quarterback. The Post writes that players like Jared Goff or Paxton Lynch could be options, as those two are considered to be the best QB prospects in this draft.
The Dolphins have other concerns apart from the head coach, as a number of key players are hitting free agency in Lamar Miller, Olivier Vernon and Louis Delmas. Miller has shown that he has the talent to be one of the best running backs in the league and the team will have to decide how willing they are to bring him back depending on his asking price. The Dolphins drafted Jay Ajayi this year, but he may not be ready to take over as the starter and has had injury issues in the past.
Miller should attract a number of suitors on the market this offseason and that could make retaining the running back a bit difficult. The Dolphins will likely make a strong attempt to keep Miller, as he has had a strong season for the team while rushing for 812 yards and putting up 46 catches for 394 yards receiving this year.