The Miami Dolphins are coming into the 2014 season with high expectations after missing the playoffs and a trade with Mike Wallace or Dion Jordan could be in the cards before training camp and it could bank on whether wideout Brandon Gibson is healthy and if rookie Jarvis Landry can make an impact as a starter for Ryan Tannehill in the offense as he gets ready to have a new offensive coordinator in his very important third season in the NFL.
The Dolphins missed the playoffs last season after their offense had a power outage at the end of the year and they scored just seven points over the final two games of the season and suffered a shutout at the hands of the Bills. Mike Sherman was fired after the season and with Dennis Hickey coming in, the team put a focus on the offense and trying to get Ryan Tannehill on track with his development, signing Knowshon Moreno and adding Branden Albert on the offensive line. According to NFL.com, Mike Wallace is an option to get traded because of his high salary and while Hickey may not do it this season, he could do it in the future if he does not perform up to expectations.
The team also drafted Jarvis Landry and Arthur Lynch in the hopes of bringing in some young depth for Tannehill to work with as he comes into the ever-important third year of development. The Dolphins main issue last season was the offensive side of the ball, as the team was wildly inconsistent and they did not put up great numbers for most of the year. The team led the league in sacks allowed with over 50 and part of that was due to losing Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin with that whole situation, but the team still did give up 56 sacks. Tannehill needs more time in the pocket to find his man and last season he was consistently under pressure.
The Dolphins ranked 26th in the league in rushing yards per game last season and that was one reason why they signed Moreno as a free agent. According to ESPN.com, Moreno came into camp a bit overweight, but the team is looking for him to get in shape for camp and he is expected to be a major factor in the offense. The team averaged just 90 yards per game with Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller and now both players will have to find a way to step up this season with Moreno in the fold as well.
The Dolphins picked Landry with their second round pick this year and he is coming off of a very good season with LSU and is expected to be a major contributor this season. Landry has to find a role among Wallace and Brian Hartline, as well as Brandon Gibson, Rishard Matthews and Damian Williams and right now he has the chance, as Gibson is still coming back from an injury. If Landry can crack the starting lineup, expect Hickey and Joe Philbin to put pressure on Wallace to perform and if he continues to disappoint, he could be on his way out of town in the future.
