“The Miami Dolphins’ Postseason Miss: Offseason Priorities and Key Players to Re-Sign”

The Miami Dolphins appeared to be the AFC team to beat for a large portion of the season. Mike Daniels’ team was 5-1 going into Week 7, and with two games remaining in the season and the top seed in their grasp, they were 11-4.

However, the Dolphins’ incapacity to lose to strong opponents ultimately kept them from making the postseason. They only defeated a team that finished with a winning record once, and they lost five of their six games during the regular season to playoff teams. With a cold-weather road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami’s season came to an unsatisfactory close.

After four seasons with a winning record, the Dolphins have yet to secure a postseason victory. In reality, Miami currently has the longest NFL streak without a postseason victory at twenty-three years, thanks to the Detroit Lions’ Wild Card victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

In the offseason, the team must make several crucial choices, one of which is how to handle star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa going forward. Entering the last year of his rookie contract, Tagovailoa has a $23 million cap charge, which increases by $14 million from the 2023 campaign.

A number of important Miami players are also set to join free agency. Despite not having the same celebrity status as Tyreek Hill or Tua, these undrafted free agents played a crucial role in the Dolphins’ victory as unsung heroes. The Dolphins need to re-sign these four guys as the offseason gets going.

Christian Wilkins (DT)

The Miami offensive garnered a lot of attention, but the Dolphins offense was equally crucial to this team’s performance. Along with 23 quarterback hits, Christian Wilkins finished third on the team with nine sacks, an outstanding total for a defensive tackle. With Wilkins leading the defensive line, the Dolphins also gave up the fourth-fewest yards per rush.

Andrew Van Ginkel (LB)

This season, was there a defensive player in the NFL more underappreciated than Andrew Van Ginkel? Van Ginkel, an outside linebacker, played only 66% of the potential snaps for Miami yet finished with six sacks, 19 quarterback hits, and eight passes defended. With a Pro Football Focus Player Grade of 91.1, he is classified as a “Elite” player. Andrew Van Ginkel is a crucial defensive player that forms the foundation of this Dolphins club, along with Christian Wilkins.

Connor Williams (C)

Although dynamic skill players like Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert receive a lot of the credit for this Miami Dolphins offense, the team’s success is mostly due to an outstanding offensive line. With eight runs of forty yards or more, and 5.1 yards per carry, the Dolphins topped the NFL. This offensive line allowed the third-fewest pressures and the fewest quarterback hits in the NFL during the passing game.

Center Connor Williams was the best offensive lineman for Miami. The sixth-year player was ranked as the top run-blocking center and the highest-rated center by Pro Football Focus in 2023. Williams’ injury kept him out of the game for half the season, and his absence on the field was felt. Throughout his eight complete games, Miami averaged 161 rushing yards per game. That total was just 111 yards when Williams wasn’t in the lineup.

Williams’ re-signing is crucial for this Miami offense.

Robert Hunt (G)

Robert Hunt played right guard for Miami and was a reliable player, although not being as good as players like Terron Armstead or Connor Williams on this 0-line. Throughout the season, Hunt only allowed one sack and had two penalties. The Dolphins should prioritize maintaining this offensive unit in the summer.