Month: June 2017

New York Jets 2017 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2017 NFL Season Previews, Jets

Quarterback

The Jets had a surprise 10-6 season in 2015, but it looked unlikely they would repeat that season in 2016. Not only did they enter the 2016 season with one of the oldest starting lineups in the NFL, but they also had a bunch of veterans coming off of career best seasons who were unlikely to repeat those seasons. As a result, they declined in a big way in 2016, finishing at 5-11 and dead last in the AFC East. Their 5 win drop was big, but their decline is even worse than that suggests as they fell from 5th in first down rate differential at +5.11% in 2015 to 29th at -4.30% in 2016. That was the biggest decline in the NFL, just ahead of the Carolina Panthers. In 2015, the Jets finished 15th and 1st respectively in first down rate and first down rate allowed, but they fell to 28th and 18th respectively in those two metrics in 2016.

One of those veterans coming off a career best season was quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 59.6% of his passes for 6.95 YPA, 31 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 2015. An aging journeyman, Fitzpatrick wanted to cash in on his big season as a free agent last off-season and he and the Jets played hardball into training camp, before he eventually re-signed on a 1-year, 12 million dollar deal. Once he finally returned to the team, the Jets probably wished he hadn’t, as he completed just 56.6% of his passes for an average of 6.73 YPA, 12 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in 2016. No eligible quarterback finished the season with a worse QB rating.

Missing off-season work likely had something to do with it, but the fact is he’s an aging journeyman who was unlikely to repeat his 2015 season regardless. Fitzpatrick was actually benched on two separate occasions last season. He was first benched for backup Geno Smith, but then Smith tore his ACL, which forced Fitzpatrick back into action. Then, after the team fell to 3-8, Fitzpatrick was benched for 2nd year quarterback Bryce Petty, who made the first 4 starts of his career, before suffering an injury of his own and forcing Fitzpatrick back into action once again for week 17.

None of the Jets’ three quarterbacks even resembled a capable starting quarterback in 2016, as the Jets finished dead last in the NFL with a 67.6 QB rating. Not only was that the worst QB rating in the league last season, but it was the worst by any team in a season since the Jets in 2013. Fitzpatrick, now going into his age 35 season, and Smith were both not re-signed this off-season, as they signed with the Buccaneers and Giants respectively as pure backups. Bryce Petty returns, but he was abysmal in his 4 starts, completing 56.4% of his passes for an average of 6.08 YPA, 3 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Only a 4th round pick in 2015, Petty doesn’t even look like a long-term backup.

The Jets also return another young quarterback, 2016 2nd round pick Christian Hackenberg, but he didn’t throw a pass last season, despite all 3 quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart struggling. There’s a good reason for that as Hackenberg didn’t look remotely ready for game action in the pre-season, completing a comical 36.2% of his passes for an average of 3.38 YPA, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in 2 games, even though he was playing against 3rd and 4th stringers, many of whom didn’t even make a final roster in 2016.

Hackenberg was a high pick, but could go down as one of the biggest reaches in recent history. Hackenberg was a top recruit coming out of high school and showed promise as a freshman at Penn State, but completed less than 55% of his passes over the next 2 seasons with just 28 touchdowns to 21 interceptions. The Jets took a flier on his upside and it already seems to have backfired. Wildly inaccurate with horrendous pocket presence, Hackenberg wasn’t even given a draftable grade by Pro Football Focus before the draft and it’s very telling that he couldn’t get on the field even in a lost season in 2016.

Both Petty and Hackenberg will likely see action at some point in 2017, but the Jets are expected to start the season with veteran journeyman Josh McCown under center, after the Jets signed him to a 1-year, 6.5 million dollar deal this off-season, passing on more expensive veterans like Mike Glennon, Colin Kaepernick, and (before his retirement) Jay Cutler. Those other three players would have been better options, but the Jets seem to be expecting a lost season in 2017 and didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the quarterback position.

The Jets didn’t seem to want to spend a lot of money in general, releasing several highly paid veterans and not signing any high priced free agents. Rather than pushing forward with a mediocre, expensive veteran roster, the Jets smartly seem to be embracing the rebuild, building up cap space and letting young players play, though the immediate results on the field could be very ugly. The Jets didn’t draft a quarterback, but 2018 is a much better quarterback class and this is going to be much more than a one-year rebuild, so it was smart of them not to reach for someone in this year’s draft, especially with needs all over the field.

McCown will more or less be the sacrificial lamb as they need someone to start games under center for them this season. McCown does have experience with this kind of thing, starting 11 games for the 2-14 Buccaneers in 2014 (#1 pick), 8 games for the 3-13 Browns in 2015 (#2 pick), and then 3 games for the 1-15 Browns in 2016 (#1 pick). Over those 3 seasons, he’s completed 58.7% of his passes for an average of 6.91 YPA, 29 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions and is 2-20 as a starter. That’s not all his fault, but that record is unlikely to improve much this season.

Prior to that, McCown flashed in 5 starts in place of an injured Jay Cutler with the Bears in 2013, completing 66.5% of his passes for an average of 6.75 YPA, 13 touchdowns, and an interception, which is probably why he’s continued to get chances, but prior to 2013 he made just 2 starts from 2008-2012 and didn’t have a QB rating higher than 70 since 2005. Now going into his 16th season in the NFL, the fact that he’s still in the league is a testament to what he provides in terms of leadership and intangibles, but he’s never had a good arm and that’s highly unlikely to change going into his age 38 season. He also has not been able to stay healthy over the past couple seasons, so Petty and Hackenberg will both likely have opportunities to play by the end of the season. The Jets have the worst quarterback situation in the league.

Grade: F

Receiving Corps

Two of the highly paid veterans the Jets parted ways with this off-season were wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. An example of how quickly things can change in the NFL, Marshall and Decker one of four wide receiver duos in 2015 to both top 1000 yards, but the rebuilding Jets decided to let both of them go this off-season, rather than paying them 7.5 million and 7.25 million respectively in their age 33 and age 30 seasons respectively.

Marshall finished 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns in 2015, totalling 1502 yards and 14 touchdowns on 109 catches, but fell to 59/788/3 in 2016 and caught just 46.1% of the targets thrown his way. Quarterback play was a huge part of the problem, but he still fell from 15th among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus in 2015 to 67th out of 115 eligible in 2016. Decker, meanwhile, had a 80/1027/12 slash line in 2016, but missed all but 3 games with injury last season. Now neither are with the team anymore.

Fortunately, Quincy Enunwa did have a solid year in Decker’s absence, though he’ll likely be overmatched as a #1 receiver. He’s also a one year wonder who caught just 22 of 46 targets (47.8%) for 315 yards and 0 touchdowns in 2015, finishing 103rd out of 108 eligible wide receivers on 522 snaps in the first significant action of his career. Last season, the 2014 6th round pick was much better in a bigger role, catching 58 passes for a team high 857 yards and 4 touchdowns on 106 targets (54.7%) and finishing slightly above average on Pro Football Focus, but, even at his best, he’s only a competent #2 receiver.

Not only is Enunwa overmatched as a #1 wide receiver, but the Jets have no depth behind on the depth chart. Robby Anderson finished 3rd on the team in snaps played among wide receivers with 717 last season, and the undrafted rookie was predictably was overwhelmed, catching just 42 passes for 587 yards and 2 touchdowns and finishing 108th out of 115 eligible wide receivers on Pro Football Focus. He’s unlikely to be much better this season, but he’s the early favorite to start opposite Enunwa. He’ll be pushed for snaps by 3rd round rookie ArDarius Stewart, the early favorite for the #3 receiver job. Fourth round rookie Chad Hansen and 2016 7th round pick Charone Peake, who struggled on 324 snaps as a rookie, will also be in the mix for snaps in the league’s thinnest wide receiver group.

Things aren’t any better at tight end either. Former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey never used the tight end in the passing game, so the Jets never addressed their need at tight end. In 2 seasons under Gailey, the Jets completed just 26 passes to tight ends, easily the fewest in the league over that time period. Gailey is no longer with the team, but their lack of tight end depth remains. In fact, 5th round rookie Jordan Leggett, an unremarkable prospect, is currently the favorite to be the week 1 starter. That could change after week 3, when Austin Seferian-Jenkins returns from suspension, but Leggett will have a significant role as a rookie regardless.

Seferian-Jenkins had first round talent coming out of the University of Washington, with great pass catching and run blocking ability at 6-5 262, but fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2nd round because of concerns about his alcohol use. Those concerns have proven to be legitimate, as ASJ has struggled with discipline and conditioning throughout his career and was arrested for DUI last September, which led to the Buccaneers releasing him. He was also arrested for DUI in college. He’ll serve a 2-game suspension to start 2017, but reports have been very positive about him and his maturity this off-season. Still only going into his age 25 season, there’s time for him to turn it around and turn into a productive player in the league if he can be disciplined and stay out of trouble, but that’s far from a guarantee. With Josh McCown throwing to this receiving corps, it’s a mystery how the Jets plan on moving the ball through the air.

Grade: D

Offensive Line

In addition to Marshall and Decker, the Jets also got rid of a couple highly paid offensive linemen who were going into their age 30+ seasons, center Nick Mangold and left tackle Ryan Clady. Mangold, the Jets’ first round pick in 2006, started 164 games in 11 seasons with the Jets, but was no better than average over the past 2 seasons and was not worth his 9.075 million dollar salary to a re-building team in his age 33 season. Mangold will be replaced by Wesley Johnson, who made 8 starts when Mangold was injured last season. The 2014 5th round pick struggled mightily in the first significant action of his career in 2016 though, finishing 33rd out of 38 eligible centers on Pro Football Focus. He’s a very underwhelming replacement.

Unlike Mangold, Clady has only been with the team for one year and didn’t play well, finishing 62nd out of 78 eligible offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus in just 9 games in an injury shortened season. That made it an easy decision to cut him, rather than paying him 10 million in 2017. Clady once had a promising career, but it has been completely derailed by injuries. After making all 80 starts in the first 5 seasons of his career, Clady has played just 27 games over the last 4 seasons and remains unsigned as a free agent. Going into his age 31 season, he could just be completely done physically.

The Jets did spend some money on offensive linemen this off-season though, signing ex-Jaguar Kelvin Beachum to a 3-year, 24 million dollar deal and re-signing Ben Ijalana and Brian Winters to deals worth 10.25 million over 2 years and 29 million over 4 years respectively. Beachum is expected to take over for Okung at left tackle. He struggled mightily in 15 starts at left tackle in Jacksonville last season, finishing 63rd out of 78 eligible offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus, but wasn’t healthy all season in his first year back from the torn ACL that ended his 2015 season after 6 games.

In 2014, he finished 5th among offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus and looked on his way to another strong season in 2015 before the injury, so he has obvious bounce back potential, still only going into his age 28 season. However, it’s worth noting that Beachum finished below average in his first 2 seasons in the league in 2012 and 2013 as well, so he’s a bit of a one-year wonder. The Jets are essentially guaranteeing him 16 million over the next 2 seasons, so it’s a risky deal, but he could easily be a capable starter with upside.

Ijalana saw time at left tackle last season when Okung was hurt, but he’ll likely move back to right tackle with Beachum coming in. Ijalana struggled mightily on the blindside, but didn’t play well on either side last season, finishing 60th out of 78 eligible offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus in 13 starts. Those 13 starts were actually the first of his career, as the 2011 2nd round pick struggled mightily with injuries early in his career and didn’t play an offensive snap in 2013, 2014, or 2015. Given that and his struggles last season, it’s very puzzling why the Jets decided to give him decent money on a two-year deal. He was a high pick, but he’s already going into his age 28 season, so it’s not like he’s some hot young prospect anymore. He figures to struggle on the right side.

Winters’ deal made a little bit more sense, as he finished 31st among guards on Pro Football Focus in 13 starts at right guard last season, a rare pleasant surprise for this team. However, the 2013 3rd round pick is a complete one-year wonder who struggled mightily in his first 3 seasons in the league (28 starts). Prior to 2016, his best season came in 2015, when he finished 58th out of 81 eligible guards. Still only going into his age 26 season, it’s possible he’s turned a corner and will continue to be a solid starting guard for them going forward, but he’s the 15th highest paid guard in the league in average annual salary, so the Jets are risking a lot of money to find out.

Rounding out the offensive line at left guard is James Carpenter, who has probably been their best offensive lineman for the past 2 seasons, finishing 17th among guards on Pro Football Focus in both seasons. A 2011 1st round pick by the Seahawks, Carpenter was largely a bust in Seattle, making 39 starts in 4 seasons, but never finishing above average in any of them. However, the light seems to have clicked for him in 2 seasons with the Jets. Still in his prime in his age 28 season, Carpenter should have another solid season again in 2017 on an overall weak Jets offensive line.

Grade: C

Running Backs

One veteran I’m surprised the Jets didn’t let go of in their off-season purge is Matt Forte, who is going into his age 32 season. Forte’s 4 million dollar salary is now fully guaranteed, but the Jets had a window at the start of the off-season to let him go before the salary became guaranteed and decided against it. Signed to a 3-year, 12 million dollar deal in free agency last off-season, the ex-Bear was once one of the best all-around backs in the league, excelling as a runner and a pass catcher, but he was outplayed by the younger Bilal Powell in both aspects last season. Forte averaged just 3.73 yards per carry on 218 carries last season and caught just 30 passes, while Powell averaged 5.51 yards per carry on 131 carries and caught 58 passes. Given his age and that he has 2,770 career touches, Forte is at the point where he could just be done as an effective back.

Powell will be the starter this season in his age 29 season, while Forte will be the backup in what could be his final season in the league. Powell has never had more than 212 touches in a season in 6 seasons in the league, so there will still be a role for Forte, but Powell is the better back at this point. He has a career 4.37 YPC average on 533 carries and has caught 105 passes over the past 2 seasons, including 58 last season, tied for 2nd most on the team. Running back is the one position on the offensive depth chart where the Jets aren’t completely devoid of talent.

Grade: B-

Defensive Line

The Jets also tried to part ways with defensive end Sheldon Richardson and his 8.069 million dollar salary this off-season, but they couldn’t find any takers in a trade and cutting him wouldn’t have made any sense because he is still talented and could get a significant deal in free agency next off-season if he has a strong year in 2017, in which case the Jets would get a 3rd or 4th round compensation pick. It’s been a swift fall for Richardson, who was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013, when he finished 5th among 3-4 defensive ends on Pro Football Focus, after the Jets drafted him #13 overall in the first round out of the University of Missouri.

Richardson finished 2nd at his position in 2014, but was arrested the following off-season and also failed a drug test. Richardson was suspended for the first 4 games of the season in 2015 for the failed test and then for the first game of the season in 2016 for the arrest. He still played at a pretty high level in 2015 and 2016, but not as high of a level as 2013 and 2014 and reports came out that the Jets were not happy with his discipline, conditioning, and focus. That’s likely a big part of why no one would trade for him this off-season, even though he’s theoretically still in his prime, going into his age 27 season. Perhaps he’ll be more motivated in his contract year this season and return to his 2013 and 2014 form.

Another reason why the Jets tried to move Richardson this off-season is because they already have a pair of 3-4 defensive ends in Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson ahead of him on the depth chart. Williams is probably the Jets’ best player on either side of the ball, finishing 6th and 4th among 3-4 defensive ends in two seasons in the league, since going 6th overall in 2015, while Wilkerson is also a former first round pick (2011) and was re-signed to a massive 5-year, 86 million dollar deal last off-season. Williams, Wilkerson, and Richardson played 896, 845, and 762 snaps respectively in 2016, so the Jets find ways to get all 3 on the field at the same time, but that usually requires playing someone out of position. Not only do the Jets have little talent on either side of the ball, but their most talented players all play the same position and are not as effective together as they would be apart.

Wilkerson actually struggled mightily in the first year of the huge contract the Jets gave him last off-season, finishing 90th out of 127 eligible interior defenders on Pro Football focus. That’s very out of character for him, considering he was a top-15 3-4 defensive end in 4 straight seasons prior to last season. Part of it was that he did play out of position on the outside more than he was used to and part of it was that he was coming off of a broken leg that he suffered at the end of the 2015 season and was never fully healthy, but Wilkerson also reportedly had issues with discipline and focus in 2016, which is very concerning, considering how much money the Jets gave him. Owed a non-guaranteed 17 million in 2018, the Jets might just cut their losses and move on from him next off-season if he doesn’t bounce back in 2017. Now healthier, he does have some bounce back potential, but Wilkerson could also struggle to stay motivated on what should be one of the worst teams in the league.

Steve McLendon is the Jets’ nose tackle when they use a pure nose tackle, which isn’t often because he played just 381 snaps in 2016. The 6-3 310 pounder has finished above average as a run stopper in 6 straight seasons, but has never finished above average as a pass rusher and has just 8.5 sacks in 7 seasons in the league. He’s also never finished above average overall in a season in which he played more than 355 snaps. Going into his age 31 season, his best days are probably behind him, but the Jets don’t need him to play a big role and he’s still a useful player in base packages. The Jets’ defensive line is easily their best unit.

Grade: A

Linebackers

In addition to their strong depth at the 3-4 defensive end position, another reason why guys like Wilkerson and Richardson line up outside frequently in base packages is because they have very little talent at the 3-4 outside linebacker position. A pair of recent 3rd round picks, Jordan Jenkins (2016) and Lorenzo Mauldin (2015) led the position in snaps played last season with 513 and 353 respectively. Jenkins showed promise in pass rush situations and finished about average overall, but both players struggled mightily against the run and Mauldin finished the season just 82nd out of 109 eligible edge defenders. They’ll both likely play a bigger role in 2017, so the Jets will need at least one of them to take a step forward this season, but that’s far from a guarantee. They also really lack depth at the position, as Freddie Bishop, a former CFL star who struggled in the first 151 snaps of his NFL career last season, will be their primary reserve. Fifth round rookie Dylan Donahue could also be in the mix for snaps.  

The Jets will also need Darron Lee, their 2016 1st round pick, to take a step forward in his 2nd year in the league. Lee struggled mightily as a rookie, finishing 3rd worst among middle linebackers on Pro Football Focus on 641 snaps. Lee was primarily a coverage specialist and sub package linebacker as a rookie, but will have to play every down this season and could be a major liability against the run. The 6-1 232 pounder is a great athlete, but has had issues with tackling dating back to his collegiate days and was considered a major reach by Pro Football Focus in the first round. He has upside and could be improved in his 2nd year in the league, but he could be largely improved by default and may never develop into the player the Jets were expecting him to when they drafted him.

David Harris played every down at middle linebacker last season, but he was part of the veteran purge this off-season, being let go ahead of a 6.5 million dollar salary in his age 33 season in 2017. Harris might have only had a couple years left in the league, so it makes sense for the Jets to part ways with him as part of this rebuild, but he was still a solid player last season and won’t be easy to replace. The Jets will attempt to replace him with a familiar face, Demario Davis, who they acquired in a trade from the Browns for safety Calvin Pryor this off-season.

Davis spent the first 4 seasons of his career in New York, after they drafted him in the 3rd round in 2012, and finished 15th among middle linebackers in 2014, but fell to 77th out of 97 eligible linebackers in 2015 and had to settle for a cheap two-year deal with the Browns last off-season. Davis continued to struggle with the Browns, finishing 59th out of 87 eligible linebackers and barely played by season’s end, playing just 144 snaps over the final 5 games of the season. Even though he’s making a reasonable 3.8 million this season, he likely would have been cut by the Browns if they couldn’t trade him. With the Jets, he’s a cheap replacement for Harris, but an obvious downgrade. 2014 remains the only season in his career in which he finished above average. Like the rest of the Jets’ roster, their linebacking corps leaves a lot to be desired.

Grade: C-

Secondary

Calvin Pryor, who was sent to Cleveland in that trade for Demario Davis, was a first round pick by the Jets in 2014 and started 38 games over the past three seasons, but, after two solid seasons to start his career, he fell to 74th out of 90 safeties in 2016 and fell out of favor with the coaching staff. If the Browns didn’t trade for him, the Jets might have just cut him outright at final cuts, even though he was owed just 1.58 million. The Jets also got rid of Marcus Gilchrist, their other starting safety last season. Gilchrist was a solid player in 2016, but suffered a torn patellar tendon late in the season that will likely sideline him for all of the 2017 season, so the Jets decided against paying him 6 million non-guaranteed.

Instead of Pryor and Gilchrist, the Jets will start a pair of rookies Jamal Adams, the 6th pick in the draft, and Marcus Maye, a second round pick who went 39th overall. Adams was one of the best players in the draft and was an easy choice for the Jets when he fell to them at 6. He’ll make an instant impact and compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Maye, meanwhile, could struggle as a rookie, but has the tools to be a long-term starter. Both were good selections by the Jets.

The Jets also parted ways with Darrelle Revis this off-season. Revis was once one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but he was a massive bust on a 5-year 70 million dollar deal that the Jets signed him to after he won a Super Bowl with New England in 2014. Revis fell to 30th among eligible cornerbacks in 2015 and then 65th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks in 2016. Even though they still owe him 6 million guaranteed this season, it was an easy decision for the rebuilding Jets to cut him and get out of the 9 million non-guaranteed that he would have been owed if they hadn’t. The 39 million that they guaranteed him total was a sunk cost and it was smart of them to cut their losses, with Revis unlikely to bounce back in his age 32 season in 2017.

Buster Skrine was also signed to a significant contract by the Jets two off-seasons ago, as the Jets gave the ex-Brown a 4-year, 26 million dollar deal. Skrine still remains on the team, but hasn’t been worth that deal at all, finishing 94th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks in 2015 and 87th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks in 2016. A 2011 5th round pick, Skrine has 58 career starts in 6 seasons in the league, but hasn’t finished above average in any of those 6 seasons. Skrine is probably locked into one of the starting jobs, but figures to struggle once again.

The Jets signed ex-Cowboy Morris Claiborne this off-season and he figures to start opposite Skrine. The Cowboys traded up to get Claiborne 6th overall in 2012, but he didn’t do anything of value for the Cowboys last season. He finished below average on Pro Football Focus in each of his first 4 seasons in the league, but shot up to 12th last season, though he was limited to 406 snaps in 7 games by injury. Claiborne has always had the talent, but he struggled to adapt to the NFL early on and then suffered a huge setback when he tore his patellar tendon in the 2014 season.

Injuries have always been a huge issue with him, as he’s missed 33 of 80 games in 5 seasons in the league and he obviously comes with a lot of risk, but he wasn’t a bad signing on 1-year prove it deal worth 5 million. He proved his upside last season and is still only going into his age 27 season. He could be a good starter if he can make it through the whole season, but he could also regress or get hurt, so he’s kind of boom or bust. The Jets are in a position where they can afford to take risks like that in hopes of striking gold.

Marcus Williams finished 3rd on the team in snaps played among cornerbacks last season with 455, behind Revis and Skrine, and is expected to remain the 3rd cornerback behind Claiborne and Skrine in 2017. Williams wasn’t bad in 2016, but finished below average in the first significant action of his career. The 2014 undrafted free agent is unlikely to be better in 2017. He rounds out a secondary that has potential with Morris Claiborne and Jamal Adams coming in, but that should also struggle once again in 2017.

Grade: C

Conclusion

The Jets have probably the worst roster in the NFL and maybe one of the worst rosters in recent years. Like the Browns last off-season, the Jets are purging veterans and going all in on a rebuild. Next off-season, they could have a good amount of cap space and a high pick to rebuild with, but, like the Browns last season, the Jets are going to be very bad in the interim and will take at least 2-3 years get back into playoff contention. The Raiders are a good example of a team that purged veterans and built a much more competitive roster from basically scratch very quickly, but it doesn’t always go that way. Finding a quarterback will be key. In 2017, it’ll be a struggle for them to win any games, but they should pull out a couple wins simply because it is very tough to go 0-16. 

Final update: The Jets had very few talented players when they opened training camp, but the list got even shorter when they lost top receiver Quincy Enunwa for the season with a neck injury and when they traded defensive end Sheldon Richardson to the Seahawks for a 2nd round pick and Enunwa’s replacement, Jermaine Kearse, an obvious downgrade. Fortunately, the Jets don’t seem to be planning on winning many games this year, rebuilding their roster and tanking the season in an attempt to get a high pick.

Prediction: 2-14, 4th in AFC East

Buffalo Bills 2017 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2017 NFL Season Previews, Bills

Quarterback

The Bills found a steal at the quarterback position in free agency two off-seasons ago, a very uncommon occurrence. They gave a 3-year, 3.55 million dollar deal to Tyrod Taylor, who, at the time, was a 2011 6th round pick with 35 career pass attempts in 4 seasons as Joe Flacco’s backup in Baltimore, and Taylor came in and won their starting quarterback job, beating out veteran journeyman Matt Cassel and 2013 1st round pick bust EJ Manuel. Not only did Taylor win the job, but he kept it all season and performed at a high level, completing 63.7% of his passes for an average 7.99 YPA, 20 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He only attempted 380 passes in 14 games on a run heavy offense, but he also took off 104 times as well, rushing for another 568 yards (5.46 YPC) and 4 touchdowns on the ground. He finished the season as Pro Football Focus’ 9th ranked quarterback

He was a bargain in 2015, making just 1.15 million despite the strong season, but, because of how many starts he made, language was triggered in his contract voiding the 3rd year of the deal and making 2016 his contract year. That put a lot of pressure on the Bills to extend him before the season and they did so with a “5-year, 90 million dollar deal.” I put that in quotes because all that was guaranteed was that he’d make 9.5 million in 2016. It was a significant pay increase, but provided no long-term security.

In 2016, he started another 15 games, but only completed 61.7% of his passes for an average of 6.93 YPA, 17 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions on 436 pass attempts on once again a heavy run offense. However, the dip in statistical production is not really his fault, as his #1 receiver Sammy Watkins missed most of the season with a foot injury, leaving him with arguably the worst receiving corps in the league (more on them later). He also once again added significant value on the ground, rushing for 580 yards (6.11 YPC) and 6 touchdowns on 95 attempts. He finished 11th among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus, just two spots behind 2015.

Despite that, there were many reports that the Bills would not be picking up Taylor’s option for next season, allowing him to hit free agency. The Bills even sat Taylor in week 17 of last season after they had been eliminated from the playoffs because they didn’t want to risk him getting injured and guaranteeing his salary for 2017. It’s possible they never really wanted to part ways with Taylor and that much of that might have been an act by the Bills in order to scare Taylor into renegotiating his contract, which he ultimately did, but they still don’t seem sold on Taylor long-term. His renegotiated contract guarantees him 14.5 million this off-season, but nothing beyond that, so he and the Bills could go through this situation all over again next off-season.

The most likely reason why the Bills are not sold on Taylor is because he’s always been supported by a strong running game and hasn’t had to throw many passes, even if he has contributed on the ground. The Bills’ defense hasn’t been great in the past 2 seasons, so the Bills and the new offensive coaching staff under first-year head coach Sean McDermott may want a more traditional quarterback so they can open their offense up more. New offensive coordinator Rick Dennison has always worked with pocket passers like Matt Schaub, Peyton Manning, and Joe Flacco, though he was the quarterbacks coach in Baltimore in 2014 when Taylor was the backup there.

They drafted a more traditional quarterback in the 5th round in Nathan Peterman, who was regarded to be a steal that late in the draft, so they may be preparing to part ways with Taylor next off-season. I think that would be a mistake and that a poor receiving corps is what’s preventing this team from opening up the playbook offensively much more than Taylor. Taylor is actually the perfect fit for this offense right now, because he can make plays with his legs when receivers don’t get open, which is often. Fortunately, Taylor will have at least one more season to prove himself.

Grade: B+

Receiving Corps

As mentioned, Sammy Watkins’ injury was a big problem for this receiving corps last season and a big reason why Taylor’s numbers declined. The 4th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, who the Bills traded two first round picks (#9 in 2014 and #19 in 2015) to move up and draft, Watkins came into the 2016 season with huge expectations, after catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and 9 touchdowns in 13 games on a run heavy offense in his age-22 season in 2015. Unfortunately, he had foot surgery before the season and never got right, catching just 28 passes for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns in 8 games on 235 routes run.

Not only did he miss time, but he wasn’t himself when on the field and finished just 47th among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus, after finishing 10th in 2015. The foot injury didn’t just limit his explosiveness, but it also limited his snaps and forced the Bills to basically only use him in passing situations. The Bills passed on 61.7% of the snaps he played, significantly higher than their team average. That allowed opposing defenses to guess run or pass much more easily, a big problem for a wideout who is at his best on deep shots off of play action.

Still only going into his age 24 season and dripping with natural talent, Watkins has obvious bounce back potential if he can stay healthy and play every down again. The Bills seem to be hedging their bet with him though, declining his 5th year option for 2018. That makes more sense than it seems given his injury situation. If the Bills picked up the option and Watkins was to seriously re-injure his foot, the Bills would be locked into paying Watkins the average cap number of the top-10 highest paid receivers in the league in 2018, regardless of whether or not he plays.

By declining the option, the Bills avoid that scenario and, because they have the franchise tag available, they can still keep him for 2018 if he has a big year. The franchise tag value is the average of the top-5 cap numbers for wide receivers, a little bit more than his 5th year option would have been, but, if they’re really not sure about his health long-term, it might be worth the risk. Regardless, the move casts a shadow of doubt on his ability to return to form this season, which makes this receiving corps a big question mark.

Robert Woods led the Bills in receiving last year in Watkins’ absence, but he signed with the Rams this off-season. He only had 613 yards on 1 touchdown on 51 catches, but his numbers were kept down by how run heavy this offense was. Those numbers came on 382 routes run and 74 targets in 13 games and he finished about average on Pro Football Focus, so he’s no small loss. He’ll be replaced by 2nd round pick Zay Jones, who will immediately slot in as the #2 guy in this weak wide receiver group and could have a significant role as a rookie.

Outside of Woods, no Buffalo wide receiver had more than 29 catches last season. Marquise Goodwin was their de facto #2 receiver when Watkins was out. He averaged 14.9 yards per catch, but he also only caught 42.6% of his targets and finished 94th out of 115 eligible wide receivers on Pro Football Focus. A one-dimensional speedster, Goodwin signed with the 49ers on a 2-year, 8 million dollar deal this off-season and won’t really be missed, even on a team with a thin receiving corps.

With Goodwin gone, free agent acquisitions Corey Brown and Andre Holmes will compete for the #3 receiver job. A 2014 undrafted free agent, Brown has 19 starts over the past 2 seasons, but has finished below average in both seasons and was not tendered as a restricted free agent by the Panthers this off-season, even though the Panthers also have a thin receiving corps. Holmes, meanwhile, made 13 starts in 2014 with Oakland, but finished 103th out of 121 eligible receivers on Pro Football Focus that season and has been the Raiders’ #4 receiver in 2 seasons since. The 2011 undrafted free agent has made just 7 starts in his other 6 years in the league. Both he and Davis are poor options.

Given how thin they are at wide receiver, the Bills need their tight ends to step up in the passing game. Charles Clay finished second on the team with 57 catches for 552 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, but averaged just 6.34 yards per target on a team high 87 targets and finished below average on Pro Football Focus as a pass catcher. Meanwhile, #2 tight end Nick O’Leary caught just 8 passes. Fortunately, Clay and O’Leary were strong run blockers, finishing 4th and 2nd respectively among tight ends in pure run blocking grade on Pro Football Focus. O’Leary was a 6th round pick in 2015 and played just 373 snaps in the first significant action of his career in 2016, but Clay actually has finished above average on Pro Football Focus in each of the last 4 seasons. Unfortunately, he’s averaged just 611 yards per season over those 4 seasons. A strong run blocker and a reliable set of hands at 6-3 255, Clay is useful player, but he isn’t the weapon they need in a weak receiving corps.

Grade: C

Running Backs

Despite the decreased production in the passing game, the Bills actually picked up first downs at a much higher rate in 2016. In 2015, they ranked just 25th in first down rate at 33.37%, but in 2016 they jumped to 36.96%, 11th in the NFL. They had 31 more first downs and 4 more offensive touchdowns on 4 fewer offensive snaps. That’s because the Bills’ running game was much improved in 2016. It wasn’t that they had a bad running game in 2015. In fact, they had one of the best in the league, finishing 2nd in carries with 509, first in rushing yards with 2432, and first in yards per carry with 4.78.

However, they took it to another level in 2016. On 17 fewer carries (492), they rushed for 198 more yards (2630), and their YPC of 5.35 was more than 4/10ths of a point higher than any other team in the league and close to 6/10ths of a point higher than the number they led the league with in 2016. They led the league with 146 rushing first downs and got 44.51% of their first downs on the ground, more than 4% higher than any other team in the league and the highest run first down percentage of any team since Tim Tebow’s 2011 Broncos.

Tyrod Taylor’s 6.11 YPC average on 95 rushes was a big help, but the Bills also got great play from their top-two running backs. Feature back LeSean McCoy rushed for 1267 yards and 13 touchdowns on 234 carries, an average of 5.41 YPC, and was also their 3rd leading receiver, catching 50 passes for another 356 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield. He was Pro Football Focus’ 6th ranked running back, not a huge surprise, considering McCoy has been one of the better backs in the league over the past few seasons.

The surprise was backup Mike Gillislee rushing for 577 yards and 8 touchdowns on 101 carries, considering he entered the season with just 53 career carries. That’s an average of 5.71 yards per carry, best in the league among backs with more than 100 rushes. Gillislee signed with the Patriots this off-season and, because of how run heavy this team is, that could prove to be a significant loss. Second year back Jonathan Williams is expected to take over as the #2 back, but he rushed for just 94 yards on 27 carries (3.48 YPC) as a 5th round rookie in 2016 and he’s highly unlikely to have the kind of breakout season that Gillislee had in 2016.

LeSean McCoy could also take a step back too. He’s a talented back, but his YPC average of 5.41 was a career high and significantly higher than his career average of 4.72 YPC. In 2015, his first season with the Bills, he averaged just 4.41 yards per carry on 203 carries. What he did last season is simply very tough to repeat. Since the AFL/NFL merger, 76 backs have averaged more than 5 yards per carry on more than 200 carries in a season. Only 7 of them did so again the following season. McCoy is also getting up there in age, going into his age 29 season with 2,280 career touches. He could still have a strong season, but he’s likely to be significantly less effective than last season, which would have a very noticeable impact on this offense.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

This strong running game was definitely helped out by a strong run blocking offensive line. They are a solid offensive line overall, but they excel in the run game, which makes them a perfect fit for this offense. Their best offensive lineman over the past 2 seasons, as surprising as this may be, has been left guard Richie Incognito. Incognito is infamous for his role in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal and sat out a year and a half from 2013-2014, but the Bills took a chance on him after the 2014 season and it has paid off in a big way, as he has finished 2nd and 6th among guards on Pro Football Focus in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Incognito has been especially good in run blocking.

In 2014, the Bills averaged just 4.11 yards per carry on the ground, but they have been significantly better over the past 2 seasons as a direct result of the additions of Richie Incognito and LeSean McCoy that off-season. The one concern with Incognito, besides his checkered past, is that he’s going into his age 34 season, so he could decline soon. He’s finished above average in each of the past 8 seasons he’s been in the league though and could easily be a big asset for the Bills upfront again this season.

Incognito forms a strong left side of the offensive line with highly paid left tackle Cordy Glenn, who should be healthier this season, after missing 5 games last year with ankle problems that limited him throughout the season. Even playing through injury, he still finished 22nd among offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus, but he finished 10th in 2015, so he could be even better in 2017 if he’s 100%. The 2012 2nd round pick has made 72 starts in 5 seasons in the league at left tackle and finished in the top-33 among offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus in all 5 seasons. The Bills locked him down with a 5-year, 60 million dollar deal last off-season. Going into his age 28 season, he’s still in the prime of his career and should have another strong season on the blindside.

Also returning from injury is center Eric Wood, who broke his leg and missed the final 7 games of last season. Backup Ryan Groy wasn’t bad in his absence, but Wood has started all 104 games of his career and is likely to remain the starter. He’s been about a league average starter throughout his career, but he finished last season 32nd out of 39 eligible centers on Pro Football Focus and he’s going into his age 31 season, so he could be on the decline. Groy actually outplayed him last season.

Groy was offered a 2-year, 5 million dollar deal as a restricted free agent to start at center for the Rams this season, but the Bills matched it, suggesting they see him as a starter in 2018. Wood is going into the final year of his contract. Groy also has experience at guard and could be a long-term replacement for Incognito at left guard. He’ll also provide insurance at right guard, but he’s unlikely to be needed there. Right guard John Miller, a 2016 3rd round pick, is coming off of what looks like a breakout 2016 season, finishing 29th among guards on Pro Football Focus. He’s a one-year wonder who struggled mightily as a rookie, finishing 77th out of 81 eligible guards in 2015, but it’s possible he’s turned a corner and will continue to be a solid starting option going forward.

Rounding out this offensive line at right tackle is likely going to be 2nd round rookie Dion Dawkins. The Bills moved up from the 3rd round to grab him at the end of the 2nd at #63 overall and he has the tools to be a starting right tackle in the NFL. He could struggle as a rookie, but has little competition for the job. Seantrel Henderson and Jordan Mills, their last two starting right tackles, are both still on the roster, but both struggled mightily in their opportunities. Henderson finished 81st out of 84 eligible offensive tackles in 16 starts in 2014 and then 69th out of 77 eligible offensive tackles on 10 starts in 2015. Mills then took over and finished 57th out of 77 eligible in 6 starts in 2015 and 64th out of 78 eligible in 16 starts in 2016. It wouldn’t be hard for Dawkins to be an upgrade over them. Outside of right tackle, this is a strong offensive line.

Grade: B+

Defensive Line

In 2014, the Bills had one of the best defenses in the league under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Schwartz was let go when the Bills fired head coach Doug Marrone and replaced him with Rex Ryan, who wanted his own defensive staff and to implement a 3-4 defense. The results were not good, as the Bills finished 20th in first down rate allowed in 2015 and then 24th in first down rate allowed in 2016, a big part of why the Bills made the decision to fire Rex Ryan this off-season.

Ryan will be replaced with another defensive minded head coach, ex-Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who will convert this defense back to a 4-3. Unfortunately, the Bills have just 4 starters left from their 2014 defense and McDermott isn’t working with the most talented group, but his defenses always outperformed their talent level in Carolina. It’s unclear if that will continue with McDermott in a head coaching role with less of a hands on approach with the defensive players, but he was a wise hire by the Bills.

Two of those four starters that return are defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Kyle WIlliams, who both played at a high level last season, finishing 23th and 16th respectively among interior defensive linemen on Pro Football Focus. Dareus should also play significantly more snaps than last season, when he was limited to 417 snaps in 8 games by suspension and injury. Prior to last season, Dareus missed just 5 games in his first 6 seasons in the league. The 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Dareus finished in the top-15 at his position in each of his first 5 seasons in the league. Still only going into his age 27 season, I see no reason why he can’t play at that level again in 2017.

Williams was limited to 6 games by injury in 2015, so Dareus and Williams haven’t been healthy in the same season since 2014. Having them back together inside in this 4-3 defense should be a good thing for them, as they were once arguably the best 4-3 defensive tackle duo in the league, but Williams’ age is a bit of a concern, as he’s going into his age 34 season. Williams still played at a high level last season and has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league when healthy over the past several seasons, finishing in the top-7 at his position in his 4 previous healthy seasons prior to 2016, so he could have another strong season, but it’s far from a guarantee. Owed 8.4 million in the final season of his contract, this could be his final season with the Bills. His long-term replacement is likely Adolphus Washington, a 2016 3rd round pick who was alright on 331 snaps as a rookie. Washington will be the primary reserve at defensive tackle this season.

Defensive end Jerry Hughes was also with the Bills in 2014. Hughes finished in the top-14 at his position in 3 straight seasons from 2013-2015, but fell to 32nd among 3-4 outside linebackers in 2016, slightly below average. Hughes is scheme versatile and had a strong season in a 4-3 in 2014, so he has bounce back potential, still going into only his age 29 season. If the Bills can get strong seasons from Williams, Dareus, and Hughes, like they did in 2014, that will go a lot way towards fixing this defense.

Mario Williams, the 4th member of the Bills’ dangerous 2014 defensive line, is no longer with the team, but the Bills replaced him in the first round in 2016, taking Clemson’s Shaq Lawson. Unfortunately, shoulder surgery limited him to 236 unimpressive snaps as a rookie, but he is healthy now and is moving back to his collegiate position of 4-3 defensive end, so he could have a solid second season in the league. Ryan Davis, a journeyman reserve who has always flashed in limited action, but has never found a permanent home, will be the primary reserve at defensive end this season on what could be a very strong defensive line if all goes well.

Grade: A

Linebackers

While there are some familiar faces on the Bills’ defensive line, the Bills’ back 7 has been almost completely remade over the past few off-seasons and they have a lot of problems. Preston Brown is the only back 7 player who started on the 2014 team that remains on the 2017 team and he’s far from a lock to be a starter this season. Brown has made 46 starts in 48 games in 3 seasons in the league, but struggled mightily in Rex Ryan’s 3-4, after finishing 15th among middle linebackers on Pro Football Focus in Jim Schwartz’s 4-3 defense as a 3rd round rookie in 2014. He’s finished in the bottom-10 among middle linebackers on Pro Football Focus in each of the past 2 seasons, a significant dropoff.

A switch back to a 4-3 could be good for Brown, but McDermott seems less than convinced, bringing in veteran Gerald Hodges to compete with him and talking up 2016 2nd round pick Reggie Ragland as a starter, after he missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. Hodges and Ragland are the favorites to be the two starters, although Brown could still see a passing down role because Ragland is best as a two-down thumper and Hodges has never played more than 584 snaps in a season. Brown isn’t great in coverage though, so the Bills are likely hoping Ragland and Hodges can breakout in every down roles this season.

The 6-2 252 pound Ragland has good upside, but wasn’t very good moving in reverse even before the torn ACL. Hodges, meanwhile, has finished in the top-14 at his position in 2 of the last 3 seasons and has experience at both outside and inside linebacker, but is much better against the run than he is in coverage and has never been used as an every down player. The 2013 4th round pick was a solid cheap signing late in free agency on a 1-year deal, but he doesn’t give the Bills the coverage athlete they need. They could really miss Zach Brown, who finished 11th among middle linebackers last season and excelled in coverage. He signed with the Redskins this off-season.

Lorenzo Alexander isn’t the coverage athlete they need either, but he’ll play a two-down role at outside linebacker and either come off the field in passing situations for a 5th defensive back or move to the defensive line and rush the passer off the edge in a rotational role behind Hughes and Lawson. Alexander played 788 snaps at 3-4 outside linebacker last season when Lawson was injured and improbably finished with 12.5 sacks, after totalling just 9 in his previous 9 seasons. He also played the run well. A complete one-year wonder who isn’t a great fit in a 4-3 defense at 6-1 245, Alexander probably won’t come close to having the kind of impact he had last season, but could still be an asset for them as a hybrid player off the edge. This linebacking corps should be good against the run, but they’ll have serious problems covering running backs and tight ends and playing zone coverage underneath.

Grade: C

Secondary

In addition to losing Zach Brown to the Redskins, the Bills were dealt a shocking blow this off-season when Stephon Gilmore signed with the the division rival Patriots on a 5-year, 65 million dollar deal. Gilmore was a first round pick by the Bills in 2012 and seemed like someone the Bills would keep long-term after he finished 8th among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus in 2015, but he fell to 60th among 111 eligible in 2016, so the Bills declined to franchise tag him. No one saw the Patriots snatching him in free agency because they never sign big money free agents and letting him go could prove to be a mistake if he bounces back and the Bills have to face him twice a year, but the Bills at least did a good job of replacing him, drafting Tre’Davious White 27th overall.

White isn’t a flashy player, but he’s a rock solid cover cornerback who can play in any system and ranked 12th among draft prospects on Pro Football Focus. Not only does he fill a huge need, but the Bills picked up a 2018 1st round pick when they traded down from 10 to 27. With White, Zay Jones, and Dion Dawkins, the Bills ended up with three solid players in the draft who will start immediately at positions of need. Add in the future first rounder they got and that they got Nathan Peterman in the 5th round and they were one of the obvious winners on draft weekend.

White will start opposite Ronald Darby, a third year cornerback that the Bills need to step up in Gilmore’s absence. Darby, a 2015 2nd round pick, had a great rookie season, finishing 6th in pass deflections with 21 and ranking 4th among cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus in 14 starts. However, his play was much more average in 2016, as he finished 66th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus and deflected just 12 passes. Still only going into his age 23 season, Darby still has a great upside and could easily be closer to his rookie year form in 2017. He could develop into a long-term #1 cornerback, probably part of the reason why the Bills were so comfortable letting Gilmore walk in free agency.

Gilmore wasn’t the only defensive back the Bills lost this off-season, as slot cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman and safeties Corey Graham and Aaron Williams are no longer with the team. They added veteran cornerbacks Leonard Johnson and Shareece Wright in free agency, but neither of them is any good. Johnson has 20 career starts in 5 seasons since going undrafted in 2012, but hasn’t finished above average since his rookie season and finished 104th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks on 436 snaps last season.

Wright, meanwhile, is a 2011 3rd round pick and has made 42 starts over the past 4 seasons, but only finished above average once in those 4 seasons. That was in 2015 when he made just 6 starts, but he fell to 75th out of 111 eligible in 2016 in 9 starts, which led to his release. Second year cornerback Kevon Seymour is also in the mix and he might be their best option, which says something about Johnson and Wright because Seymour was just a 6th round pick and played just 287 snaps as a rookie. Their depth at cornerback behind White and Darby is very suspect.

At safety, the Bills signed Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in free agency. Hyde was a hybrid cornerback/safety in Green Bay and, though he started most seasons as a reserve, the 2013 5th round pick ended up making 33 starts in 4 seasons with the Packers because of his versatility and finished about average in all 4 seasons. He’ll be a pure every down safety in Buffalo, for the first time in his career. He was more expensive than I would have guessed, signing for 30.5 million over 5 years, but he should be at least a capable starter for the Bills.

That’s a lot more than you can say about Jordan Poyer, who came much cheaper, 13 million over 4 years, but for good reason. Poyer, a 7th round pick in 2013, has just 10 career starts and didn’t become a full-time starter until his 4th season in the league in 2016 with the Browns, who had arguably the worst safety group in the league. Poyer only lasted 6 games before getting injured and finished the season 70th out of 90 eligible safeties. He’s never proven himself as a starter and could easily be one of the worst starting safeties in the league again this season. He’s likely locked into a starting job out of desperation though. The Bills’ secondary is far from what it once was.

Grade: C+

Conclusion

On one hand, the Bills should be healthier this season, after having the 8th most adjusted games lost to injury last season, including injuries to key players like Marcell Dareus, Cordy Glenn, and Sammy Watkins and their top-2 draft picks Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland. The Bills also drafted well, filling major needs with their first 3 picks, all of whom are projected week 1 starter. On the other hand, they lost key players like Stephon Gilmore, Zach Brown, Mike Gillislee, and Robert Woods in free agency and didn’t sign any replacements. Their rookie class is strong, but they are still just rookies and could have growing pains in their first year in the league.

Their passing game should be better with the return of Sammy Watkins and their defensive line should be better as well, but their running game is unlikely to be as good as it was last season and their defensive back seven has a lot of problems. They were slightly better than their 7-9 record last season, finishing 17th in first down rate differential, but they could have a tough time exceeding that record in 2017. 

Final update: The Bills traded away Ronald Darby and Sammy Watkins, accumulating picks and downgrading to EJ Gaines and Jordan Matthews at cornerback and wide receiver respectively. The Bills also got rid of a pair of linebackers in Reggie Ragland and Gerald Hodges that could have been useful in the right system and 2nd round rookie Dion Dawkins failed to beat out Jordan Mills at right tackle. It looks like another rebuilding year for the Bills, who could bench Tyrod Taylor down the stretch for 5th round rookie Nathan Peterman if the playoffs are out of reach.

Prediction: 6-10, 3rd in AFC East

Miami Dolphins 2017 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2017 NFL Season Previews, Dolphins

Quarterback

The Dolphins made the playoffs last season for the first time in quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s career and just the second time since 2002, but Tannehill was not able to play in the playoff game after a late season knee injury that cost him the final 3 regular season games and their playoff game. Prior to the injury, Tannehill was having arguably the best statistical season of his career, completing 67.1% of his passes for an average of 7.70 YPA (both career highs), 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

He finished the season 15th among quarterbacks on Pro Football Focus, the second best rank of his career, and has finished 11th, 17th, and 15th respectively in each of the past 3 seasons. Tannehill hasn’t quite lived up to expectations as the 8th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but he has stabilized the quarterback position for this franchise, after they started 16 different quarterbacks from 2000-2011, following legendary quarterback Dan Marino’s retirement after the 1999 season. Tannehill had made 77 straight starts to begin his career before getting hurt last season.

Despite that, the Dolphins didn’t actually seem to miss him when he was injured, as backup Matt Moore is one of the best in the league. Moore started 22 games from 2009-2011 and was solid, but hadn’t started a single game from 2012-2015 behind Tannehill, so there was some skepticism that Moore could continue his solid play, especially since he had drawn little interest as a free agent in the 2013 and 2015 off-seasons. Moore proved the skepticism wrong, completing 68.3% of his passes for an average of 8.21 YPA, 9 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in 4 starts. Even going into his age 33 season, Moore remains a very capable backup, giving the Dolphins a pair of capable quarterbacks.

Grade: B+

Running Backs

Even though they have a pair of capable quarterbacks, the Dolphins were significantly worse than their 10-6 record suggested last season and it’ll be tough for them to make the post-season again unless they improve. They went 8-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less, meaning they had just two wins by more than a touchdown, while 4 of their losses came by 13 points or more. That’s despite the fact that they had the easiest schedule in the league in terms of opponents’ combined record. In some order, the Rams, 49ers, Jets, and Browns were the worst 4 teams in the league in 2016 and the Dolphins played all 4 of them, including the Jets twice. The Dolphins won all 5 of those games, but just 1 of them came by more than a touchdown (a 34-13 win week 15 in New York), meaning they had a tough time beating some of the worst teams in the league.

Ironically, aside from that win over the Jets, their other victory by more than a touchdown came against the team that eventually eliminated them in the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the Dolphins beat 30-15 back in week 6. The Steelers were also the only playoff team the Dolphins beat all season. The Dolphins’ 2016 season featured a lot of close wins against bad teams and big losses against capable or better teams (15 point loss vs. Cincinnati, 13 point loss vs. Tennessee, 32 point loss vs. Baltimore, and 21 point loss vs. New England). That week 6 game with the Steelers was a total outlier when you look at their whole season and that was proven in the Dolphins’ 30-12 loss in Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs. Winning the way the Dolphins won last season is not sustainable.

That being said, the Dolphins were noticeably improved on both sides of the ball from 2015, when they finished 29th in first down rate differential and were lucky to even win 6 games. After finishing the 2015 season 24th in first down rate and 27th in first down rate allowed, the Dolphins improved to 18th and 19th respectively in those two metrics, unspectacular and not quite playoff caliber, but still significantly better. The Dolphins’ slightly improved passing game was part of it, but their biggest improvement came on the ground.

Their YPC didn’t significantly improve, as they went from 4.35 yards per carry in 2015 (9th in the NFL) to 4.50 yards per carry in 2016 (8th in the NFL), but they went from dead last in the NFL in carries with 344 in 2015 to 18th with 405 in 2016. Their passing attempts, meanwhile, fell from 588 (17th) to 477 (31st), as they showed much more balance on offense. They lost starting running back Lamar Miller in free agency last off-season, but second year back Jay Ajayi had a breakout year in his absence.

Despite being a healthy scratch week 1 and totalling just 31 carries in his first 5 games of the season, Ajayi finished the season in 4th in the league in rushing yards, rushing for 1272 yards and 8 touchdowns on 260 carries (4.89 YPC). He was Pro Football Focus #3 ranked running back overall and their #2 ranked back in pure rushing grade, behind only Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell. Ajayi is just a one-year wonder and fell to the 5th round in 2015 because of long-term concerns about the stability of his knee, so he’s not a lock to repeat his 2016 season, but he’s still one of the best young running backs in the league.

Ajayi also doesn’t do much in the passing game, catching just 27 passes for 151 yards in 2016, so either Damien Williams or Kenyan Drake will be their primary passing down back. Williams served in that role last season, playing 161 snaps and catching 23 passes for 249 yards and 3 scores, but the 2014 undrafted free agent has just 152 career touches and Drake went in the 3rd round in 2016 and has much more upside. Drake hasn’t been a starting running back since high school, backing up a number of talented running backs at Alabama, but has great athleticism for his size at 6-1 216, great hands out of the backfield, and can return kicks. After just 42 touches as a rookie, he should have a larger role in 2016, but the Dolphins also rarely pass to their backs, which will limit his role.

Grade: A

Receiving Corps

Part of the reason why the Dolphins rarely pass to their backs is because they have a trio of talented wide receivers in Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, and Kenny Stills, who all topped 700 yards last season. They were just one of three trios of wide receivers to do so (Michael Thomas/Brandin Cooks/Willie Snead and Pierre Garcon/DeSean Jackson/Jamison Crowder), despite the fact that the Dolphins had the 2nd fewest pass attempts in the league. Most thought Stills would sign elsewhere for more money this off-season as a free agent, but his market didn’t develop as he expected and he ended up taking a 4-year, 32 million dollar deal back with the Dolphins. With Landry, Parker, and Stills only going into their age 25, 24, and 25 seasons respectively in 2017, it’s very possible this trio could be even better this season.

Landry is the best of the bunch. The 2014 2nd round pick has caught 288 passes for 3,051 yards and 13 touchdowns in 3 seasons in the league and has finished 16th, 14th, and 9th among receivers in the last 3 seasons respectively. The Landry is best on the slot, but can also play some outside receiver and is on the field for pretty much all passing plays. He’s primarily an underneath receiver (10.6 yards per catch) and isn’t a touchdown threat, but his 288 catches over the past 3 seasons are tied for 4th in the NFL over that time period, behind Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas and tied with former LSU teammate Odell Beckham. Going into the final year of his rookie deal, Landry should get a lucrative deal somewhere in the next calendar year. After the money they committed to Stills this off-season, it’s unclear if Miami will offer Landry what he wants to stay.

Whether or not the Dolphins give Landry top receiver money could largely depend on what Devante Parker does this season and whether or not he looks like a long-term #1 receiver. The 14th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Parker could be the Dolphins’ most improved receiver in his 3rd year in the league in 2017. Last season looked like a potential breakout year for Parker too, given how he finished his rookie season (22 catches for 445 yards and 3 touchdowns in the final 6 games), after being hobbled by a foot injury early in the season. However, Parker ended with just 56 catches for 744 yards and 4 touchdowns in 15 games in 2016, solid numbers, but not what many were expecting.

Nagging injuries were a big part of the problem again, as he dealt with back and hamstring problems throughout the season. Even though he’s only actually missed 3 games with injury in 2 seasons in the league, injuries have had a big effect on his career thus far. The Dolphins called out Parker’s conditioning and said he needed to be in better shape to avoid these lingering injuries and so far he seems to have responded well, showing up to off-season practices in much better shape and making impressive plays. If he can keep it up, he could push for a 1000 yard season in 2017.

Stills was the Dolphins’ de facto #2 receiver last year, playing the 2nd most snaps on the team among wide receivers (795), so he could see a smaller role in 2017 if Parker has a breakout year, but the Dolphins didn’t pay him to sit on the bench and the Dolphins run enough 3-wide receiver sets for everyone to have enough playing time. Even as the 3rd receiver last year, Parker played 736 snaps. A 2013 5th round pick, Stills has been up and down in his career, grading out below average on Pro Football Focus in 2013 and 2015, but above average in both 2014 and 2016.

His best season in the league was in 2014, when he caught 63 passes for 931 yards and 3 touchdowns and finished 23rd among wide receivers on Pro Football Focus as a member of the New Orleans Saints. However, he was strangely traded to the Dolphins for a 3rd round pick and a backup linebacker after that season and then struggled in his first season in Miami (27/440/3) before bouncing back in 2016. Despite having 4 years of experience under his belt, he is still going into only his age 25 season, so his best football could still be ahead of him. He was a solid re-signing at 8 million annually. Tannehill has to be happy that all 3 of his top receivers are back in 2017.

Tannehill also has to be happy that the Dolphins added a potential receiving threat at tight end this off-season. While Tannehill had one of the best wide receiver trios in the league, Dolphin tight ends caught just 55 passes last season. Jordan Cameron was the starter to begin the year, but caught just 8 passes in 3 games before going down for the season with injury. In his absence, blocking tight end Dion Sims and journeyman MarQueis Gray were the primary tight ends and they put up slash lines of just 26/256/4 and 14/174/0 respectively.

Cameron retired this off-season because of concussions and Sims signed with the Bears in free agency, but the Dolphins traded for ex-Jaguar Julius Thomas and will be hoping he can have a bounce back year. Thomas put up slash lines of 65/788/12 and 43/489/12 in 2013 and 2014 respectively with Peyton Manning and the Broncos, landing him a 5-year, 46 million dollar deal from the Jaguars, but his numbers fell to 46/455/5 and 30/281/4 respectively in two seasons in Jacksonville, which led to him being traded for a late round pick this off-season.

Owed 7.1 million non-guaranteed in 2017, Thomas likely would have just been cut if the Jaguars couldn’t find a trading partner, but Dolphins’ head coach Adam Gase was his offensive coordinator with the Broncos and saw him as worth a trade, after he agreed to a 2-year, 12.2 million dollar restructured contract. He’s graded out above average on Pro Football Focus just once in 6 seasons in the league, doesn’t run block well, and has played in just 53 of 96 possible games in his career, but he figures to be better than what the Dolphins had at tight end last season with upside for more. He’ll especially be a threat in the red zone, given that the big 6-5 256 pounder has 33 touchdowns in 53 career games. Off-season reports have been encouraging, but staying healthy once the games count is going to be the key for him.

Thomas wasn’t the Dolphins’ only veteran tight end addition, as they also signed journeyman Anthony Fasano to a 1-year, 2.75 million dollar deal. It’s a reunion, as Fasano spent 2008-2012 with the Dolphins, but he isn’t nearly as big of a name as Thomas. He also isn’t a threat in the passing game, coming off an 8-catch season in Tennessee, with just one season of 40+ catches in 11 seasons in the league. However, he’s still a talented run blocker, even going into his age 33 season. He finished last season #1 among tight ends in run blocking grade on Pro Football Focus on 533 snaps and has been an above average run blocker in 8 of the last 9 seasons. He’ll play exclusively in two-tight end sets and will primarily be a run blocker. It’s an improved receiving corps, even over last year’s solid group.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

While the Dolphins have good talent at the offensive skill positions, they have had issues on the offensive line in recent years. Things were a bit better upfront last season, but the Dolphins have used 3 recent first round picks on the offensive line (2011, 2014, and 2016) and still have a couple glaring holes. That speaks to their inability to develop offensive linemen drafted in the later rounds and their inability to find adequate starters in free agency. Recent first round picks Mike Pouncey (2011), Ja’Waun James (2014), and Laremy Tunsil (2016) will start this season at center, right tackle, and left tackle respectively, but they have depth issues and nothing resembling a competent starter at either guard position.

Laremy Tunsil played pretty well at left guard last season as a rookie, but he will move to his collegiate position of left tackle this season with incumbent left tackle Branden Albert getting traded to Jacksonville this off-season, following a 2016 season in which he finished 65th out of 78 eligible offensive tackles on Pro Football Focus. Tunsil was the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and was seen as a top-5 talent before a draft day video was released of him smoking marijuana, so he has a lot of upside on the blindside if he can stay out of trouble, but the Dolphins are left with a trio of mediocre veterans, Jermon Bushrod, Ted Larsen, and Kraig Urbik, competing for two starting jobs at guard.

Bushrod made all 16 starts at right guard last season, but he is far from locked into a starting role, considering how bad he was last season, when he finished 69th out of 72 eligible guards on Pro Football Focus. That should not have been a surprise, considering Bushrod had never played guard before and that he’s had just one above average season on Pro Football Focus in 10 seasons in the league. Now going into his age 33 season, things are unlikely to be better for him this season, but he could have to be a starter once again out of desperation.

Neither Urbik nor Larsen are better options. Urbik was a 42-game starter at guard from 2011-2013, grading out above average in all 3 seasons, but has made just 19 starts over the last 3 seasons combined and graded out below average in all 3 seasons, including 66th out of 72 eligible guards on 388 snaps in 2016. He’s also going into his age 32 season and shouldn’t be anything more than a backup. Larsen, meanwhile, is going into his age 30 season and has graded out below average in all 7 seasons in the league. It’s possible the Dolphins try backup center Anthony Steen at guard, but he was Pro Football Focus’ 34th ranked center out of 38 eligible in his first 7 career starts in 2016 and is unlikely to be better at guard. The Dolphins could also try 5th round rookie Isaac Asiata at some point in his rookie season. That’s how bad things are at guard for them.

Making matters worse on the offensive line, Mike Pouncey, who is an above average center when healthy, is still dealing with hip problems, after being limited to 5 games by injury last season. He also missed 4 games with hip problems in 2014 and hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2012. The 2011 15th overall pick is still only going into his age 28 season and has finished 12th, 14th, and 11th among centers in his last 3 healthy seasons, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s breaking down. If he’s not healthy for the start of the season, Steen would likely fill in again, but Larsen can also play center. Regardless, the interior of their offensive line would be in big trouble if Pouncey can’t get healthy and play like he’s used to.

Rounding out the offensive tackle at right tackle is Ja’Wuan James, the 19th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. James was a surprise pick at the time and struggled mightily as a rookie, but he was much better in 7 starts at right tackle in 2015 before getting hurt and then finished a career high 32nd among offensive tackles in 16 starts in 2016. James is an unspectacular player, but he might be their most dependable offensive linemen in 2017 and could take another step forward in his 4th year in the league. It’s an improving offensive line, but one that still has obvious flaws.

Grade: C

Defensive Line

As mentioned, the Dolphins were also noticeably improved on defense from 2015 to 2016, even though they lost one of the best defensive linemen in football, Olivier Vernon, in free agency last off-season. The biggest reason for their improvement was probably the return of Cameron Wake from a torn achilles that ended his 2015 season after 249 snaps and 7 games. Wake finished the 2016 season as Pro Football Focus’ #4 ranked 4-3 defensive end. Prior to his injury, he was one of the best pass rushers in the league year in and year out, finishing in the top-4 at his position on Pro Football Focus in 6 straight seasons from 2009-2014. However, his return to form was far from a guarantee, given that he’s in his mid-30s. Now going into his age 35 season, Wake is entering the twilight of his career and could have a steep drop off at some point soon, but he hasn’t shown any signs of that yet, even after enduring a brutal injury.

The Dolphins planned for life without Wake this off-season, using the 22th overall pick on Missouri defensive end Charles Harris. The Dolphins also locked up Andre Branch, who led all Dolphin defensive ends in snaps last season with 774, on a 3-year, 24 million dollar deal this off-season, which likely means he’s locked into a starting role, so Harris will begin his career as a rotational reserve. The Dolphins also traded for veteran defensive end William Hayes this off-season, so Harris could spend his rookie year as the 4th defensive end. The Dolphins like to limit Wake’s snaps to keep him fresh though (589 in 2016), so there should be snaps available for all 4 ends.

Even though he was well-paid this off-season, Andre Branch is not that good of a player. In fact, last off-season, he had to settle for a 1-year, 2.75 million dollar deal from the Dolphins in free agency, after grading out below average in each of his first 4 seasons in the league with the Jaguars. Branch was about a league average starting edge defender in 2016, so he was definitely improved, but it’s still tough to justify the pay increase they gave him. Going into his age 28 season, the 2012 2nd round pick could be a bit of a late bloomer, but they’re paying him like he’s an above average starting defensive end, which is something he’s never been. He also missed 13 games with injury in 4 seasons with the Jaguars, so he’s not durable either. He was one of the bigger overpays of the off-season.

Hayes is a much better player, although he’s going into his age 32 season. Still, he was Pro Football Focus’ 10th ranked 4-3 defensive end on 514 snaps last season with the Rams and was only traded because he wasn’t a good fit for the Rams’ new 3-4 defensive scheme and he was owed 5.75 million. With the Dolphins, he agreed to a lower salary of 4.75 million, so he’s a great value, especially when compared to Branch. He’s primarily been a rotational defensive end throughout his career and has never played over 600 snaps in a season, but he’s also been a top-14 4-3 defensive end in each of the past 5 seasons and should be a valuable part of this defensive end rotation, even though he’s getting older. The Dolphins have a deep group of defensive ends with Hayes and Harris coming in, deeper than last season when Jason Jones was their 3rd defensive end and finished 97th out of 109 eligible edge defenders on 516 snaps.

Unfortunately, they are not nearly as deep at the defensive tackle position. In fact, they have just two defensive tackles on the roster that have ever played a defensive snap in the NFL. Those two players, Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips, will be the starters, but 5th round rookie Davon Godchaux and 6th round rookie Vincent Taylor will likely have to play snaps immediately as reserves unless they add a veteran or two later in the off-season. Both reserves could be overwhelmed as rookies.

Fortunately, Ndamukong Suh is about as dependable and talented as any defensive tackle in the NFL. The #2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Lions, Suh took a couple years to develop into a complete player, after struggling mightily against the run early in his career, but he has finished in the top-4 among defensive tackles in each of the past 5 seasons, including a #3 finish in 2016. The Dolphins signed him to what was at the time a record deal for a defensive player two off-seasons ago, giving him 114 million over 6 years to come over from the Lions. It was a lot of money, but it’s hard to argue he hasn’t lived up to expectations and defensive salaries have jumped in the past 2 years, so his deal looks a lot more reasonable now. The one concern with him is he’s going into his age 30 season and could start to decline over the next couple seasons, but he’s been as reliable as anyone over the past 5 years and should continue playing at a high level in 2017.

Jordan Phillips is a much shakier player, but was a 2nd round pick in 2015 and could have his best year yet, going into his 3rd year in the league and his age 25 season. Phillips struggled mightily on 430 snaps as a rookie, but finished just above average on 622 snaps in 2016. In an effort to stay on the field more and play every down, Phillips reportedly lost 15 pounds this off-season, dropping from 335 to 320. Still a bigger tackle, Phillips’ strength is always going to be stopping the run, but the Dolphins are counting on him to show more pass rush, with no other reliable interior pass rusher on the roster besides Suh. This defensive line has a couple issues, including Cameron Wake’s age, but they’re a talented overall unit regardless.

Grade: A-

Linebackers

The Dolphins had a pair of free agent linebackers this off-season in Kiko Alonso and Jelani Jenkins. They let Jenkins sign with the Raiders on a cheap one-year deal, but he was Pro Football Focus’ worst ranked 4-3 outside linebacker in an injury plagued season last season, so he won’t really be missed. Alonso, meanwhile, was kept on a 3-year extension worth 25 million in new money as a restricted free agent. He’s under contract for a total of 28.91 million over the next 4 seasons. Alonso was about a league average starting linebacker in 2016, so that deal is a bit of an overpay, especially when you considering his injury history.

A 2nd round pick in 2013, Alonso was one of the best rookies in the league that year, finishing 9th among middle linebackers on Pro Football Focus, but he tore his ACL the following off-season and has never been the same. The Eagles traded LeSean McCoy for him after the 2014 off-season, hoping to trade a highly paid veteran running back for a promising young linebacker on a cheap rookie deal, but Alonso was a huge flop in his one season in Philadelphia, finishing 92th out of 97 eligible linebackers on 472 snaps and dealing with lingering knee issues throughout the season. The Eagles then traded him to Miami last off-season.

He was healthy again in 2016, making 15 starts, but was not the same player he was as a rookie. He’s had knee issues since college, so it’s possible he’ll never be the same player again. He’s still a useful linebacker when healthy, but the Dolphins are betting a lot of money that his knees can hold up long-term. They are also moving him to outside linebacker this season, even though he said he wanted to remain in the middle, which is where he’s played throughout his professional career. That could prove to be a mistake.

The reason they’re moving him outside is because they signed veteran middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a 2-year, 12 million dollar deal in free agency this off-season. He will replace Alonso inside and Alonso will move outside to replace Jenkins. The problem is Timmons is going into his age 31 season and appears to be on the swift decline. A 2007 1st round pick, Timmons was a great player with the Steelers in his prime and has graded out above average 6 times in 10 seasons in the league, but he’s finished well below average in each of the last 2 seasons, finishing 87th out of 97 eligible linebackers in 2015 and 70th out of 87 eligible linebackers in 2016. He’s unlikely to be better in 2017 and could prove to be a complete waste of money.

The Dolphins used their 2nd round pick on Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan as a potential future replacement for Timmons, but he may need to see action earlier than expected. He could be an upgrade over Timmons by default if he takes over as the starter later in the season. McMillan is also theoretically an option at the other outside linebacker position opposite Alonso, but veteran Koa Misi is the favorite for the job, after taking a paycut to stay on the roster this off-season. Originally owed 4.3 million non-guaranteed, Misi is now owed 1.25 million fully guaranteed.

The reason he had to take a paycut is because he was limited to 127 snaps in 3 games by a neck injury last season. He also hasn’t played all 16 games since his rookie season in 2010, but he had graded out above average in 4 straight seasons prior to 2016, so he has some bounce back potential. The 6-3 256 pounder isn’t good in coverage, but is a tough player against the run, which makes him an ideal fit for the other outside linebacker job because he will come off the field for a 5th defensive back in sub packages. Going into his age 30 season and coming off a serious injury, he’s tough to trust, which is why having McMillan as insurance is useful, but he could easily be a useful player for them in a pure base package role. He won’t play much more than 400-500 snaps. The Dolphins have solid linebacker depth, but Timmons seems washed up and Alonso is a constant injury risk, so it’s overall a position group with problems.

Grade: C

Secondary

Along with the return of Cameron Wake from injury, one of the biggest reasons why the Dolphins improved on defense from 2015 to 2016 was the addition of Byron Maxwell. Signed to a 6-year, 63 million dollar deal in free agency by the Eagles two off-seasons ago, Maxwell was a massive bust in his first season in Philadelphia, finishing 75th out of 111 eligible cornerbacks on Pro Football Focus. Because of that, when the Eagles traded him to the Dolphins last off-season (along with Kiko Alonso and the 13th pick for the 8th pick), it looked like a pure salary dump, as Maxwell was owed 8.5 million guaranteed in 2016. Instead, Maxwell ended up having arguably the best season of his career and being a huge help to a Miami defense that had major problems at cornerback in 2015.

Maxwell finished the season as Pro Football Focus’ 11th ranked cornerback and was a legitimate #1 cornerback, shadowing opponent’s top receivers with regularity. Maxwell is a one-year wonder in terms of being a top level cornerback like that and is already going into his age 29 season, so last season could prove to be a bit of a fluke, but he’s finished above average in 3 of the last 4 seasons and has made 44 starts over that time period. He should continue being a solid starting cornerback for the Dolphins for another couple seasons, though he hasn’t played more than 14 games in a season since 2013.

The Dolphins also had a few young cornerbacks who exceeded expectations in 2016 in Tony Lippett, Bobby McCain, and Xavien Howard. All three return to compete for roles. Lippett, a 2015 5th round pick, actually led all Dolphin cornerbacks in snaps played last season with 863 and wasn’t bad, finishing just below average on Pro Football Focus in the first significant action of his career, but Howard was the starter opposite Maxwell when healthy and is the favorite for the #2 job this season. Howard’s play was comparable to Lippett’s and played much fewer snaps (528 snaps in 7 games), but the 2016 2nd round pick has a much higher upside and could have a solid second season in the league as the opposite starter across from Maxwell if healthy.

McCain, meanwhile, is the favorite for the slot job, where he’s been adequate in his first 2 seasons in the league, on 308 snaps as a 5th round rookie in 2015 and then on 620 snaps in a larger role last season. He’s finished below average on Pro Football Focus in both seasons, but just barely and he could be better in his 3rd season in the league. The 5-9 195 pounder isn’t an outside option, but he’s probably their best slot guy. He’ll face competition from Lippett, 3rd round rookie cornerback Cordrea Tankersley, and hybrid defensive back Michael Thomas at a position group that’s suddenly pretty deep.

Thomas is also a starting option at safety. He played 572 snaps last season, primarily at safety. Isa Abdul-Quddus led all Dolphin defensive backs with 951 snaps played last season and finished 35th among safeties on Pro Football Focus, but he was waived this off-season after suffering a potentially career threatening neck injury. Fortunately, the Dolphins do get back Reshad Jones back from injury, after his 2016 season was cut short after 6 games thanks to a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder.

Jones was a top-12 safety on Pro Football Focus in 2012, 2014, and 2015 and ranked 6th before getting hurt last season, so he’s a big re-addition to this defense. Before last year’s shoulder injury, he had never missed any significant time with injury and he is still only going into his age 29 season. He should be a significant upgrade over his replacement Bacarri Rambo, who was Pro Football Focus’ 3rd worst ranked safety last season. The Dolphins seem very confident in Jones’ ability to bounce back, giving him a 5-year, 60 million dollar extension ahead of the final year of his contract and guaranteeing him 35 million over the next 3 seasons. He’s the 3rd highest paid safety in the NFL in average annual salary.

WIth Abdul-Quddus and Rambo no longer with the team, Thomas will compete with free agent acquisition Nate Allen for the starting job. Allen made 69 starts in the first 5 seasons of his career with the Eagles, but he was very up and down as a starter there and he has made just 7 starts over the past 2 seasons with the Raiders and has not looked good in limited action. He also tore his ACL in 2015 and is now going into his age 30 season. He’d be a weak starting option. Thomas, meanwhile, has finished above average just once in 5 seasons in the league and has just 22 career starts. The 5-11 197 pounder best as a versatile reserve and special teamer.

The Dolphins also signed TJ McDonald in free agency, but he’s suspended for the first 8 games of the season for repeated violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. A 2013 3rd round pick, McDonald has started in all 53 games that he’s played in 4 seasons in the league, but has only had one above average season. He’ll probably be their best option when he returns from suspension though and he’s still young, only going into his age 26 season in 2017. This is a solid secondary overall, but their issues at safety opposite Reshad Jones can’t be ignored.

Grade: B-

Conclusion

The Dolphins made the playoffs last season, but they’re unlikely to be as good in close games (8-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less in 2016) and their schedule looks much tougher on paper than last season’s. Reshad Jones’ return helps this defense immensely, but players like Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, and Cameron Wake could all regress this season. They have solid talent on both sides of the ball and could still compete for a playoff spot, but they will have to play better than they did last season, when they struggled mightily against most of the average or better teams they played.

Final update: The Dolphins get center Mike Pouncey back healthy for week 1, but lost quarterback Ryan Tannehill and linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Koa Misi for the season with injury. Jay Cutler is coming out of his brief retirement to start at quarterback for the Dolphins, which isn’t a huge downgrade, but it’s hit to a team that was already going to struggle to make the playoffs for the 2nd season in a row. Fortunately, the Dolphins get 4 games against the Bills and Jets, both of whom have also lost key players since training camp started.

Prediction: 7-9, 2nd in AFC East