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The Miami Dolphins will more than likely finish in last place in the AFC East division come next season. However, the 2019-20 campaign will not be about wins and loss for the Dolphins, but rather how the team will fare going forward into the future.
Because the Dolphins will begin the 2019 regular season with a new quarterback, a first-year head coach and a thin roster in terms of formidable veteran players, there are more than a few concerns for Miami this time around. Even so, the Dolphins can very easily find at least some positives with a bright future potentially on the way in Miami.
All of that being said, there are still three areas of concern that the Dolphins need to focus on figuring out.
3. How will head coach Brian Flores fare in his first season at the helm?
If you are going to compete with the heralded New England Patriots — in the present or future — it can only help to pluck talent from Foxborough, Massachusetts. This offseason, the Miami Dolphins did just that by hiring former Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores as the team's next head coach.
With former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase now leading the rival New York Jets, Flores will be thrust into the spotlight in Miami after spending years in the background in New England under the direction of future Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick. Flores' NFL tenure originally began back in 2004 as a scouting assistant for the Patriots, he notably remained in New England through the 2018-19 campaign while working his way through the rank en route to becoming the team's linebackers coach.
Despite the fact that Flores has never even served as a NFL coordinator, the Dolphins felt strongly enough about the up-and-coming head coach to hire him to lead the franchise. However, can Flores hold up his end of the bargain and become a legitimate head coach at the highest level?
2. Will Josh Rosen emerge as the team's quarterback of the future?
Last year, the Arizona Cardinals notably selected former UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After just parts of one year under center for the Cardinals, Rosen was then dealt to the Miami Dolphins following the 2019 NFL Draft, an event that saw Arizona select former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall.
With Murray now at the helm in Arizona, Rosen projects to become the Dolphins starting quarterback to begin the 2019-20 regular season. However, with the pressure now on as he changes teams following an unsuccessful run with the Cardinals, it remains to be seen as to whether or not the former first round NFL Draft pick can live up to the hype. Not only that, but Rosen is looking to prove that he is indeed the Dolphins quarterback of the future as he will attempt to stick in Miami.
It is worth noting that the Dolphins also signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier in the offseason, which could provide Rosen with both a mentor and possible replacement.
1. Can Kenyan Drake serve as a legitimate starting running back without a compliment playing alongside him?
In 2018, Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake emerged as a formidable presence in the backfield for the lowly AFC South franchise. However, Drake did so alongside a veteran rusher in current Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore. After stringing together yet another impressive season last year, Gore managed to ink a free agent contract with the rival Bills for the 2019-20 campaign. As a result, it begs to ask the question as to whether or not Drake can become the true No. 1 running back in Miami going forward?
This time around, Drake will be featured as Miami's top running back on the team's initial depth chart while the Dolphins are currently housing the likes of Kalen Ballage, Myles Gaskin, Kenneth Farrow, Patrick Laird, and Mark Walton as reserves. Although the tandem of Ballage and Gaskin will likely serve as the team's key backups behind Drake, neither will seriously give the up-and-coming rusher a run for his money during the preseason — well, that is what is expected anyway.
With that in mind, now is the time for Drake to outperform the rest of the competition in Miami while providing soon-to-be second-year signal caller Josh Rosen with a helpful compliment in the backfield.
Of course, a workhorse running back and strong overall rushing attack can only help a developing quarterback — especially on a less than stellar team. If Rosen and Drake are going to ultimately pan out in Miami, it appears as though this tandem will need each other to do so.
