The Miami Dolphins missed the playoffs by just one game in the first year with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and head coach Brian Flores and the front office have some work to do in free agency to put the Dolphins in the playoff picture in the AFC.

The Dolphins finished 10-6 and got blown out by the Buffalo Bills 56-26 in Week 17 that held them out from the playoffs, but despite that, the future is bright in Miami, something for which Dolphins fans have been waiting.

Coach Flores' management of Tagovailoa, who was benched multiple times throughout the year and had to wait to be handed the starting job as journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick got the gig, was confusing at best.

The Dolphins signed running back Matt Breida from the San Francisco 49ers and they added Kyle Van Noy and Byron Jones to man the defense for Miami. Unfortunately, the Breida signing was a huge disappointment, as he finished the year with only 254 yards in 12 games. However, the Van Noy and Jones signings were huge reasons why the Dolphins' defense was much improved, as was the play of cornerback Xavien Howard.

The Dolphins have two top-20 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft and have been linked to a possible Tagovaioa for Deshaun Watson swap, although Flores has insisted that Tua is the guy moving forward.

The Dolphins have some work to do in free agency and after the success they demonstrated last year, the front office needs to continue to make home run signings. There aren't many players with big contracts they could cut, but one mid-tier guy that they might benefit from releasing is on the offensive side of the ball.

Dolphins, Jakeem Grant

WR Jakeem Grant

Grant might be a surprise because of his cap hit, which is only a little under $5 million. However, it's unlikely the Dolphins touch Howard, Jones, Or Van Noy, and Shaq Lawson seems to stay put as well as DeVante Parker.

As for Grant, he isn't a bad player, but with Parker, Preston Williams, rookie Lynn Bowden, and two top-20 picks—one which could be wide receivers Jamar Chase or even Tua's college buddy and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith—the receiver room is a bit crowded.

The Dolphins roster is pretty good as is, but having a little more room to make offers for some of the big-ticket free agents would be helpful and $5 million could make a big difference in the long run.

Grant played in 14 games in 2020 and added 373 yards and a score on 36 catches. He's an electric returner, but the Dolphins have Albert Wilson set to come back after sitting out the year, and tight end Mike Gesicki was impressive, so Grant drops down pretty far on the list of pass-catchers in Miami.

Parker ended the year with a team-high 793 yards and four scores in 14 games, and Williams was off to a hot start before suffering a season-ending injury. Mack Hollins played in all 16 games and provides Tagovailoa and the offense with a big-body target, and Bowden came on towards the end of the year as one of Tua's favorite options in the passing game.

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Miami Dolphins head coach MIke McDaniel next to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Mike McDaniel has a speech bubble with iMessage three dots/ellipsis.

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Grant's contract isn't huge, and they could keep him, but if they want some more financial flexibility to work with, he would be the most likely to play elsewhere in 2021. The more expensive cap hits on the team are staying put, and even more so if they acquire Watson via trade they will have to make even more moves to make the financial side of things work out.

The Dolphins need to find a bona fide No. 1 running back unless they believe that Myles Gaskin is the guy, and a lot of draft experts have them taking Najee Harris or Travis Etienne in the NFL Draft.

The defense is pretty set as it is, and the fact the Dolphins have a good amount of picks can allow them to add some rookies without spending too much money, so the situation they are in is a great one.

Whether Tagovailoa is the quarterback next season remains to be seen, although it is likely. However, the fact that the second- and third-leading receivers were Gaskin and Gesicki does not bode well for the Dolphins' offense. They only had two players who had more than 400 yards receiving, Gesicki and Parker, although bringing back Williams will be a huge plus for this team.

Simply put, the wide receiver group is extremely crowded, and the Dolphins need to give Tua a true No. 1 receiver to pair him with for the next few years, that is assuming he is the one throwing passes in Miami next season.