Last season recap
Fans who placed an online NFL bet on a football betting website that the Miami Dolphins would return to the postseason after a seven-year drought in 2015 were sorely disappointed. The Dolphins had a promising enough start, defeating the Washington Redskins 17-10. However, after the lost the following three, head coach Joe ‘Regis’ Philbin was wished well in all his future endeavors, and tight ends coach Dan Campbell assumed the position provisionally. Alas, it was to no avail; Miami finished the season last in the AFC East with a 6-10 record and consequently failed to reach the playoffs for the seventh season in a row.
What’s New
General manager Dennis Hickey soon joined Philbin in the unemployed ranks, replaced by director of college scouting Chris Grier. Grier and the Dolphin’s front office interviewed several candidates to relieve Campbell from his makeshift duties, including Mike Smith, Mike Shanahan, Doug Marrone, Anthony Lynn, and Teryl Austin. They finally settled on Adam Gase, a young (38 years old) yet seasoned football coach who has had experience as a offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, offensive coordinator for Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears, QB coach for the Lions and Broncos, and wide receivers coach for the Broncos. Thus, the 2016 NFL season will not just be Miami’s first with Gase as head coach, but will also be Gase’s first as a head coach proper. Other new arrivals include wide receiver/CB Tyler Davis from the German Football League, LB Kiko Alonso and CB Byron Maxwell from the Philadelphia Eagles (in exchange for swapping first round picks), defensive end Mario Williams from the Buffalo Bills, running back Arian Foster from the Houston Texans, and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus. Conversely, Miami waved off offensive tackle Jason Fox, released CB Brent ‘Frank’ Grimes and wide receiver Greg Jennings, and lost running back Lamar Miller to the Houston Texans, wide receiver Rishard Matthews to the Tennessee Titans, defensive end Derrick Shelby to the Atlanta Falcons, defensive end Olivier Vernon and LB Kelvin Sheppard to the NY Giants. However, the Dolphins did resign QB Matt Moore, center Jacques McClendon, and LBs James-Michael Johnson and Spencer Paysinger, and selected offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil as the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 draft. Has brand new coach Gase assembled a team worthy of an online NFL bet? We’ll see.
What to Expect
According to the Miami New Times, not only can the Miami Dolphins return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but they can actually win the Super Bowl – though it is admittedly a little difficult to tell whether or not they’re being tongue-in-cheek about it. They do have a point, however, in that QB Ryan Tannehill “might play football better when he isn’t running for his life.” Tannehill’s numbers back him up, which is more than can be said of previous Miami offensive lines. Nevertheless, a somewhat new and improved offense featuring the likes of rookie Tunsil, a fully recovered Branden Albert, and Mike Pouncey might give Tannehill more freedom to throw – and we know he has the passing chops to be great, not just really good. Finally, in case you were to place an online NFL bet on the Dolphins.
Odds to win Super Bowl 51: +9050
