What a difference a year makes: Dolphins jump into top ten of roster average age

The Miami Dolphins in 2019 had a mean age on their opening 53-man roster of 25.2. The crew was nearly a full yr youthful than the common age of all of the rosters within the league. Miami was tearing down their roster that season, seeking to rebuild right into a contender over the following couple of years.

In 2020, the crew was as much as 25.4 years outdated on common, thirtieth within the league by way of age. Solely the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars have been youthful, according to Spotrac.

Final yr, the Dolphins averaged 25.9 years outdated, twenty third within the league. They have been one in all solely 12 groups beneath 26 years outdated and have been properly behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (27.6 years outdated), Chicago Bears (27.4), Arizona Cardinals (27.3), Baltimore Ravens (27.1), and Tennessee Titans (27).

Quick ahead to the 2022 season, and the Dolphins aren’t among the many younger groups anymore. Whereas Tampa Bay (27.3) nonetheless leads the league, Miami has jumped to 26.5 years outdated on common and is now the eighth oldest crew within the league. The rebuild from 2019’s tear right down to the 2022 model of the roster is dramatic, and a leap from twenty third to eighth in a single offseason is an indication that the rebuild is over for the Dolphins. They wish to compete proper now.

Between Tampa Bay and the Dolphins are the New England Patriots (27.1), New Orleans Saints (27.1), Arizona (27), Buffalo Bills (26.9), Houston Texans (26.7), and Denver Broncos (26.6). The league common this yr is 26.3 years outdated.

Miami has clearly appeared so as to add veterans to their roster, bolstering the youthful gamers from the previous few seasons who’re rising into their roles. The Dolphins need to flip profitable seasons the previous two years into playoff appearances and potential Super Bowl runs. The leap up the rankings of common age of the roster would appear to assist that the Dolphins not see themselves as a creating crew, however slightly are actually a crew seeking to compete this yr.