For retooled Miami Dolphins, building chemistry is top remaining priority – NFL Nation

MIAMI — Chris Grier has been considerably bored on NFL draft weekend earlier than. Again in 2002, lengthy earlier than he was the overall supervisor of the Miami Dolphins and was nonetheless simply an space scout, Miami did not have a choose in both of the primary two rounds. The Dolphins’ first choose that yr was offensive lineman Seth McKinney within the third spherical with the ninetieth total choose.

Twenty years later, the wait might be even longer because the Dolphins aren’t scheduled to choose till No. 102. However the motive why — a blockbuster commerce for receiver Tyreek Hill that despatched their first-and second-round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs — will hold Grier content material for the primary day and a half of this yr’s draft, as a result of the Dolphins are actually in place to take the best player available.

Buying and selling for Hill was the boldest transfer in a busy offseason that has crammed Miami’s greatest roster holes. This week the Dolphins dismissed recent speculation about probably buying and selling for Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, and Grier shut down discuss of potential curiosity in free agent security Tyrann Mathieu, saying the group will transfer ahead with its younger duo of Brandon Jones and Jevon Holland.

“We’ve got been constructing right here for some time since we took over [he became GM in in 2016], simply attempting to amass picks and cleansing up wage cap and stuff, and so I believe it was the chance so as to add a great participant, a really dynamic participant — one which we really feel is among the finest gamers within the league,” Grier stated of the Hill commerce on Monday in Miami on the NFL house owners conferences.

“When these alternatives come, you possibly can’t move on it and I believe we might spent the previous couple of years, like I stated, constructing and getting the roster to some extent the place we really feel like we are able to begin competing.”

The Dolphins missed the playoffs by one recreation in 2021 and have undergone main change this offseason to recover from that hump. They gave Mike McDaniel his first head-coaching job, assembled an skilled offensive employees and made a flurry of additions on offense to spice up a unit that hasn’t completed a season ranked within the high 10 since 1995.

If the first objective of the offseason was to construct round third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami has handed with flying colours — on paper.

However McDaniel stated the method is way from full, even with an improved roster.

“Have we finished sufficient? We have barely even scratched the floor,” he stated. “There isn’t a shortcut to doing something nice on this league … there is not any shortcut, there is not any secret. It is guys coming in collectively attempting to work for a typical objective and changing into the very best offense, which is — bear in mind, soccer is 11 separate gamers working collectively in unison on the similar time and that is what we will begin engaged on on Monday.

“Each day we will be difficult Tua to be his highest, in addition to each different participant on the offense.”

McDaniel is referring to the April 4 begin date for the Dolphins’ offseason exercise program, which may start two weeks sooner than different groups due to his standing as a brand new head coach.

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The query now’s what remaining strikes are wanted past constructing chemistry amongst their new gamers?

Grier stated he has fielded calls from different groups about buying and selling for receiver DeVante Parker and heart Michael Deiter. He expects each to be with the Dolphins in 2022, however acknowledged the curiosity in Deiter is robust.

Miami wants depth at inside offensive line, and Deiter, who missed 11 video games final season with a knee harm, might be competing to reclaim his beginning job. Grier famous that final yr was Deiter’s first taking part in heart and stated he is not prepared to maneuver on from him fairly but.

“Mike actually developed as sort of a pacesetter. He grew to become way more vocal,” Grier stated. “He had an harm final yr that was sort of a freak harm. Our medical doctors had stated they hadn’t actually seen something prefer it … so he actually hasn’t performed a ton of video games at heart. The fascinating factor about him is that yearly (within the) offseason we have had groups name — a number of groups name — and provide us picks for him. So he is considered fairly effectively across the league.”

It doesn’t matter what occurs between now and the draft, which begins April 28 on ESPN, Miami’s greatest want now’s to jell earlier than the season.

Grier has insisted this offseason that his group is now not rebuilding. His actions to this point have matched his phrases.