When the Miami Dolphins take the field today to play the New England Patriots, they will be doing so without their #3 tight end, Clive Walford. For one reason or another, the former Miami Hurricanes product did not travel with the Dolphins to New England this weekend and was instead left home. All reports are indicating that the decision was not injury related for the Dolphins — an ominous sign for Walford’s status with the team in the long run.
With Walford out, the Dolphins will call upon Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe as the top two tight ends. Rookie fullback Chandler Cox could serve as an emergency option as well, although the Dolphins are more likely to call upon a 6th offensive lineman to serve as an extra blocker against New England’s physical front seven.
Walford is credited with 3 drops on 8 targets this season but has seen his snap counts rise in recent weeks — Walford has seen 80 snaps in three December contests after seeing just 34 snaps combined in four November contests this season. His absence shouldn’t be considered a huge loss for the Dolphins’ passing efforts — not so long as both DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki are in the starting lineup. Those two will dominate Miami’s targets in the passing game against New England, as they have done for the second half of the 2019 season.
