Ask just about anyone and they’ll tell you that the Miami Dolphins have gotten better this offseason. But how much better? How much of a difference can Miami’s reinforcements make for the upcoming season — especially considering that there were some concerns on whether or not the Dolphins picked the right players overall for their grand overhaul under the watch of general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores.
According to a panel of ESPN analysts, the Dolphins didn’t just improve this offseason, they improved the most out of any team in the league this offseason. The roundtable featured Dan Graziano, Kevin Seifert, Jeremy Fowler and Mike Clay to weigh out which teams improved at what rate — and lo and behold the Dolphins checked in with the No. 1 spot.
Here’s what ESPN had to say about the Dolphins’ 2020 improvements:
“When you have three first-round draft picks and spend close to $200 million in free agency, you’d better be at or near the top of this list. There were some big spends on defense, including the top prize on the cornerback market in Byron Jones and a former Patriot in Van Noy to help lead former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense. But all of that pales in comparison to Tua mania, which gives Dolphins fans hope for the future as the team builds a roster around the former Alabama superstar QB.” — Dan Graziano, ESPN.com
Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones is tabbed as the Dolphins’ only significant loss this offseason — which is an accurate assessment of Miami’s roster but also doesn’t even take into account Jones has been a shell of himself for the past year and a half, so even his loss feels like a minimal one. Not every acquisition for the Dolphins this offseason will go down as a hit. But even when taking into account the inevitable busts, Miami brought in so much talent this offseason that they’re bound to live up to the expectations set by ESPN as one of the most improved teams in the league.
