The 2018 regular season was not kind to rookie tight end Mike Gesicki. The Penn State product and 2nd-round selection for the Dolphins stumbled out of the blocks, logging 22 catches for 202 yards and generally failing to make an impact on the offense in his first year.
So what needs to change? Well, there’s plenty of room for improvement all around. But here are the three main keys to a turnaround 2019 season from the Dolphins tight end.
Eliminate his usage as a pass blocker
In what was perhaps the most disgusting statistic I heard all year relating to the Dolphins, Adam Gase asked tight end Mike Gesicki to pass block on 19.5% of his 399 snaps played in 2018.
That is abysmal usage of a player who came out of Penn State as a bad run blocker and an even worse pass blocker.
Any team targeting Gesicki knew what they were getting, and yet the Dolphins still tried to make this square peg fit in a round hole.
Better release at the line of scrimmage
This one is all on Mike. Whether it was against press coverage near the goal line or a free vertical release up the field, Mike didn’t do well with contact and he wasn’t effective navigating the second level in 2018.
Gesicki’s athleticism is best showcased when he’s able to build speed, stretch the seam and/or get vertical. But life in the NFL proved more challenging to get into position to do so.
A big down the field threat in college, Mike needs to recapture more of his big play prowess in 2019. Some of that will come from usage but some of that needs to come from getting into the secondary cleaner.
More willingness to move him around offensive sets
Gesicki’s skill set coming out of Penn State was unique. His blocking skills will never be a plus and his general development is going to require some flexibility on the part of his coaching staff.
That is where Coach O’Shea and company come in. Gesicki would benefit immensely from being flexed into the slot and put in motion on his shallow releases.
Getting him off the line of scrimmage would aid in his efforts to accomplish his personal goal of getting into space better.
It is far too early to call Mike Gesicki a bust. But as one of the top tight ends off the board in last year’s draft, this new Miami Dolphins staff needs to stay true to their word and put their players in the best position to succeed.
For Gesicki, that may involve a few more concessions than normal.
