Kelly: Miami Dolphins’ superlatives for the 2020 season | Commentary

The Miami Dolphins deserve a round of applause for the 10-6 season they delivered in 2020, even if it didn’t end with a playoff berth.

Here are the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s 2020 Dolphins superlatives, taking a look at the players, units and coaches responsible for the franchise’s transformation into a winner and examining what comes next:

Season MVP: Cornerback Xavien Howard

Howard produced 11 turnovers (10 interceptions and one forced fumble) in 2020, proving that he’s past the knee issues that cut his 2019 season short and making a case that he belongs among the NFL’s elite defenders. Miami’s defense was built around the shutdown cornerback, who was usually assigned the opponent’s best receiver and given very little help. If the Dolphins want to continue building on that style of play, management would be wise to revisit Howard’s contract because he’s not even the highest-paid cornerback on his own team. Byron Jones is, and Howard’s the sixth-highest paid cornerback in the NFL. Restructuring his deal, giving him a small salary bump, could help Miami create salary cap space.

Best rookie: Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis

As productive as Tua Tagovailoa, Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt and Solomon Kindley were as rookie starters, it was Davis who made the biggest impact on this team. And if we’re going to be honest, it’s Davis, who finished the season with 40 tackles and two pressures in his 538 snaps, who has the most upside out of the entire rookie class because he has the talent to become a perennial Pro Bowl player. The Dolphins were allowing 4.9 yards per carry before Davis started playing a more prominent role around midseason. Miami finished the season allowing 4.5 yards per attempt, which is respectable.

Most improved player: Tailback Myles Gaskin

In one season Gaskin transformed himself from a forgotten 2019 seventh-round pick into the Dolphins’ starting tailback, contributing 584 yards on 142 carries, 388 yards on 41 receptions and scoring five touchdowns. Gaskin would have likely contributed more if he hadn’t suffered a left knee injury that sidelined him for a month, and then missed another two because of COVID-19 protocols. But it is clear there’s upside there, and he has a role in the Dolphins offense moving forward.

Needs to step his game up: Receiver Preston Williams

Williams has the talent to be a dominant NFL receiver, but what the second-year pro lacks is consistency. Some games he’s forceful, like against the Cardinals when he caught four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown before suffering a foot injury that ended his season. And then other games he disappears because of poor route running and drops. If Williams can be more consistent, the Dolphins would possess one of the NFL’s best receiver duos with him opposite DeVante Parker.

Best unit: Dolphins Secondary

The entire defense was built around Howard and Jones’ ability to lock down receivers on the boundary, Eric Rowe’s ability to blanket tight ends and Bobby McCain, directing traffic and serving as the last line of defense, preventing offensive players from getting behind him in coverage. As a result, the Dolphins delivered more turnovers (29) than any other team in 2020, and Miami had the seventh-lowest passer rating for opposing quarterbacks (87.0). The six teams ahead of them all participated in the postseason.

Assistant coach of the year: Tight ends coach George Godsey

Godsey has helped Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen all take the next step in their NFL careers. The group complements one another so well Miami’s tight end unit set franchise record for productivity in a season, catching 91 passes for 1,061 yards and 13 touchdowns. Their success is part of the reason Godsey, a former college quarterback who spent two seasons (2015-16) as an offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans, is being considered as Chan Gailey’s possible replacement as the Dolphins offensive coordinator.

Biggest bargain: Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel

The former Wisconsin standout was has become a reliable role player in Miami’s hybrid 3-4 scheme, contributing 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his 16 games, which featured 11 starts. That’s plenty bang for the buck from a player who earned $675,000 last season and is slated to make $850,000 in 2021. Kyle Van Noy had a similar level of contribution — 69 tackles, six sacks, two fumble recoveries — despite playing nearly 332 more defensive snaps. Van Noy was paid $15 million last year and is slated to earn $12.5 million this season if he’s not waived before March 20.

Worthy of an extension: Linebacker Jerome Baker

Baker has led the Dolphins in tackles for two seasons, recording 126 tackles in 2019 and 112 in 2020. He’s excelling in his role as a tailback coverage specialist and thrived as a blitzer (seven sacks) when asked to shoot gaps, which wasn’t often. The 2018 third-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which was worth $3.8 million over four seasons. Putting a price point on Baker could become tricky because the salary for that position fluctuates and is based on roles filled. But a three-year, $30 million extension that guarantees him $20 million seems reasonable as an opening offer this spring.

Free agent to ee-sign: Receiver Mack Hollins

Don’t be surprised when the Dolphins overhaul the entire receiver unit, which fell short of expectations in 2020. But Hollins, who caught 16 of the 25 passes thrown his way and turned them into 176 yards and one touchdown, was a decent reserve. More importantly, he was a dynamic gunner on special teams and the main reason the Dolphins special teams unit was one of the best in the NFL. That’s worthy of a $2 million-a-year deal.

Leadership award: Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick was the most impressive leader I’ve watched up close in my 20-year career of covering football. He has what I call the Pied Piper effect, which makes it natural for players to follow him. His ability to mentor young players like Parker, Gesicki, Gaskin and Isaiah Ford helped all four playmakers take the next step in their NFL careers, and that’s commendable. While the unrestricted free agent isn’t likely to return, I’m excited to see what’s the next chapter for Fitzpatrick, who was voted by his teammates for the Don Shula Leadership Award. It will be interesting to see if another team gives him an opportunity to compete for a starting spot.

Unsung hero: Safety Eric Rowe

Very few players on the Dolphins roster did their job as well as Rowe in 2020. The former cornerback made a successful transition to strong safety, contributing 91 tackles, two interceptions and recovering one fumble. He excelled covering tight ends this past season, locking down all but Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Las Vegas’ Darren Waller, two of the elite talents in the game. If Rowe takes another step forward as a safety — performing better on run fits — Rowe’s game could be scary good.

Biggest issue moving forward: Development of Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa showed a decent amount of promise as a rookie quarterback, leading Miami to a 6-3 record as a starter. But his yards per attempt (6.2), yards per completion (9.8) and yards passed for per game (181.4) all need to improve. They were pedestrian numbers and contributed to his lackluster 87.1 passer rating, which ranked him 26th in the NFL, one spot behind Andy Dalton (87.3). Yes, his arsenal of weapons, the playcalling and his protection could all improve. However it is on Tagovailoa to process what’s happening on the field faster, develop better chemistry with his receivers and running backs and become more efficient and accurate in the red zone and on third downs if this offense intends to take another step forward and become a top-10 unit.