Mike McDaniel rent is Dolphins’ newest try and resurrect their offense

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins‘ newest teaching rent may need a well-recognized really feel to followers.

They’ve seen their franchise rent eight head coaches for the reason that flip of the century, and just one had prior NFL head-coaching expertise. And of these seven first-time head coaches, 5 had backgrounds on offense.

That record now contains San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who agreed to terms Sunday to change into the Dolphins’ head coach. McDaniel, who identifies as multiracial, joins the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Mike Tomlin, Washington Commanders‘ Ron Rivera and New York Jets‘ Robert Saleh among the many league’s minority head coaches.

McDaniel inherits a scenario solely one in all his predecessors did — a profitable group.

Underneath former coach Brian Flores, the Dolphins went 19-14 over the previous two seasons, their greatest two-year stretch since 2002. This roster, whereas not a last product by any means, has good bones on the defensive facet of the ball and a burgeoning star on offense in receiver Jaylen Waddle.

McDaniel, 38, is tasked with resurrecting an offense that hasn’t completed within the prime 10 in complete yards since 1998 — the longest drought within the NFL.

What makes him any extra geared up to take action than the coaches with backgrounds in offense who got here earlier than him — Cam Cameron (2007), Tony Sparano (2008-11), Joe Philbin (2012-15) and Adam Gase (2016-18)? For starters, his place on probably the most modern teaching timber within the NFL alongside head coaches Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Sean McVay (Rams) and Matt LaFleur (Packers). The quartet labored on the identical employees in Washington from 2011 to 2013, when McDaniel served as an offensive assistant and huge receivers coach.

Waddle is a constructing block on McDaniel’s offense. The issue is he is likely to be the one one, relying on the event of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Armed with about $66 million in cap area this offseason in keeping with Roster Administration System, McDaniel can work with normal supervisor Chris Grier to seek out gamers who match his offense and begin implementing his system.

A supply informed ESPN that McDaniel shared playcalling duties with Shanahan towards the tip of the 49ers’ run to the NFC title sport, and he is named a inventive play designer. One play particularly, towards Inexperienced Bay in the course of the NFC divisional spherical, captured consideration when he despatched All-Professional left sort out Trent Williams in movement.

That is the kind of creativity the Dolphins want whereas they get their roster as much as par.

Then there may be the matter of how greatest to construct round Tagovailoa, who enters a make-or-break third season in 2022. He completed second within the NFL in completion share in 2021 however has not firmly established himself because the franchise’s quarterback of the longer term. After firing Flores on Jan. 10, Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross mentioned he believes in Tagovailoa and hoped the group’s subsequent coach would work with him. It stays to be seen what McDaniel has deliberate for the fifth general decide from 2020.

Trent Williams in movement isn’t honest. #FTTB #NFLPlayoffs

📺: #SFvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/VWvPUv1xA7 pic.twitter.com/GtXm78b0dh

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

On the opposite facet of the ball, Miami reportedly needs to maintain its defensive employees largely intact after main the league in defensive anticipated factors added over the ultimate 9 weeks of the season. The protection is not excellent; the group should decide on defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah, an unrestricted free agent who led the group in sacks every of the previous two seasons. Miami should additionally add depth at linebacker and both commerce Professional Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard or restructure his contract.

However McDaniel’s main focus shall be on constructing a reliable offense to compete within the AFC East, which produced two playoff groups in a loaded convention final season.

He comes with threat, this being the primary time he has been a head coach at any degree. He should spend the subsequent six months constructing relationships within the Dolphins’ constructing and convincing his gamers the group obtained it proper — that he is not one other offensive whiz who will not final.

As a result of prepared or not, his time has come.