The Dolphins offense was a cause of concern this offseason.
Being middle of the pack in points and near the bottom of yards in 2020, Miami needed to make a change.
In an effort to maximize a group led by 2nd year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Miami acquired deep threat receivers Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle. The goal was to produce more big plays and create separation, a category Miami heavily struggled with in 2020.
Catering the offense to Tagovailoa was clearly the main goal, and truly showed when Miami made their choice at offensive coordinator.
New OC’s
Rather than bringing in an outside hire such as Mike McDaniel or Pep Hamilton, the Dolphins promoted position coaches George Godsey and Eric Studesville to “co-coordinators.”
The idea was to incorporate more of the RPO game and make the offense earlier for Tua, allowing him to make easy reads and control the ball.
Changes were visible, as we saw a more comfortable and confident Tagovailoa in preseason, but as we have progressed through September, it seems that the idea may have been fools gold.
Although Tagovailoa has missed the majority of the last 2 games with fractured ribs, his time in the offense wasn’t as productive as many would have hoped.
Failure to Launch
Putting up a meager 17 points in week 1, Miami struggled to move the ball, as the RPO (run pass option) game became easy to stop, and big plays were hard to come by.
But following the injury to their starting QB, the Dolphins’ offense has shown more of it’s flaws.
Playcalling has been as bad as ever, with Miami getting away from the run early, lacking situational awareness, not taking enough shots, and, most importantly, misusing their weapons.
Players such as Jaylen Waddle, who was one of the fastest players in the 2021 draft, aren’t being given room to work, being used as security blankets, similar to Jarvis Landry’s usage in Miami (Landry is much less athletic).
Meanwhile, Dolphins fans on Twitter and elsewhere are getting impatient, looking for a change. Many are looking for a replacement coordinator for next year, with some already calling for the firing of Brian Flores over his failure to produce a high quality group.
But Miami needs to make a change now, and it should come in the promotion of Quarterbacks coach Charlie Frye.
Prior Experience
Frye, a former NFL QB, has experience calling plays in college, leading the Central Michigan offense to an explosive 31.3 points per game in 2020. Behind his run calls game, CMU finished 3rd in their conference in rushing yards per game.
Frye is also looked upon as someone who helped turn the program around. Behind his offensive creativity and explosion, Central Michigan went from a 1 win team in 2018 to a MAC West Division winner in 2019.
Charlie Frye and Tua at the Elite 11
Coming out of high school, Tagovailoa participated in the Elite 11 football camp, where the best young QBs in the nation compete to be the best of the group.
Going into the camp, Tua was looked at as a raw prospect. Former NFL QB Trent Dilfer questioned his technique and looked at him as a raw talent, and was unsure if he could play the position.
But, through the coaching of Charlie Frye, who worked with the camp (and developed a relationship with Tua), Tagovailoa was crowned Elite 11 MVP.
His ability to maximize the former Alabama QB is one Miami doesn’t have in Godsey or Studesville. Their relationship is clearly strong. Frye relays the plays into Tua’s ear, and they have known each other since the latter was in high school.
If Miami hopes to maximize Tua Tagovailoa (when he returns from injury) , along with former college teammate Jaylen Waddle (among other weapons), promoting the former NFL QB seems like the obvious move.
Synopsis
The bottom line is this: Miami’s offense needs a spark. They are currently 28th in yards, and lack the ability to make big plays. Charlie Frye, and his potential promotion to offensive coordinator, may be the best way to deliver that spark.
It will be interesting to see how Miami attempts to max out their young offensive unit, and if Frye is in those plans, as Miami fights to remain in the playoff race.
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