Veteran Players are essential towards rebuilding as they can help navigate young players in their transition into the NFL. We need to add some veteran players to mix in with what will be another very young team, in fact the Dolphins have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL for quite a while with poor results.
Miami needs to strategically place veteran players throughout the roster that can help turn this team into a contender, so what kind of veteran players do the Dolphins need? The Dolphins need to add young veteran players as well as older veteran players to supplement the roster.
It all starts with free agency and as you know there are two phases in free agency, it starts before the draft and continues on after the draft, in those two phases the Dolphins should have a plan in place to add the right veteran players. Phase 1 of free agency should be about young veteran players they want to add to the team.
The Dolphins should be looking to add players who are looking for their second contract after completing their rookie deals with their current teams. So besides talent and money, AGE should be a determining factor when signing these players to the roster, none of them should be older than 26-28 years of age, they will blend in with the current young veteran players we have on the roster. The rule should be the further away from 30 the better. Of course position does matter also. After adding these players who are seeking their second contract the Dolphins should be looking towards the NFL draft to infuse the roster with the future. Immediately after the NFL draft then the team will bring in a bunch of young undrafted free agents to also compete in the mix for a roster spot.
Finally after all that, teams will be looking to purge their rosters of the older expensive veteran players because they have drafted a younger/cheaper player to replace them. These veteran players are the ones who are over 30 years of age and are in the final years of their NFL career, that is also where the Dolphins should be looking to strategically place a few of those veteran players to the roster.
The value older veteran players bring to a roster is immeasurable, especially ones that may have won a SB ring or been to the SB or with playoff experience and are looking for that one last chance before they retire. They usually are willing to sign for a veteran minimum or at least a team friendly contract due to their income being supplemented by the team that cut them still owing them some money, they often have a little chip on their shoulders after being dumped. Their maturity and experience adds some seasoning to the roster and can help the young players to focus on their jobs and the future.
So as you can see a team full of young players needs to be supplemented with a series of veteran player, in phase 2 of the Dolphins rebuild Miami will be adding talented young veteran players as well as drafting the future roster and at the same time sprinkling in a few older veteran player for the 2020 season.
That balance and mix should provide a roster that is ready to compete for the playoffs and when you add good coaching this team SHOULD be a true contender for years to come.
Fins Up!
The Dolphin Seer 