Can the Dolphins make a playoff push in 2020?

Two or three years ago, this headline may have seemed absurd. But in 2020, a Dolphins playoff push is looking like more of a possibility than an anomaly. 

With an overhauled roster and cultural revolution, Brian Flores has put the Dolphins in a position where years of rebuilding look to be on the backburner, with winning games now a priority.

How realistic is it that 2020 will be the year Miami returns to the playoffs once again? Let’s see.

For the last decade, New England has dominated the AFC East with Tom Brady at the helm. With him out of the way, the division is up for grabs. The Bills, bolstered by a 10-6 record last season, are clearly the favorites, but Miami is poised to take a shot at the division.

The formula is actually quite similar to what Buffalo has built: investing in defense first. Miami added loads of talent this offseason, from Byron Jones and Kyle Van Noy to Emmanuel Ogbah and Shaq Lawson, a former Bill himself.

As one of the league’s worst defenses last season, which struggled at producing turnovers, allowed the most passing touchdowns and ranked below 20th in all rushing defense statistics, that is significant improvement.

Equally important are offensive line improvements with Ereck Flowers and USC’s Austin Jackson, especially so with a fragile quarterback for the future.

That all comes with few notable losses and countless other prospects for the busiest team in this year’s draft.

Will offseason signings be enough to drive Miami to the playoffs?

The big concern for Miami lies in the offense, where Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely have to play a large portion of the year due to Tua Tagovailoa’s injury concerns. That is not a reliable solution, and with Fitzpatrick in charge, it is difficult to imagine Miami becomes a real contender.

However, if Tagovailoa enters the picture later this year, with Fitzpatrick as his guide and a strong supporting cast, that is a playoff team. If not this year, then certainly next.