When the Miami Dolphins placed the franchise tag on Mike Gesicki, giving him a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract, the team was essentially saying they want to see him play in this system before they make a long-term investment.
New head coach Mike McDaniel, coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, uses an in-line tight end a lot more than Miami has in the past, so Gesicki is going to be asked to take on that new challenge in 2022.
If he succeeds, Miami will have to compete to pay him near the top of the market. If he fails, they can simply move on next offseason.
On Saturday, McDaniel shared some insight into his conversations with the former Nittany Lion this offseason and how he’s going about blocking.
“We try day after day to get your game to the best of its ability so at the end of the year, Mike, you make that franchise tag look like a discount. That means you’ve been playing at a level that makes the Dolphins better that also improves your socio-economic status for the longterm…
“Everybody knows his ball skills and range are outstanding. That [helps create] separation. He wants to attack blocking with a different severity than he ever has before. We’re fortunate and he’s fortunate that his position coach, Jon Embree, will settle for nothing less. Those are things he’s embracing. I’m excited to see how it looks.”
After the training camp session, Gesicki spoke to the media and was also asked about playing on the franchise tag and his expectations for the season. The tight end stated that he didn’t think he was going to get a long-term deal this offseason from Miami, so he’s not upset that one didn’t come. He also said he expects to play more in-line, as he didn’t take a single snap as a receiver during the fourth session.
While a lot of eyes will be on Tua Tagovailoa’s performance this season, just as many should be looking at Gesicki’s because it will decide his future with the organization.
