SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 03: Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Ziggy Ansah (94) warms up before the Seattle Seahawks game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 3, 2019, at Century Link field in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Michael Workman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It’s a team that finished strong after a horrendous start a year ago. So what players can the Miami Dolphins add to their roster to ensure a winning season?
About this time a year ago, the talk in South Florida was about a football team that would be better off not winning a game in order to improve its draft status. And seven contests and losses into 2019, the Miami Dolphins were doing their damnedest to make that a reality. But new head coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier really had no intentions of squandering the season.
The club would rebound and win five of its final nine games, including a Week 17 upset of the Patriots in Foxborough. The ‘Fins still finished in last place in the AFC East with a 5-11 record and owned the fifth overall pick in the draft in April. They opted for University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and there’s been a buzz ever since.
Before that, Grier was busy during free agency. The veteran additions include running back Jordan Howard, guard Erick Flowers and three former Patriots in linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts and center Ted Karras. But are the Dolphins finished adding experienced talent? And what five players could the team sign to make winning a lot easier this fall?
5. DE Ezekiel Ansah (Seattle Seahawks)
He’s had his ups and downs since being the fifth-overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. That includes injuries that plagued him during what turned out to be his final season with the Detroit Lions. Defensive end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah did manage to play in 11 regular-season games for the playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks in 2019.
But it is worth noting that he finished with a combined 18 tackles, 2.5 sacks and finished tied for second on the club with eight quarterback hits.
The former BYU product also knocked down two passes, recovered a pair of fumbles and also forced two fumbles. He could be a plus for a Dolphins’ team that finished dead last in the league this past season with only 23 sacks. And the club could be getting a healthier player than he was a year ago at this time.