The Miami Dolphins are thin at tight end behind oft-injured Julius Thomas. What are the team’s options if he misses significant time again?

The game of football is a violent sport. Injuries are a reality that every team has to face. Some teams are hit more strongly than others, but every team deals with the injury bug. For the 2016 Miami Dolphins, the injury bug hit hard. Key players were lost at vital positions, yet the team persevered and made a playoff run anyway.

One of the key focus points for the Dolphins front office this offseason seems to be adding depth. Miami did their best work on offense when the offensive line was completely healthy. Once center Mike Pouncey went down, the offense took a noticeable dip. To safeguard themselves against a repeat performance, the team has added Ted Larsen through free agency as insurance. They also drafted Isaac Asiata in the 2017 NFL Draft, who should have a shot at starting immediately at one of the two guard positions.

The 2016 team also lost key players at safety (Reshad Jones) and linebacker (Koa Misi). The front office was aggressive in the offseason in their search for depth at these positions. In comes T.J. McDonald, Nate Allen, Lawrence Timmons, and the Dolphins second-round pick, Raekwon McMillan. In one offseason an area of great concern has become a non-issue, if not a possible strength.

However, there is one position that is still lacking in depth, and that’s at tight end. The Dolphins traded for Julius Thomas in the offseason to help bolster the passing game. Thomas had two great seasons in Denver with Adam Gase as his offensive coordinator. Miami is hoping Thomas can rekindle that magic after two lackluster seasons in Jacksonville. A big factor in that poor performance was injuries.

This begs the question, what is the plan in Miami if Julius Thomas misses significant time again? Let’s take a look at the team’s current two best options.