Dolphins' Mike Gesicki stays persistent in new offense, but patience wearing thin | Opinion

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – If there’s an NFL team looking to trade for a talented receiving threat, there might be one in Miami for you.

No, not Tyreek Hill – the Dolphins’ prized free agent and highest paid receiver in the NFL. Or standout second-year receiver Jaylen Waddle, who broke the NFL’s rookie receptions record last season.

Instead, tight end Mike Gesicki, who had career highs of 73 catches and 780 yards last season, could be a viable option for a team looking to upgrade their receiving corps. Because his time with the Dolphins might be numbered.

The Dolphins and new coach Mike McDaniel have a tough decision to make regarding Gesicki, who has 13 touchdowns in his first four seasons and is making $10.9 million this year.

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If Gesicki can't improve as a blocker, McDaniel should find a way to utilize him as a slot receiver predominantly. And if that isn’t feasible, or with the number of new Dolphins receivers in the mix, the team should move him.

For now, the Dolphins have patience. But it’ll only be a matter of time before it wears thin for both sides.

“I need it. I need all the reps I can get,” Gesicki said after playing into the second half of Miami’s 15-13 preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night.

“I played receiver last year. I played receiver the last 3-4 years. So, I’m playing tight end now. So, any reps I can get out there live … I can use it.”

The Dolphins’ new offense requires a blocking tight end who can also catch the football.

Gesicki’s biggest problem? Blocking isn’t his strong suit. And that’s putting it lightly.

Gesicki was supposed to be Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s third-best receiving option after dynamic speedsters Hill and Waddle. But things have changed at the start of his fifth NFL season.

Being forced to play the position he’s listed as hasn’t come with the results Gesicki or the Dolphins were hoping for this preseason.

Against the Raiders, troubles as a blocker in the run game also carried over into passing plays that Gesicki normally makes.

“He was in a position to have a pretty good game,” McDaniel said. “And you can ask him. He was frustrated. … We rely on him and we went to him, and had a couple really good [opportunities] where he didn’t come up with the play.”

Gesicki’s best play was a 16-yard reception in the final two minutes of the first half. He was lined up in the slot. He caught the football with no defenders around him. He turned up field before he was tackled. The play was all too familiar for Gesicki, reminiscent of what his last set of Dolphins coaches asked of him.

Gesicki’s worst play of the game was Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s first rep. Gesicki allowed incoming edge rusher Jordan Jenkins to get past him as soon as the ball was snapped. Bridgewater was flagged for intentional grounding to avoid a sack, and the play resulted in a safety.

And during Gesicki’s run with the first-team offense, he did not turn his head around fast enough on a slant route. Tagovailoa threw the football right between Gesicki’s jersey numbers as two Raiders defenders waited to break up the play.

“We're going to be able to put it all together, and I know Mike knows that,” Tagovailoa said of Gesicki, who had three catches for 27 yards on six targets.

Gesicki appears as though he’s moved on from the fact the Dolphins gave him the franchise tag this offseason and focused on improving his game to get the contract he wants.

McDaniel was encouraged Gesicki wanted to play more snaps in the preseason to adjust to the offense. But still, the learning curve appears steep.

“I’ll do whatever they ask me to do,” Gesicki said when asked if he’d prefer more passing opportunities than blocking ones. “I’m not going to come out here and give you some headlines.”

Gesicki isn’t one to publicly complain or make trade demands. It’s not his style. Not yet at least.

After a career year, it seemed like Gesicki was primed to be among the NFL’s top tight ends. Even Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs' seven-time Pro Bowl selection, said last year he believed Gesicki had top-five potential at the position.

But the schematic adjustment could cost the Dolphins valuable plays they can’t afford to miss in a make-or-break season for Tagovailoa with such high expectations after Hill’s acquisition.

Gesicki surely doesn’t want to be the reason the Dolphins fall short.

“It’s definitely a whole different offense and a whole different scheme. I’m learning a new position, honestly,” Gesicki said. “It’s been good. It’s been exciting. I think there’s been a lot of progress, but obviously there’s a lot more to go. I’m looking forward to continue to attack.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Safid Deen on Twitter @Safid_Deen.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Gesicki could be trade piece for Miami Dolphins if issues remain