safety long term Michael Deiter Miami Dolphins Jerseys , but the contracts of Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald complicate the team’s short-term plans. General Manager Chris Grier said last week the Dolphins would like to keep Fitzpatrick at one position after he played all over the secondary last season.So new coach Brian Flores was asked where he sees Fitzpatrick playing this season.“Minkah’s a football player,” Flores said at the coaches’ breakfast last week. “I think his strength is that he can handle a lot of different positions. He’s versatile. Free safety, strong safety, corner, Star, ‘backer. You can do whatever you want with him. He’s a guy we spent a lot of time thinking about how we’re going to use him. I’m not going to give up the goods on how we’re going to do that.”Fitzpatrick’s versatility is one of the qualities that led the Dolphins to make him the 11th overall choice last year. He played 944 snaps as a rookie, seeing time at free safety, slot corner and boundary corner.Flores sounds as if he will have to see where Fitzpatrick best fits his defense.“I think my preference is to see what he can handle and see what he does that will help the team win,” Flores said. “If that’s multiple positions, then that’s multiple positions. If that’s one spot, then that’s one spot. If he can long snap or kick field goals and that helps us win, then that’s what we do. Obviously, I don’t think he can long snap or kick field goals — let’s be clear on that — but maybe he can. We try to find out what every player can do and how they can help us win. How can they improve the team? I think versatility is going to be very important Miami Dolphins Jerseys Stitched , and he’s a very versatile player. He was last year. We’re excited to work with him.” MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Dolphins arrived at their bye week a .500 team, which is no surprise because for the past quarter century they’ve been a .500 franchise.Their record since 1994: 197-197. Their record this year: 5-5. Coach Adam Gase’s three-year record: 21-21.If there’s a middle of the pack, the Dolphins are in the middle of it. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2000, but they could well be headed for their third 8-8 finish in the past six years.“These are tough times to be a Dolphin fan,” tweeted their former fullback, Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka. “Very frustrating. Shabby football.”Far from perfect, for sure. Given the way the season has gone, it’s amazing the Dolphins can still talk with a straight face about making the playoffs.They’ve been decimated by injuries, including the loss of quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the past five games. They’ve been outgained by 787 yards, third-worst in the league, and outscored by 57 points. They rank 28th in offense and 26th in defense.Yet they began the week with the eighth-best record in the AFC, while eight teams had worse records.In sum: more Miami mediocrity.“We are in a good position,” running back Frank Gore said with a straight face. “We just need to stay as one Michael Deiter black jersey , believe in each other, believe in our coaching staff and try to get the next one.”The next one will be Nov. 25 at Indianapolis, with Tannehill hoping to return from his throwing shoulder injury, although that may be a long shot.Only two of the six remaining games are against teams with winning records. So it’s not impossible for Miami to actually make the playoffs for only the third time in the past 17 seasons.“There are certain teams that have kind of separated themselves from the rest of the pack,” Gase said. “But right now, the only thing that’s really been eliminated for us is an undefeated season. Everything else is on the table. Other teams are having a lot of the same issues we are, and it’s really who can pull it together these last six games and find a way to get in.”A bye week may not be enough time to resolve the Dolphins’ many issues, however. That could take an offseason or three.For starters, the Dolphins are on pace to allow the most yards in franchise history. Their run defense ranks last in the league and seems to be getting worse, with 174 yards allowed per game and 5.9 per carry over the past five weeks. Defensive dysfunction is such that two-time Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones took himself out of a game because he was unhappy with a plan to rotate personnel.And then there’s the offense, which has gone nine quarters without a touchdown. In the past three games receiver Danny Amendola has thrown for more scores (one) than quarterback Brock Osweiler (none).“This football team deserves touchdowns,” Osweiler said.Osweiler has been critical of his play as Tannehill’s replacement, and he’s not alone. But bad luck has been an offensive culprit Michael Deiter Jersey Mens , too. The Dolphins lost their most dynamic player, receiver Albert Wilson, and two starting offensive linemen to season-ending injuries, and three other injured linemen sat out last week’s loss at Green Bay.Bad health is less of an excuse on defense, where Gase’s decision to jettison tackles Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips left holes that haven’t been filled. Yawning run gaps and blown coverage are staples, calling into question the future of second-year coordinator Matt Burke.That’s a topic for the offseason, along with the future of Tannehill. First the Dolphins will try to summon a late-season surge, which would be something new.Over the past decade, their record in December is 22-22.