Last year, I wrote that the Dolphins had reached a major crossroad, and that they needed to find answers to holes in literally thousands of snaps. I outlined 14 priorities for Miami, and they achieved most, though few came to fruition. Let’s recap:
- Extend Tua and Tyreek, barring off-field antics: Yes and yes, though the off-field antics and manner of the extension for Tyreek (more money, same insane cap hit) caused trouble.
- Restructure key contracts: Nope! Miami kept things largely the same, preferring to maintain little bits of future flexibility. That part didn’t come to fruition.
- Replace Christian Wilkins: They did, but with none of my suggested players, all of whom are now free agents.
- Reshuffle the offensive line: Nope! It tanked their season and now there are no guards.
- Find Jerome Baker’s replacement: Yep! Jordyn Brooks was awesome, but they also had to cut David Long Jr. after a disastrous season, so it was more of a shuffle.
- Sign a safety: Yep! But the Dolphins signed my dark horse option Jordan Poyer, and had a rocky year with him.
- Pray for edge healing and get a third: Yes and No! Chop Robinson was the 3rd, performing admirably, but healing did not happen.
- Outside CB insurance: Kendall Fuller was not on my list of options, but played well. He was injured so much that the team ultimately cut him.
- Find a worthy TE: YES! The only real enthusiastic yes, as Jonnu Smith set records.
- Dynamic slot receiver: Yes! Malik Washington fits the bill, the kid was everywhere last year and best down the stretch.
- Terron Armstead insurance: Yes! Patrick Paul appears to be a worthy developmental talent.
- Get a new kicker: No! But Sanders was good, I was wrong here.
- Game the compensatory formula: Yes! Miami appears to be receiving a 3rd, 4th, and 7th for the contracts given to their players, with Christian Wilkins unfortunately dropping in round due to a foot injury.
- Decide who you are: NO! The Dolphins are in a wasteland of misshapen identity and it is bad!
So, keeping track at home, Miami did 11 of the 14 business items I mentioned, with 4 of them more or less failures. The three business items they did not do wrecked the season: OL was a nightmare, identity was limp, and a lack of restructuring meant no carryover money to this year. In the end, it appears more than a few are still business items this year. So let’s get to a long list.
1. Part Ways with The Vets
Tyreek Hill was a massive headache for the team last year. After a Week 1 arrest (admittedly more on the Miami PD than the player), Hill weathered paternity lawsuits and admitted in open court to his fetishes, moped through weeks of ineffectiveness ostensibly due to a wrist injury, and finally removed himself from the game and announced his intentions to leave the team in Week 18. His apology tour has left Miami with some leverage, but he made little mention of Tua, leaving some questions as to whether the incidents of the year linger between the two. I don’t care if Tua is Tyreek Hill’s best Cabo buddy, it is time to drop Hill by any means necessary, leaving behind the internet persona, big talk that isn’t backed up by box scores, and history of allegations against him for various kinds of violence. A Hill trade is virtually impossible before June 1st: trading him now would be the same cap hit as keeping him, and the team is in deep debt. The plus side, of course, is that an early trade means you have $15 million extra in 2026 and Miami would be able to use draft capital now for a head start in team building, even if the financial hit is frontloaded. In my roadmap, I’m going to assume the team trades him over the Summer and bets on continued revenue growth to cushion the future finances, and give the Dolphins the $15 million that the move frees.
The second player to go is another 2023 star: Terron Armstead has reached the end of his road, with his body leading to a second straight retirement contemplation. In an ideal world, Armstead retires and goes off into a Ring of Honor ceremony in New Orleans to be scheduled later. In actuality, radio row interviews from the New Orleans Super Bowl indicate Terron still intends to play. His interests may still lead him in another direction, as now is the time to join a contender. The Chiefs would be intrigued by even 10 games of Armstead if they came in the playoffs, and you can make clear arguments for the Commanders, Texans, Rams, and Packers as other options. For Miami, this is likely not a trade but a full cut, as it saves money and allows for a good Dolphin to get some autonomy. This would also be $15 million dollars: in two moves, Miami would allow flexibility to conduct an offseason of major change.
Three veterans have already been released (Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller, and Durham Smythe) to bring Miami into cap compliance before the start of free agency.
2. Just Restructure!
Last year, Miami inexplicably chose to restructure just a few deals, instead unwisely extending aging players Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey. Tearing up contracts for hefty raises stank of capitulation, and the team suffered badly for it. This time, Miami should be wiser and pick some difficult contracts to send into the future via bonus money and potential void deals. Some options:
- Convert Tua Tagovailoa’s payments into a bonus, bringing his cap number down by nearly $20 million dollars. QB contracts are designed for this, as lengthening the commitment to your star will last until they retire (and you hit an inevitable rebuild) or until a trade comes along. Tua is a bit more difficult given the concern for concussions, but let’s be honest: Tua is the QB of the 2020s outside of a full retirement.
- Bradley Chubb can also free up $13.7 million through his contract, essential given his missed 2024. Chubb’s history of knee injuries is substantial, and a pay cut may be warranted. Some fans are worried enough to advocate for a release, but Chubb’s career year in 2023 with 70 pressures is enough to get you juiced at the idea of him and Phillips with Chop Robinson, maybe the only complete unit on the team. Restructure, potential pay cut, but a clear keep for me.
- Austin Jackson, another player with a knee injury, is a key part of the Miami run blocking scheme and has rallied into a completely serviceable player. His deal is very team friendly, and allows for $7.3 million dollars to be freed. Like Tua and Chubb, this one is a no-brainer…unless you factor in injuries and fear the need to replace them. Sensing a theme?
- Jalen Ramsey, fresh off of the new deal, can give precious little relief and comes with the concerns of age, but if Anthony Weaver sees a future for him even as he seeks a coaching job, Ramsey frees $3 million with little effect on the next year.
- Zach Sieler is the same as last year: a restructure to his bonus frees $5 million dollars, and here, waiting was prudent. Miami did not do this for the 2024 team and thus can do so for the 2025 team.
- Both of last year’s acquisitions, Jordyn Brooks and Aaron Brewer, could be restructured for about $10 million total. This is less than ideal as both players are still freshly in the door and likely would not weather a coaching change. The possibility is worthy of mentioning!
If Miami made every one of these moves, as a team hellbent on a Super Bowl might, they would have $100 million dollars of cap money to spend, pushing all of this year’s worries into next year’s books. Deferring such payments until 2026 leads to its own trouble: Miami would have 37 players under contract and be facing just $20 million left in the projected 2026 salary cap. A $100 million dollar offseason spending spree is unlikely and unwise, so we’ll take just the Hill and Armstead departures, and complete the Jackson, Chubb, and Tua restructures, leaving somewhere around $65 million dollars to play with.
3. Extend Jaelan Phillips
Last offseason, the bill came due for the 2020 draft class and the 5th-year options were triggered for the 2021 group. To their credit, Miami was ready for their 5 first round picks over those two years: Austin Jackson, Jaylen Waddle, and Tua Tagovailoa were extended in previous offseasons, and Noah Igbonoghene was cut loose and is now a Washington contributor, leaving only Jaelan Phillips. The question this offseason is twofold: does Jaelan Phillips believe that Miami can meet his financial threshold and contend, and does Miami see Phillips as a top edge rusher in the future? Phillips’s case for top billing comes from his insanely effective 2022 season, where he registered 77 pressures in Mike McDaniel’s first year. That year, he was a bonafide madman with ELEVEN games of 5 pressures or more, finishing with a strangely-low 7 credited sacks. But the evidence against Phillips piles up from there: after 8.5 sacks with Brian Flores in 2021, Phillips dropped to the aforementioned 7, then 6.5 in 2023, and just 1 last year. More importantly, after two fully healthy seasons, Phillips had a core muscle injury to start 2023, followed by an Achilles tear to end 2023, which lingered into 2024 and potentially led to an ACL tear that for some reason he attempted to play through for a few plays before shutting down the season. This is a concern, as is the relative lack of production past that 2022 season: if 2023 were extended out for a full season of games, Phillips would have finished with 60 pressures. His 7 in 4 games last year (one game not finished) would be just 30. Health and production may raise questions, but on pure skill, I have no concerns; Phillips is a vicious edge rusher, with one of the meaner cross chop moves in football. The guy is a gym rat, built like a freak, and has been a game-wrecker. Teams pay game-wrecking edges.
The value for Phillips, then, is a moving target. Let’s start here: should he make more money than Chubb? They are 3 years apart in age, and Chubb currently makes the 10th most of any edge rusher in the league (this will likely change based on other edges due for a new contract). Chubb signed a contract with an annual value of $22 million a year and, honestly, lived up to that number in 2023, when he set a career high in pressures with 70 before his injury. It’s safe to say that Phillips will not settle for being the 2nd-highest paid at his position on the team. It stands to reason that something in the neighborhood of 4 years, $90 million dollars should do it for him. This is rich for Miami: young, talented edges like Alex Highsmith and Jonathon Cooper saw their own deals hit somewhere in the $60 million average for that many years. Complicating matters is that Chubb will likely play elsewhere in the next 2 years and, while Highsmith and Cooper may rush by committee, the team will likely see Phillips as the marquee guy soon. One final wrinkle is Chop Robinson: is there an argument to let Phillips walk if you can pair a cheaper Chubb to Chop? Sounds nice until you remember that we haven’t seen Bradley Chubb play football since 2023.
VERDICT: In my roadmap, I’m giving a hometown discount and resigning Phillips at 4 years, $85 million, eating up a good bit of cap space. If Phillips plays this year, stays healthy, and dominates to the point that Miami can’t let him go, then you still have the same injury risk with a whole bunch more money attached to keep the player. Sign him now.
4. Well…Looks Like You Need Two Guards
Whew, okay, so no one plays guard on the team. That’s fine, cool actually, you actually love to see it. Last year’s starters and rotational pieces (Liam Eichenberg, Isaiah Wynn, and Robert Jones) are gone. Chasen Hines is the only true guard on the roster. While he may be allowed to compete, Miami needs to dump resources into the position. On the A-list, Trey Smith is the big name, but would require a team with a ton of money that Miami does not have. So we look to the peripheries of free agency: Will Fries was on the path to a big year as RG for the Colts before injury, Mekhi Becton and Patrick Mekari were serviceable players on great running teams, and Kevin Zeitler, Brandon Scherff, and James Daniels are good players in the 1-year phase of their career. Aaron Banks and Will Hernandez are interesting players: Banks is a gigantic people mover who played plenty of LG for San Francisco while Will Hernandez rebuilt a bust career with three years of excellent pass blocking for the Arizona Cardinals at RG. Hernandez, who has a wealth of experience and is coming off injury, offers the best value by a mile. Overall, though, I have 31 guards and centers that can play at a low-end starting level at least, and there will be better options here than at tackle.
In the draft, Tyler Booker and Tate Ratledge jump out as potential fallers who grade out well in pass blocking, which will be essential in a pivotal Tua year. Donovan Jackson and Kelvin Banks Jr. were solid tackles in college who perhaps project better to guard. Miami may need to spend a premium pick and sign one of the veterans to feel totally solid at guard.
VERDICT: Sign James Daniels to a 1-year deal, spend 1st round pick on G/T Kelvin Banks Jr.
5. Also You Seem To Need Two Safeties Too
Yeah, no, this is SO awesome, so much…room for growth? Jevon Holland cannot be in the team plans next year. Beyond the injury concerns through his solid years in Miami, Holland was a guy who seemed to play a little worse and a little more recklessly every year in Miami. This year, he had about half the tackles as he did in 2022, but nearly missed the same amount. Couple that with the worst passer rating allowed in his area of his career and you have a guy who didn’t perform in a contract year. PFF doesn’t care in the slightest, projecting him for $20 million a year and ranking him the 3rd best free agent available. There is a team with a safety need and some spending power that will leap on his big frame and physical tools: the Bengals, Colts, Panthers, Raiders, Vikings, Giants, and Buccaneers all have some level of need at the position. Gerald Alexander, Holland’s friend and former coach under Flores, is in Pittsburgh and Flores himself is with the Vikings: both teams are excellent fits for the young potential star. So, with no real flexibility in Miami and plenty of suitors, I believe Holland is gone. This leaves Patrick McMorris as the only real safety on the roster. McMorris was a preseason sensation, but got just 9 snaps in game time last year to go with some uninspiring special teams work. More is needed, with at least two but potentially three safeties added to the room expected to get playing time.
First, the gross option: the Dolphins could resign Jordan Poyer to a one-year contract. Poyer was lauded for communication and professionalism as a Dolphin, but his lack of athleticism in this late stage of his career is troubling. Poyer’s two most notable highlights were blowing out Phillips’s knee with an aggressive head-down tackle aimed at another team’s player and a high-profile big hit that was flagged and cost Miami the second Buffalo game. No bueno. If Anthony Weaver does like him, there’s no reason to avoid the veteran on a minimum deal, but an every-down role screams trouble. Elijah Campbell is a poor fit for Weaver’s defense, so it’s on to the free agency market. Talanoa Hufanga looks immediately like a good option on the premium side: the 26-year-old safety was a strong contributor to good 49ers defenses. The other young options include Cam Bynum (Flores safety last year, might not be a great fit), Tre’Von Moerhig (highly touted draft pick for the Raiders who has been decent), and Jeremy Chinn (Holland-type who was incredible early and faded out). Older guys include Justin Reid, Justin Simmons, and Harrison Smith, none of whom likely wants a role on a mediocre team with lower salary. Some others include Ife Melifonwu, Julian Blackmon, and Jordan Fuller, all of whom have had some flashy years and some bad ones. In this kind of situation, Miami’s best bet is to take the guy that meets the salary point. All of these safeties could be productive back end players and an upgrade over what both safeties gave you last year. With no Raven available, Weaver’s only connection to the safety market is Reid from his Houston days. Another former Chiefs safety, Juan Thornhill, just got released by the Browns and could be a way to ensure Miami still ends up in the compensatory pick market a la the Jonnu signing last year. Just sign a guy, sign two guys, let’s get it.
The draft is a fine place to check out the safety market, and there are some quality options. Malaki Starks from Georgia is the best safety to enter the draft in years, and would offer immediate star power. He should be in play as the Round 1 option. From there, you have three options of type: a classic box/deep player who plays every coverage anywhere on the field (Xavier Watts from Penn State), a slot corner Star type (Sebastian Castro from Iowa), or a deep centerfielder (Kevin Winston Jr. from Penn State or Lathan Ransom from OSU). Every one of the above names likely takes a round 3 or above pick, but Miami shouldn’t be cheap in draft capital for a position that matters deeply to Anthony Weaver and probably failed the team last year.
VERDICT: Sign Justin Simmons, Jordan Fuller, or Jeremy Chinn. If just one is signed, draft Lathan Ransom with the 3rd round compensatory pick.
6. CB2
Kendall Fuller was surprisingly cut, but it does make some kind of sense: Fuller is 31, the same age as Jalen Ramsey, and having two older CBs is typically a recipe for disaster. Philadelphia had the same situation in 2023 and bailed on it last year for two rookies, with both playing exceptionally well in a Super Bowl. Fuller also battled concussion issues, and Miami was left playing with Cam Smith, Storm Duck, and Kader Kohou anyway. It is definitely in Miami’s interest to add to that room based on last year, even projecting the aforementioned trio to improve. In an ideal world, this is 49ers CB Charvarius Ward. At 29 years old, Ward is entering a career prime. He had some rough outings in an injury-plagued 2024, but his 2023 and 2022 tape show a lengthy, physical corner a la Xavien Howard who can pick up INTs in bunches (5 in 2023). Prior to 2024, he had never allowed a QB rating of 100 to opposing teams. He’s also a high quality tackler, physical at and beyond the line of scrimmage. For a Miami team looking for toughness, Ward would be a splash that would instantly provide defensive flexibility and, after a slight down year, might have a bit of a discounted rate. D.J. Reed and Rasul Douglas are other veteran options that have elite play in their past, but neither fits as cleanly as Ward. Other free agent options include Jonathan Jones of the Patriots and Paulson Adebo of the Saints, both of whom will be heavy bargains compared to the other three. No matter what, Miami needs another corner, and the chance for any of these five to play in tandem with Ramsey and Kohou is tantalizing. Belief in Cam Smith seems to be at an all-time low, with two DCs struggling to play him. He should be no more than an injury replacement barring something special happening this offseason.
In the draft, WR/CB Travis Hunter will be long gone, but Will Johnson checks all of the boxes: premium size at the position for Grier, Michigan Man for Ross, 4.4 speed for McDaniel, and excellent zone discipline and tackling for Anthony Weaver. Yes, Johnson is a gambler who allowed some big plays, but this is a guy who can turn the ball over. If Miami truly addresses the offensive evolution at OL in free agency, the premium spots in this draft are mostly defensive at #13. The argument for waiting until the draft makes plenty of sense to me too: big corners are all over PFF’s top 120, with 9 guys at or above 6 feet tall. The other first round target Jahdee Barron is a smaller guy, but his 5 INTs last season at Texas sounds like music to Phins fans ears, as turnovers were not produced often enough, especially by the corners.
VERDICT: With the only marquee free agent move, sign Charvarius Ward. Bolster position with a draft pick.
7. Tyreek Hill is Gone…Now What?
For the purposes of this roadmap, Tyreek Hill is taking his talents and headaches elsewhere. His departure leaves Miami without a 100+ target, field-shifting speedster. Not good! Jaylen Waddle is ready to be a premiere talent in this league: small in stature, Waddle was quiet and pressed to death last year, hauling in just 58 catches for 744 yards and 2 TDs. You would do well to remember that this was a player with 74 catches in 2023 for 1,045 yards and 4 TDs, benefiting from even a Robin role next to Hill’s insanely productive season. In 2022, even with backup QBs, he was even better! Waddle is an ascending talent wasted on the current incarnation of the Dolphins, in large part because teams understood that they could bully him and Hill, allocating a little attention and forcing Miami to win on the ground. Miami, of course, lost on the ground all year. Waddle, though, is a bit of an oddball: not as physical as the best receivers in the league or quite as sharp in agility as the other set, he needs teams to fear someone else with a different kind of profile to get his own space to work. Waddle needs another receiving threat to demand attention or, in the absence of such presence, a ground game that will scare linebackers away from the deep middle of the field.
With slot receivers fairly set in Miami (good developmental players behind Malik Washington, plus De’Von Achane playing out wide), the draft is a great place for a larger receiver. Of the best receivers in football last year, Puka Nacua and Nico Collins both stand out as talents found in later rounds. Miami should look there, but keep an eye at #13 in the draft for a receiver as well. At 13, the insanely talented and lengthy Tetairoa McMillan might be available. McMillan was a human highlight reel and unguardable in man coverage. Luther Burden III dropped in some estimations after a true #1 type 2023, and Emeka Egbuka makes some think of Chris Olave despite not being the best receiver on his own team. If the Dolphins choose to wait on this position, Xavier Restrepo, Jayden Higgins, Eric Ayomanor, and Matthew Golden all seem to be fine choices with different skills and sizes. Does Miami believe that the premium on speed needs to take a bit of a backseat with such track stars as Achane and Waddle already on the team? A passing note on free agents: there are good players, but virtually none who deserve high market deals. If Miami can talk a player like TuTu Atwell into a team-friendly deal, there may be something there, but there’s too much talent in the league and in every draft these days to not plan for the future.
VERDICT: Take the best WR you can find in the 2nd round. A tradeback to acquire another 2nd round pick could be a great benefit here. Sign a depth piece like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Rondale Moore to bolster the unit.
8. Is Tackle Set? The Patrick Paul Conundrum
In this article, I assumed Terron Armstead was gone. That means that a new LT needs to be ready to start from day 1 to properly protect Tua. Miami drafted Patrick Paul in the 2nd round at a premium position from a relatively minor college to play that role. Paul was meant for a redshirt year as he has absolutely wild and concerning hand placement issues (seriously, watch the college tape, it’s nuts), but Paul is clearly a hard worker and will absolutely be better every year barring injury, according to his reputation. PFF didn’t like him in 2024, but Paul did get 300 snaps and looked far more capable than many rookie tackles. Paul’s 15 pressures on 208 opportunities is far from good, but 7 of those came in two starts at the end of the year with Tyler Huntley rather than Tua. Tua makes life much easier for his OL, starting with his excellent speed at getting the ball out. Paul is probably serviceable this year, and would be my pick. Here, there are many threads: if Miami simply keeps Terron Armstead, they have Paul as a great swing tackle option. If they like a tackle with a premium pick that has guard flexibility, Paul is also an asset: the aforementioned Kelvin Banks Jr., or even a high quality tackle prospect like Will Campbell from LSU or Josh Simmons from Ohio State, are excellent options. If the Dolphins forgo a tackle in the first round and instead look to other, more pressing premium positions, Paul may just be a bookend tackle set in pen to start and the team will enter the market for a swing tackle like Kendall Lamm, who played plenty the last two years for Miami.
The Dolphins will not, and should not, be in the market for a premium player or another aging starter (Cornelius Lucas, Cam Robinson, Tyron Smith, and Ronnie Stanley fit the bill there). Instead, the team would be looking for a cheap swing option like Andre Dillard, Chris Hubbard, or Andrus Peat: guys who are past the starting days but have plenty of experience. If the team is hellbent on a playable tackle, Germain Ifedi or Jaylon Moore would be nice options. Tackles will be playing musical chairs, and none save the four premium players should feel certain that they are signed to start. Miami can also, of course, simply retain Kendall Lamm at the veteran minimum. Plenty of draftable tackles exist in picks 70-120, where Miami has a few selections, and someone like Jalen Rivers from University of Miami is one of many options.
VERDICT: Drafting Kelvin Banks Jr. and riding with Paul. Resign Kendall Lamm as swing tackle, with Germain Ifedi as backup option if Lamm retires.
9. Fill the Linebacker Gap
In Anthony Weaver’s defense, at least two linebackers are needed to be every down players and contributors. Those linebackers must be smart and disciplined: Miami released former team captain David Long Jr. during the season in favor of special teams player Anthony Walker Jr. for this precise reason. If Miami makes a splash anywhere, I believe it could be most useful here: there are 1,000 snaps to go around and Miami was atrocious in tackling last year, tying the Browns for PFF’s worst tackling grade. The talented and useful Jordyn Brooks led the team with 17, but Long, Kader Kohou, Jalen Ramsey, and Calais Campbell all missed 14 each. The team needs a tackle machine, and those are available.
In free agency, Robert Spillane is a disciplined tackling machine who has had two great years in Vegas after some poor years in Pittsburgh. He will look to cash in on a revitalized career. Dre Greenlaw missed most of 2024 after a Super Bowl ACL tear in 2023, but he is a true captain type that can attack any gap. Ernest Jones was a beast in LA in 2023, but never caught on with the Titans in 2024; while he struggles in coverage, he can hoover up tackles. Veterans Bobby Wagner, Shaq Thompson, and Eric Kendricks are all available. Thumper Nick Bolton is going to be available from Kansas City. Weaver’s next linebacker is probably there in free agency, given the wealth of options. But LB also features some pretty insane draft prospects: Jalon Walker is an edge defender and linebacker that reminds some of Micah Parsons, and may be the best athlete drafted in 2025. Carson Schwesinger is a one-year wonder who tore up his final year at UCLA, and Chris Paul Jr. is pretty much the same character at Ole Miss. There are DUDES available at LB this season, and Miami is certainly in line to capitalize.
VERDICT: Draft Carson Schwesinger in the 2nd round and profit.
10. Another Rebuild in the Interior Defense
Yes, Miami is again in the market for defensive tackles to help Zach Sieler as the room is again empty following the departure of Christian Wilkins. The most effective signing last year was the late addition of Calais Campbell, Miami’s top graded defensive player by PFF metrics. Campbell’s return would be welcome in Miami, but that is on his terms and, as he was looking for a potential release to a playoff team last year, I’ll say I doubt his talents are in Miami next year. De’Shawn Hand seems worthy of resigning, as he picked up 564 snaps and provided a respectable 15 pressures and 23 tackles. Benito Jones was fine: a fun presence with a potential pick in Cleveland who had a memorable Mic’ed Up week. Ultimately, though, Campbell proved that SOMEONE with pedigree is needed. Milton Williams would be the ideal from Philadelphia, but he is going to be huge money. Free agency has a ton of other rotational players, like ancient Raven Brent Urban, who could fit in the same mold as the flexible, wizened Campbell.
The draft is the best place for a tone-setting answer to the interior defensive line. Mason Graham, another Michigan man, is an absolute game-wrecker at 320 pounds. He penetrates like no one I’ve watched in a long time, with astonishing instincts. He probably beat Ohio State single-handedly in the most frustrating version of The Game in recent Columbus memory. His line partner, Kenneth Grant, is 340 pounds and excellent in his own right. Both are tall dudes who wear the weight well, and both could be forces. Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon, and Darius Alexander all have PFF first round grades, and 5 DTs seen that highly makes this the best draft in the defensive interior since 2019, when Christian Wilkins, Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Jeffrey Simmons, and Dexter Lawrence all entered the league (Jerry Tillery was the less memorable but 6th DT selected in the first round that year). Miami should again get in on the action, drafting whichever one is available and instantly gaining an edge that was missing last year. An underrated option, especially if Miami focuses on offense early, is Aeneas Peebles from Virginia Tech, who is an incredible pass rusher inside that made life hell for ACC OLs.
VERDICT: Resign Campbell and Hand (if Campbell is interested) and save the first round draft capital by taking Aeneas Peebles in the 3rd round.
11. Backup QB…Here We Go Again
Miami is again searching for a backup QB who can reasonably offer a chance at a win after Mike White and Skylar Thompson flamed out with their chance. The first option was on the roster last year: Tyler Huntley earned shaky marks, but also delivered the first backup QB wins in the McDaniel era. Huntley struggled with the timing-based asks from the Dolphins offense, but he remained dynamic as a runner and kept his time to throw down, suggesting he could be coached into playing from the pocket. As Huntley did little to improve his stock and suggest a larger intrigue than backup duty, he will likely still be cheap. What could Huntley do with an offseason in Miami? Only Mike McDaniel knows if the plan is suitable for their QB situation, as he knows Huntley in meetings and in the huddle. Outside of Huntley, the carousel turns, as it does every year. Comparable names available this year include Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo, Drew Lock, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston, and good ol’ Jacoby Brissett. It’s pretty much the same flavor of fine wherever you go. Each QB has won some games and done some good stuff in the last two seasons. Miami had been in the market for Andy Dalton according to rumor, including last year after Tua went down for the first time. Dalton resigned in Carolina for 2 years and 8 million dollars: this is the number Miami should expect to spend. Huntley should be somewhat cheaper, as might Mac Jones, but it’s similar whichever one you pick.
If Miami truly wants a young guy with upside for McDaniel to coach up, some intriguing players will be sitting in the draft. Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders should be long gone, but the other big time QBs will likely sit to (and potentially through) Day 2: Will Howard from OSU and Jalen Milroe from Alabama are the most famous, the former a pure game manager and the latter a dynamic runner who could well post a 4.4 time. Quinn Ewers from Texas is exactly the kind of heady prospect McDaniel likes in Tua, though his mistake-prone play wore out his welcome in Texas. Kyle McCord was banished to Syracuse from Columbus, but essentially played perfect football on the smaller stage last year. It’s a terrible year to need an impact starter, but not a bad year for a team with a lot of draft picks to add a developmental guy.
VERDICT: Draft Quinn Ewers or Kyle McCord in the back of the 4th round.
12. Running Back Rotation
Time to dispense of a few narratives that are bubbling in Fins Land: De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright are really good football players. Wright struggled last year, seeming unsure of his landmarks in games and taking way too many tackles for a loss. As a result, his 3.7 yards per carry was underwhelming. But watching his runs, you see a back with speed and power through the gaps, who offers a chance to upgrade over Raheem Mostert in a role that gets him into space. Achane, the poor soul, was still as speedy as ever, but spent way too much time going through the tackles as teams played Miami from the outside in, funnelling him back toward the line of scrimmage over and over again. Achane was better as a receiver, with 78 catches and only 1 drop; he’s a lovely scatback who projects as a Reggie Bush style player. He could be a major contributor in his role. With two backs that I believe are ascending, Miami is just missing the between-the-tackles closer who can offer an important change of pace, especially if the team commits to seeing Achane lined up wide even more often. For the roster, Miami will need two RBs, but likely just needs one veteran with some traditional experience. In Free Agency, young former top picks like Javonte Williams and Najee Harris are likely overqualified for the diminished role, so Miami should instead look to other former rotation players like A.J. Dillon, Elijah Mitchell from the 49ers, and Cam Akers who, with the Rams and Vikings, has done a ton of zone running of late.
Miami’s options, if going the draft route, feature a ton of potential late round and undrafted players, but the rookie intrigue is high for a potential franchise-changing back. Ashton Jeanty from Boise State is being touted as the best pure RB to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson and/or Saquon Barkley. The dude is absolutely incredible, with 2,601 yards and 29 TDs in 2024. You read those numbers correctly. He was 27 yards short of the all-time record held by Barry Sanders. The team that drafts Jeanty will instantly be rewarded with toughness and consistency. As this is an emphasis for Miami, it’s hard to put aside the potential if Jeanty indeed slips to #13. That said, it feels relatively unlikely this happens: the Raiders, Jets, Saints, Bears, and Cowboys all pick before Miami and will be forced to consider a RB that is this excellent, even with other needs. The Cowboys at 12 seem to be as low as Jeanty will go, so this is likely impossible. Instead, Miami can target a host of other backs: at the higher end, the duo from Ohio State project to be Day 2 selections while the powerful Damien Martinez or the shifty Trevor Etienne are big names you’ll see early in Day 3.
VERDICT: Sign Elijah Mitchell and draft Trevor Etienne with a late-round pick.
13. New Blocking TE
Eagle-eyed Dolphins fans will remember a number of throws in the seam to Durham Smythe and Julian Hill, two players often left wide open because, let’s be honest, bad things happened when they got targets. More concerning is that both players, who were on the roster specifically to be targets that could do wonders for the run game were borderline disasters in that phase of the game, leading to a release for Smythe and, hopefully, a demotion for Hill. Miami needs a cheap option to provide that attitude in the trenches to complement the excellent Jonnu Smith, who cannot block at all. Free agency features a few guys who have slotted into the TE rotation and laid down blocks: Kylen Granson, Austin Hooper, and Chris Manhertz all have plenty of experience in the role and were top 20 in PFF’s run blocking metrics. Tommy Tremble and Johnny Mundt are also plenty capable. In the draft, there is a guy to circle in pen for this role: at 6’5”, 260, Jackson Hawes is the flat out meanest TE you’ll ever see. Flipping on a Georgia-Georgia Tech overtime game, I was shocked to see this guy playing as though HE were the powerhouse team and the entire Georgia defense was the beaten-down underdog. If Miami is serious about toughness, Jackson Hawes is a dawg you want. He will, I’m sure, be an Eagle or a Steeler.
VERDICT: JUST DRAFT JACKSON HAWES! I will bang the table for this.
14. Establish an Identity Redux
Here’s what I wrote last year:
“The above priorities will dictate plenty about where Miami is going: just as their investment in De’Von Achane and their belief in Austin Jackson indicated a move to the run game last year, the moves will tip off where Miami plans to double down and where they plan to change their thinking. Mike McDaniel, the master of the paradigm shift, has landed on a defensive coordinator who does nothing if not constantly profess that the modern NFL is multiple. My priority would be to get less predictable, even at the expense of McDaniel’s incredibly idiosyncratic approach to play calling. The new identity would feature a bit more tradition: a big receiver, a normal free safety, a boundary corner, a TE who can catch and block.”
It did not happen! Stephen Ross has a mandate to win that hangs heavily over every head in Miami, and the core three of Grier, McDaniel, and Weaver have one more chance to get it right. If they do, Weaver is a head coach elsewhere and all is well for the other two. If not, it will be a decidedly different column next year. Miami: GET LESS PREDICTABLE! BE MORE MULTIPLE! GET TOUGH! My ideal offseason featured a plea to sign back Andrew Van Ginkel and DeShon Elliott, but Miami passed on the opportunity and saw both players start for playoff teams. I asked for Ladd McConkey and Laiatu Latu, both of whom looked great as rookies, and a tackle that plays guard and got none of the above. If I could see this as a fun lil blog writer, why can’t Miami?
Final Plan
My offseason roadmap is below, complete with a trade down that I executed because teams thirsty for a playmaker allows Miami to sit back in a draft that features great players at positions of need. Obviously, Miami needs more than this list to field a team, but this would be my headline if I were executing a Dolphins offseason:
Cut or Trade: Tyreek Hill (WR), Terron Armstead (OT)
Restructure: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Austin Jackson (OT), Bradley Chubb (EDGE)
Sign: Elijah Mitchell (RB), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (WR), James Daniels (IOL), Charvarius Ward (CB), Justin Simmons (S), Jeremy Chinn (S)
Resign: Kendall Lamm (OT), Calais Campbell (IDL), Da’Shawn Hand (IDL), Jaelan Phillips (EDGE), Kader Kohou (CB), all Exclusive Rights Free Agents (Cameron Goode, Kion Smith, Grant DuBose)
Mock Draft: Pick 20 (trade down): Kelvin Banks Jr., Pick 48: Carson Schwesinger, Pick 52: Xavier Restreppo, Pick 98: Aeneas Peebles, Pick 114: Nohl Williams, Pick 134: Quinn Ewers, Pick 150: Jackson Hawes, Pick 156: Trevor Etienne, 7th rounders (3): OL, S, LB
