Well folks, this is the aftermath of a losing season in what was supposed to be the roster that both GM Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel built to not only win the division title in the AFC East but get into the Superbowl. Surprise, this team fell short, waaaaay short of those lofty expectations. I’ll be honest, I expected a 10-7 season and a WC Playoff berth for this team, but they couldn’t even manage that. GM Chris Grier points fingers at QB Tua Tagovailoa implying if he stayed healthy this team could have gone much further. I sit at my computer and point a finger at Chris Grier (Guess which finger) because he offered Tua a contract, namely a $212.4M contract offer that he couldn’t refuse. I can tell you that there was no other NFL team who would go anywhere near that figure, and as I made clear here I would have played Tua on his 5th year contract. If he refused, well, that’s on him, the NFL is a business, and that’s just smart business. His choices would have been to play, or sit out. Either way, this team win. Especially if you go into the offseason with that plan, because then you can keep either or both of Christian Wilkins and/or Robert Hunt and you definitely make an offer to keep OLB Andrew Van Ginkel. Alas, Grier, and Mike McDaniel swung out of their shoes and missed.
We have a lot of very expensive veteran players on this team who have not played up to their contracts. Tyreek Hill, who will make $28M in ’25, and who BTW gave himself the hook in Game 17 sometime in the 4th QTR and said “Bye, I’m out!” is one of them. He wasn’t close to the impact player he was in 2023. Jalen Ramsey didn’t play poorly this season, and DC Anthony Weaver tried to employ him in as many spots as possible, but the end result was a “meh” season. 2 INT’s in 7 games, 60 tackles (39 solo), 11 passes defensed, 1 sack and 4 QB hits. OLB Bradley Chubb never quite made it back on the field. H was injured late in the season, game 16 (12/24/23) to be specific, so we knew he was going to miss a good amount of time, but that stretched to the entire season. LT Terron Armstead gave his all, and played admirably, but relying on oft injured veteran players always leaves you short, especially when it’s Chris Grier making those decisions. Then there’s the highest paid player, none other than QB Tua Tagovailoa. This one hurts. If I’m running this team, I’d drafting a QB this year that can not only be his legitimate backup, but a player than can compete for the job. Enough getting stung by hoping/expecting him to stay healthy. Yes, in 2023, QB Tua Tagovailoa played 17 games and a then a playoff game, but any of you here with eyes saw the caution he took, ending plays with throwaways, going down willingly before a collision for a sack, and simply not taking any chances running outside the pocket with the football. We all watch games, we see winning QB’s do this routinely, because it’s necessary to win games. If Tua gets back to that kind of caution, once again we’re going nowhere, because every game has a spot or two or three where this is necessary.
As our current DC Anthony Weaver makes the circuit of interviews, it’s possible we lose one of the bright spots. A lot of fans harped on the defense for much of the season, and they weren’t completely wrong, but with the lack of anyone capable at the helm of QB in Tua’s absence, the defense was just asked to do too much, and of course, we lost OLB Jaelan Phillips in the middle of Game 3, after working so damn hard to get back on the field after suffering a torn achilles in game 11 against the NYJ on their shitty field surface at MetLife Stadium. I love that kid, and I truly admire his resolve, but he is unfortunately another talented player that can’t be relied on due to his injury proclivity. Rookie OLB Chop Robinson showed some potential and should be a bigger part of the defense. Bradley Chubb may have played his last game as a Dolphins LB 12/24/23. He may be a post June cut, or more of a longshot, be part of this defense for ’25. I’d recommend the former. DE/OLB Emmanuel Ogbah is no longer on the roster, and props to him for always doing a solid job, never whining, just suits up and does his thing. Rookie OLB Mo Kamara didn’t really get an opportunity to do anything this season, and it’s possible his role is expanded and he’s given more of a chance to be a part of this defense. If Chubb is gone, you’d have to think that would be the case because at least as of now, the only OLB’s on the roster will be Chop Robinson, Jaelan Phillips, and Grayson Murphy. We may have to use another draft pick on a pass rusher, but there are so many holes and not enough fingers or cash to plug them.
Mike McDaniel. Hero in 2023, Stoner HC not respected by his players and looking more and more out of his league in the NFL. His explosive offense in 2023 has turned into a Ryan Tannehill, Joe Philbin offense. Oh, Tua was dinking and dunking like no one’s business, he completed 72.9% of his passes! Maybe we should start counting handoffs in his completion percentage, so we can say Tua completed 99.3% of his handoffs! This offense was a dud. We couldn’t run the ball, and to me at least, it was bizarre how much the offense ran through RB/WR De’Von Achane. 203 carries and 78 receptions totaling 1499 yards and 12 TD’s, 6 rushing, 6 receiving. Rookie RB Jaylen Wright was an absolute afterthought, this after trading into the 4th RD of the ’24 draft by trading away this upcoming draft’s 3rd RD pick. That’s fine if use the kid, but Wright was never given a real opportunity in a game, getting only 68 carries and 3 receptions. Yet another failed trade up for Chris Grier. Back to McDaniel, and all the promise with the “Head Coach That Cares”. He’s turned into a mumbling. bumbling HC who apparently is not respected by his players. You have to be successful to lead a bunch of guys as their friends. You’re not ruling by fear, or by respect, just like hanging out with your boys, and when you’re losing, they don’t really wanna hang out with you. It seems a surety that both HC Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier are on the hot seat in2025, but then again, Ross is asleep at the ownership wheel here, and doesn’t seem to care enough about holding anyone responsible for anything with this team, as long as he gets his hot cocoa and his blankie at night.
We enter 2025 at the moment with $9M in cap space. That can improve some with a post June 1st cut of Bradley Chubb, but keep in mind that’s a long time to wait to sign players. Restructures are always possible, but that mortgages the future again, and I’d prefer that once that the 2 knuckleheads are gone that they haven’t ruined the situation to make it more difficult to find a new GM/HC combination. The exact amount of draft picks is in, but where those picks fall have yet to be determined. We know we have RD1/#13, RD 2/#48, no natural 3rd RD pick (traded for RB Jaylen Wright). We should get a compensatory pick after RD 3 for Robert Hunt. The pick for DT Christian Wilkins is muddled right now, because despite the massive contract he signed, he missed the last 12 weeks of the season, so the playing time portion of the formula for compensatory picks put that pick more likely in RD 4 than 3. We have our regular 4th RD pick, RD 4/#112, then RD 5 #142, and then RD 5 #149 (Bradley Chubb trade), RD 7/#200 and RD 7/#207 (Chase Claypool trade). We might get a compensatory pick inn the 7th RD for losing Safety DeShon Elliott, who played in 15 games for the Steelers this season.
We have a decent amount of draft capital, but man do we have a lot of holes to fill. O-line will no doubt be a priority as we have 2 OG positions to fill. That also includes praying that #52 Patrick Paul can actually nail down the LT spot next season and that RT Austin Jackson can stay healthy and play well at RT. My favorite whipping boy in the offseason was OC Aaron Brewer, but as it turned out, i was wrong and Grier hit well on an offensive lineman. He’s not an all pro, but moves very well and blocks well on the move. OG’s Robert Jones and Liam Eichenberg have to be depth guys, and then you have to hope you don’t need your depth guys too often. Whether WR Tyreek Hill has played his last game here is unknown, I’m sure he will be given every opportunity to get back in the good graces of all parties involved, but WR could become a priority of that doesn’t happen. It seems we have one very good receiving TE in Jonnu Smith, but not much else in that room. TE Durham Smythe fell out of the picture this season, and TE Julian Hill seemed to only make mistakes, penalties, missed blocks, dropped passes, you name it, he did them all, a lot. TE has to be somewhat of a priority, not necessarily in the draft, but there some TE’s some of us here love for sure in this ’25 draft.
On defense, the cupboard is really bare. We need defensive linemen, DE, NT, and then we need depth. Zach Sieler is great, but he can’t really do it all alone, he’s the only rostered DL right now. OLB has some priority, because while Chop Robinson showed promise, it’s basically Mo Kamara and Jaelan Phillips, and then possibly Bradley Chubb, if he doesn’t get cut. At inside LB, Jordyn Brooks was a very nice pickup. ILB Tyrell Dodson will be a FA, so the only other inside backer on the roster is mostly ST’s player Channing Tindall, yes, 3rd RD/#102, our very first pick in the 2022 draft. It’s possible we re-sign Dodson and bring in a few UDFA’s, but don’t expect a lot of money or draft capital at this spot. Cornerback is another high priority. Jalen Ramsey who play everywhere will be 31 mid season, so we need to find legit corners. CB Kendall Fuller who came over from the Commanders in FA had an uneven season and made little impact. That leaves unproven UDFA CB Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, Isaiah Johnson and Jason Maitre. That’s going to ned some attention. We’re hurting at Safety as well, Jevon Holland is a FA and didn’t impress anyone this past season anyway. All we have is 2024 6th RD pick Patrick McMorris right now, and he hasn’t shown he can be a starter in the NFL. There’s lots of work to do as I mentioned, plenty of roster spots up for grabs. With the amount of cap space we have and roster positions that need to be filled, we’re going to have to do a great job hitting UDFA’s this year. Our roster is old now, although that will undoubtedly change after this offseason.
Looking at our division, the Bills are the front runners and it’s not even close. Yes, things change, but I think that’s a surety. Who’s next depends on this offseason, and right now the New England Patriots have a QB, are yet to hire a HC, but they have draft picks and cap space to play with, $133M which is the most in the NFL. The NY Jets have yet to hire a GM or HC, so we’ll see what happens there. The Jets have interviewed so many people for both jobs, but nothing has been done as of this writing. Even “Sexy Rexy” Ryan nailed down an interview. So who is 2nd in this division is unknown, but anyone that foolishly thinks it’s us, is well, foolish. The Patriots fired HC Jerod Mayo after one season and it seemed like all the world that was done to accommodate bringing in former Patriots LB Mike Vrabel, but he’s yet to be hired. Will we actually make the QB position a priority and find someone other than Tua who can run this offense? I thank the Football Gods that QB Tyler Huntley shat the bed against the Jets, because if he played well, surely he would be the backup QB for Tua. We have to identify a veteran who can play, and draft a young QB as well. Not necessarily day 1, but maybe day 2. I don’t care what round, as long as he’s given reps and a chance to play here. I’ve heard Tua wants all the reps, that ends in ’24, because Tua can’t finish a season so he doesn’t get that opportunity any longer. We need every QB on the roster capable of stepping in to a game and competing for a win. If that means less reps for Tua, so be it.
I’m not optimistic about Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel running the show this offseason, draft and beyond. In MLB, I’m a Mets fan, and have seen how wonderful change can be. Mets owner Steve Cohen has deep pockets, but in a short time, his team is already competitive and went deep into the playoffs to the NCLS, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers, WS winners in’25. The NY Knicks majority owner James Dolan is not my fave, but he finally handed the reins of President to Leon Rose, who has done a masterful job of bringing back winning to MSG, the Greatest Arena in the World. The Knicks are now a top 5 NBA team after 4 years of Leon Rose being named President. Both the NY Mets and NY Knicks were stuck in mediocrity, but one change of ownership (NY Mets and Steve Cohen), and one change of authority (NY Knicks and President Leon Rose) have paid huge dividends. So someday, Ross gives up the ownership or he finally tires of mediocrity and let’s his good friend Chris Grier go and this franchise can start building the right way. Can Grier finally get it right, and can Mike McDaniel get the respect from his team? Don’t bet on it! Sorry guys, that’s just how I feel, but of course, I hope to be proven wrong.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Through Spotrac, I can create over $40M in cap space… and that’s only by restructuring Tua and Chubb’s contracts.
Get a legit backup QB (plus draft one), solve the Guard issues (one by FA, one or more via the Draft), and get a redzone target receiver (think De’Vante or Gesicki-esque in size/leap/catch radius). This Offense just might click in ’25… but I’m a dreamer.
restructuring those 2 would be futuristic suicide
Brian in NY
says:
January 12, 2025 at 9:50 pm
correct M13- especially for safeties who have to read and react to the play. INTs are often the result of instincts.
————-
EXACTLY!!!
And that’s another reason why I’m so VERY HIGH on Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame.
He’s ALWAYS in the right place at the right time and capitalizes on the opportunity.
I just don’t know how we can’t take a DT in the 1st round of the ’25 Draft, barring a huge FA signing. If Calais Campbell doesn’t come back (which is a real possibility), we’ll be fucked.
Zach Sieler can’t do it alone (nobody can), so it’s imperitive we find another DT. JMO
We need more Draft picks, especially with the revelation that we’re only going to get a 4th-round compensatory pick for Christian Wilkins… not a 3rd… barring some kind of positive for us with the wacky compensatory formula.
The compensatory formula seems to be more secret than the code for dispatching THE BOMB. Talk about a ‘nuclear football’…
I’m taking Tyler Warren all day, if he’s there
Jayden Daniels and this game show why he’s already 6th overall in my ranking of best QBs. Dude is only going to get better and he’s already a stud. First playoff win in his first season. Grats Redskins.
Mayfield shat the bed on the fumble, that was Tampa’s game to lose and he did
He did and it was. I like Baker and TB a lot but they really need to use the remaining small window of Evans better next year. It should be their division to lose again next year.
Tampa’s HC is lame, he never seems to fight for anything
they get a shitty call and he’s not in the face of the ref giving him shit, takes too much crap
Was a very enjoyable game
It was. Best of the weekend by far.
I wouldn’t touch Tua or Tyreek’s contracts. Those fuckers are gone ASAP when their contracts allow us. This team isn’t going anywhere in ’25, so suck it up, and then cut those fuckers quickly when you’re able
yeah, i agree
Tyreek gone after 2025, 15m dead, save 36m
Tua has 25m dead money in 2026, save 31m by cutting him, 17m after 2026
part ways after 2025 and build it back stronger, not faster and weaker
I think we need to forget position, and just get the best players we can get. We’re not building around Tua any longer, we’re just building.
best players has taken a turn for me, i think the best right kind of players is a better way of looking at it
We need to find a difference maker, when it’s a critical time in the game he’s going to step up
for Buffalo Allen and Diggs did it, Shakir and Cook this year
our guys are Jonnu and Achane, think Waddle would too without Tyreek
Tyler Warren would by a difference maker, catching, breaking tackles, tush push in Wildcat
19.Tyler Warren TE Penn State
48.Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
98.Jaeden Roberts OG Alabama
99.Kurtis Rourke QB Indiana
115.Jaylen Reed S Penn State
150.Joshua Gray OG Oregon State
155.Jermari Harris CB Iowa
225.Alfred Collins DT Texas
230.Jack Kelly LB BYU
251.Kobe Savage S Oregon
2026 DEN 2nd
that would be an A+ for
and give all 10 at least 1 year on 53, who cares if we suck in 2025
Grier paid all that money to bring in DTs, then just started cutting them loose, WTF?
why sign so many without giving them a chance, Tart cut was baffling
It’s a little too early in the offseason to start the BPE argument Mike. I know that’s not what you are doing, I just sense it coming on. lol.
cheats are going to be Tenn 2.0, when was the last time we beat the Titans
it’s going to be NFC East football in the AFC East, we better start building some strength in the trenches
Steve – What I meant is don’t take an OG because we need one who’s ranked way behind the TE that’s on the board for you now.
Need some tough guys! Stat!
I just saw that Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since Jayden Daniels was born. LMAO
Is that who’s fault it is? Jayden Daniels? Well F him!
Nice write Mike. Although I do agree if Tua hadn’t gotten injured (big if) we would have probably made the playoffs.
Better yet, if they had not NEEDLESSLY placed him on IR and let him go through the protocol without paying attention to the press, He would have played in 3 more games and likely won a couple of those.
He had NO SYMPTOMS the day after the concussion. He COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE been cleared in 3 days. (like every other concussion in the league last year!!!)
They CHOSE for political reasons to put him on IR and shut him down for 5 weeks!
They should fire MM for that reason alone!
1000048260-png.569112 (1206×1618)
I take Tyler Warren at 13 if he’s there, no question. Yes, we have other needs, but TE will be a need too in a few years if we don’t draft him .we can’t pass up potential all pros just because we have a need somewhere else; that’s what gets you a mediocre team year after year. Tyler Warren is a difference maker- I’ve been watching him for four years. Every single game. He blocks very well, can run the ball, has an excellent hands, can run after the catch , runs great route and can find the soft spots in the defense. Not often I say there’s a can’t miss guy coming out of Penn St. (I said it with Allen Robinson, Godwin, Barkley, and Parsons), but Warren is that guy.
We do need an immediate upgrade over Smythe amf Julian Hill. Having Warren and Jannu next season would be nice.
I think you can make a reasonable argument that Julian Hill is the worst football player to ever set foot in Hard Rock
he played in nearly every game this year
he caught 12 balls for 100 yards
but he was penalized 5 times for 43 yards
so he had a net positive of 57 total yards in 16 games
that’s about 3.5 yards of production a game
and it’s not like he’s was out there for his ability to block
he specifically was supposed to be a receiving threat
He was worse than awful and I can’t for the life of me understand how he kept being used. He is the Columbo of TEs.
29. Nick Emmanwori S South Carolina
48. Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
60. Mason Taylor TE LSU
61. Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
98. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
99. Savion Williams WR TCU
115. Charles Grant OT William & Mary
150. Chris Paul Jr. LB Ole Miss
156. Cam Skattebo RB Arizona State
177. Riley Leonard QB Notre Dame
225. Alfred Collins DT Texas
230. Jay Higgins LB Iowa
251. Armand Membou OT Missouri
If we got TE Tyler Warren with our first pick, I would love to get DT Tyleik Williams with our second pick, 6’3, 327 and could run in the 4.7’s. I don’t think there is another DT that can hold their ground vs double teams and still make a play as consistently as Williams. This is a different video from before.
This was Monheim’s 1st season playing center. He could probably play either OG position also. Looking him as a later day 3 option.
BBM,
As I’d said way back I still think Monheim is the sort of guy these guys like. His versatility is probably his best asset. The more I saw of him the more I thought he’s a guard and probably not a starter. I think he’d be a swing player. Later round pick, I’d say. 5-6-7. I’m not in a big hurry to draft him, but these guys might be. Should be an interesting offseason.
Do we really need to take a TE at #13? 😩
No, we need Tyler Warren
with the 🌭 (weenie) behind center we need an outlet for him, he’s not just a TE, he’s a difference maker and can be our tush pushee
we need someone to allow us to play 1st and 8, with the big boys
So, Vrabel is HC of NE and Brady is minorty owner of Raiders who have fired their front office and will be consulted in the search while commentating on FOX.
Lmfao….nothing to see here
No 🧁s allowed…lol
But but but we have to get 2 all pro OG’s for Tua, you can’t draft a TE and DT before addressing the OG position for Baby Tua! Mike McDaniel is drafting as if Tua’s life depends on it, and it might.
I don’t know about MM?
But the FUs Board of Draftee’s says we need Oline!!!
yes we do
🧁 needs a blocking TE to be able to block for his fav plays the pitch and the screen
maybe it’s 🌭 that favors those plays
Doesn’t matter who we draft. We don’t have the FO for success short term or long term.
^
17.Kelvin Banks Jr. OT Texas
48.Deone Walker DT Kentucky
49.Donovan Jackson OG Ohio State
99.Sebastian Castro S Iowa
115.Jaishawn Barham LB Michigan
150.Joshua Gray OG Oregon State
155.Savion Williams WR TCU
225.Jacob Parrish CB Kansas State
230.Jack Kelly LB BYU
251.Ty Hamilton DT Ohio State
I like all those picks!
One of the DT’s we had during TC but let go, Gallimore, had 5 tackles an 1.5 sacks last night for the Rams in their win.
Also, Rams starting safety Quentin Lake led the team with 9 tackles and 1 TFL. I wanted us to draft him late in 2022, Rams did instead at pick #211. He had 111 tackles, 2 sacks and 5 PD’s. this season.
I guess McVay has finally figured out how to beat Flores.
From a Joe Schad article:
In the last 12 drafts, here are the only other quarterbacks Miami has selected:
2022: Skylar Thompson, 7th Round
2016: Brandon Doughty, 7th Round
Miami Dolphins need a backup QB. Here are 5 NFL draft prospects they could target.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/nfl/dolphins/2025/01/13/miami-dolphins-quarterback-nfl-mock-draft-tua/77668219007/
“We were in on a number of topflight backup quarterbacks in the league,” Grier said. “We were runner-ups for a couple of them that we wanted to get here, and for some financial restraints and compensatory pick stuff, we just couldn’t go to those, to the prices.”
————————-
Yeah, dumb ass, due to all those huge contracts on F/A you couldn’t afford.
Wyoming, I know you have been selecting him a lot lately, more than I was:
Ya
The bad part is at 48 you’d have to give up a good DT to take him.
But that’s just the stimulator! (Pun intended)
True, but a trade down for an extra 2nd could do the trick.
Free agency will change all our mocks, of course. There are a couple good F/A IOL out there. I just don’t know what they will cost.
Instead of entering the NFL draft, Georgia QB Carson Beck enters the transfer portal and is going to the “U” to play in Miami as a 5th year senior.
Carson Beck had fallen off of every teams 1st round draft board. He was looking at being selected anywhere from the 2nd to early 4th round.
Beck will make anywhere from 3-4 million dollars in this NIL deal, which will double what he would have gotten this year in a rookie NFL contract drafted after the 1st round. It is also double what Cam Ward got when he came to the “U” (1.6 million).
Not a bad deal. Get paid a bunch and try to improve your draft stock for 2026.
Here are the biggest dead cap hits for next season;
Xavien Howard $15.7 million
Shaq Barrett $4.4 million
Odell Beckham, Jr. $895,000
Great job Grier!
Barrett gets paid even though he retired on us before the season started?!
Yep
wow, just completely quit on us, never played one snap and he gets paid.
** GOT paid.
This is just cap accounting.
Wyoming, while we are thinking about Ohio State LG Donovan Jackson. Let’s not forget the Buckeye’s center Seth McLaughlin as he can play OG also. He plays with a mean streak. Though, his size may limit him to just center at 6’4, 305 pounds. I like his game though.
Skylar is now a Stealer*
@_SportsTrust
Signed, sealed & delivered! @skylarjthompson
to the
@steelers
https://x.com/_SportsTrust/status/1879251463563870292
Watch him do well. lol
I wish the best for him.
We are not the only team…
@NFL_DovKleiman
Yikes: WR Diontae Johnson was reportedly angry in the locker room after the #Texans playoff win, likely due to a lack of involvement on offense. He was cut this morning…
—————–
WOW!!!
Wow, and they were already missing Diggs and Tank Dell.
Donovan Jackson isn’t a great fit for how MM does things….and it’s really not stuff Jackson can change. I know he looked okay at LT, but he’s really a tight space guard in the NFL. That’s not what we do. Because of his base ability I’d still be tempted to bring him in and find out for sure because the question with this kid has always been is he just a little physically limited or not pushing to reach his ceiling?
Good point. What do you think of McGlaughlin above? You think he could play OG or is he not big enough?
It’s difficult to fathom, but Skylar Thompson is now the only QB under contract for the Stealers*.
At best, the Stealers* are only going to re-sign one of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields… and perhaps neither.
So I wonder if our FO is interested in either Wilson or Fields to be our new backup QB?
they both sucked this year, could possibly win a game or 2, when the 🌭 is hurt
I think both will be cost prohibitive for us, to boot.
nah, neither made squat this year nor improved their stock
we need to at least take a flyer on a big QB, strong arm, that can run
kinda like Fields, with more between the ears
Marcus Mariota may be the shoe that fits.
I’d take that
BBM,
I like McGlaughlin. No reason he should move to guard in the pros. He might end up being one of the better young centers in the league in a few years. He has had some injury issues. He’s smart as hell, and I think he’ll get better at the next level. Yeah, he could play guard, but if his agent lets that happen, I’d fire the guy. He’s a center.
Thanks!
Free Agent OG’s who could be in our price range:
RG Will Hernandez, Cardinals starting RG, last contract 2yr 9 mil deal
OC/OG Nate Herbig, Steelers, on IR this season, last contract 2yr 8 mil deal
LG Ben Bredeson, Bucs starting LG, last contract 1yr 3 mil deal
RG Dalton Risner, Vikings starting RG, last contract 1yr 2.4 mil deal
LG Teven Jenkins, Bears starting LG, coming off rookie deal
LG Aaron Banks, 49er’s starting LG, coming off rookie deal
Getting into other team’s backups if I list any more.
I’m *almost* willing to bite the bullet and sign Trey Smith, RG, Chefs*… but that would take a lot of restructuring, kicking cans further down the road.
Yeah, I didn’t list him. He is being talked about close to Robert Hunt in contracts, at least over 15 mil per.
The list of affordable OG’s will have some additions because if a RFA is not tendered by the start of the new league year, they become an UFA.
Sam Ehlinger is a free agent QB next year. At least he will give you some short yardage conversions. lol
Seems to me, any back up QB that’s available would want to come to Miami. With Tua as our starter, they’re guaranteed some playing time.
^ TRUTH
100%
Lol…yup
I thought about this at work last week. Who were the roughest, toughest guys on our team in ’23? That would be Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt… who were exactly what we needed for the GRIND of winter and playoff football.
Instead, we let them walk and became all the softer as a result.
I all but guarantee we’d have made the playoffs again this season if we’d retained Robert Hunt. Why? We’d have had a functional running game at the very least.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but if ya re-sign Robert Hunt and force Tua to play on his 5th year contract, we’d probably be in a better place right now… and possibly still alive in the playoffs.
If we kept Robert Hunt and AVG
YUP!
If we upgrade the G position and depth on the OL that could improve a lot of issues with this team.
Absolutely. Our running game fell off a cliff this season due to an ineffective O-Line at the Guard positions.
And once the opposition realized as much, they played 2-deep Safeties on us every Sunday when Tua was our QB.
Couldn’t run consistently and the deep ball wasn’t there. Couldn’t run power plays in short yardage, had to rely on screen/pick plays and outside runs.
C Brewer
LT Paul
RT Jackson
Upgrade Guard in FA and through the draft.
If the team played better football they would win more games….
LOL… if Chris Grier and Coach McD actually took the O-Line more seriously, they’d win more games, too!
Think… most of us here have been following our Phins for a VERY long time. So let’s go back to the Saban-era of Phins football… where we had former and recent Pro-Bowlers at every skill position… BUT HE NEGLECTED THE O-LINE!!!
Even Peter King predicted us to go to the Super Bowl! What was the net result? We couldn’t run, we couldn’t pass, and we certainly couldn’t pass ‘GO’ on a Monopoly board.
At least Bill Parcells understood the O-Line, and that lasted for a few seasons, paving the way for the R&R X-Press. But sadly, we didn’t have a decent QB in those days (save MR. PENNINGTON).
So ever since Steve Ross took over, we’ve been all about hiring a new, up-and-coming Offensive mind (Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, and now Mike McDaniel) that absolutely neglects the O-Line… in favor of ‘sandlot football’.
What truly ironic? Upon taking the HC spot at Alabama, Nick Saban has been ALL ABOUT his O-Line. See, he LEARNED from his failures as our Phins HC back in ’05-’06.
When are we actually going to take our O-Line seriously again?
A couple Dt’s I would be interested in are:
Javon Kinlaw, Jets starting DT, signed a 1yr 7.25 mil deal
Jerry Tillery, Vikings starting DT, signed 1yr 2.75 mil deal
Osa Odighizuwa, Cowboys starting DT, coming off rookie deal
Tedarrell Slaton, Packers starting DT, coming off rookie deal
Milton Williams, Eagles starting DT/DE, coming off rookie deal
Tim Knight
says:
January 14, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Couldn’t run consistently and the deep ball wasn’t there. Couldn’t run power plays in short yardage, had to rely on screen/pick plays and outside runs.
C Brewer
LT Paul
RT Jackson
Upgrade Guard in FA and through the draft.
———–
Exactly! Teams won’t be able to get away with playing 2-high Safeties when the likes of Achane is ripping off 10-yard runs at a clip, as he did in ’23. Teams will then have to play with a box Safety (8 in-the-box), thus allowing our passing game to thrive once again.
It’s all about the O-Line!
Yep
Thank you, Tim! And you were one of the first to REMIND ME that trench-play is essential when we first met on Omar’s blog!
Annie
https://x.com/AnnieAgar/status/1879283607312957805
And we need NASTY (or ‘NICETY’, as Bootsy Collins would say!) to forge a core group of O-Linemen to vie with the likes of the Stealers* and Ravens.
Dark Richie was a little too nasty (psycho!), but one gets the point.
In 2021, the Dolphins traded up pick #42 to select Liam Eichenberg out of ND.
In 2021, the 49er’s drafted at pick #48 LG Aaron Banks out of ND.
Lynch/49er’s knew what they were doing. Grier/Dolphins, not so much.
^
I MUST say, however, that Liam came from an OZS at Notre Dame. He didn’t give up a sack all season at Notre Dame. He looked to be the player we needed, and even I thought he was going to be a stud.
Don’t know what happened to Liam.
He gets knocked off balance to easily
If Grier is to take a hit on Liam, then so should I. It’s all about accountability.
Eichenberg is a serviceable backup with versatility. He’s not starting caliber. Has good plays but just as many bad plays.
Agreed. Serviceable backup with his positional flexibility, but I no longer view him as a priority re-sign. He just doesn’t have the ‘dog’ in him, either.
Agreed
Wynn has some “dog” in him. I’d resign him to be a backup.
Bottom line for me is this team needs plenty of help. OL DL LB CB QB WR S. I just want them to draft good players. With all the needs we have, there should be good options somewhere.
Throw a dart at every position. They are all a need. Lol
You always want to get better everywhere, but in realistic current moments it’s one thing at a time to build on what you already have.
Many of you want to blow up everything and that’s not going to happen.
Get really good on the OL. It will change time of possession and points on the board. Helps both offense and defense.
Achane and Wright are going to be huge next year if we do that.
Tim,
Not ripping just responding. We have a rookie LT who shows some promise but hasn’t really shown he can hold that position down yet. A RT who will be coming back from a serious injury who hasn’t really proven himself yet. Improved, no doubt but who knows what he’s like when he comes back? Both guard positions are a mess, and guards are the power of your offense and the key to a running game. I’m not counting on Wynn for anything and Eich is a backup. We have a center who looks great running 5 yards downfield to block a LB but gets manhandled otherwise. And, not one single backup worth mentioning. This OL is a HUGE question mark. You can plug in bodies, but it would most likely take several years to turn this OL around….and that’s IF everything goes right…which it won’t. Ya gotta start somewhere but this is no small task…and injuries will undoubtedly play a role. This team has struggled to keep 5 guys on the field for years.
I too think Achane and Wright can be a nice duo, but they can’t do it without an OL. I just don’t trust the guys making the decisions, and they don’t really seem to care about the OL all that much.
Well said!
We’ve already tried the house of cards approach, i.e. no foundation or OL as described…lol
And, the perfect evaluation of CG’s and MM’s team management abilities after 3 years…..it’s an unsatisfactory grade if you want to be a player in the playoffs year after year…lol
Or, is 3 years not enough time?
“It’s something that’s served me really well in my career. Something that I think is essential for top performance,” Hayes, who won seven English titles with Chelsea and has twice been FIFA’s coach of the year, told USA TODAY Sports.
“That’s not to say destroy everything within the framework. Bit it’s absolutely essential that to compete at the highest level, you have to challenge, you have to reflect. Be adding to, subtracting,” Hayes said. “It’s an evolutionary pocess.”
“The moment teams get in the comfort space of previous winning [losing…lol] is a future indicator of winning–it’s not enough….”
Went a different way this time.
Didn’t turn out to bad?
21.Jalon Walker LB Georgia
48.Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
52.Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
98.Jaeden Roberts OG Alabama
99.Dillon Gabriel QB Oregon
115.Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
150.Savion Williams WR TCU
155.Jack Nelson OT Wisconsin
225.Alfred Collins DT Texas
230.Fentrell Cypress III CB Florida State
251.Jack Kelly LB BYU
Yeah, not bad. I will have to read up on Jaylon Walker. I think he lines up inside and outside. He has that versatility. Also, could be why his sack #’s weren’t higher.
Yeah, you can see him lining up outside and inside.
Looks like the FL panhandle is in for an ice storm next week that sucks as I was planning my last hunting trip next week. It would be fine if it were snowing where I will be but just SW of Montgomery, AL still shows freezing rain.
Safety could be an option in the 1st round after a trade down. I still like Starks and his coverage ability.
The freak Nick Emmanwori is the other 1st round (trade Down) possibility.
He’s my trade down target most times
I still would like us to get Falcons free agent Safety Richie Grant to give us a vet presence. He’s not a pro bowl stud but should come at a good price.
Top 10 Free Agent Safeties by PFN:
1) Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins
2) Tre’von Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders
3) Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
4) Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers
5) Camryn Bynum, Minnesota Vikings
6) Justin Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
7) Andre Cisco, Jacksonville Jaguars
8) Jeremy Chinn, Washington Commanders
9) Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills
10) Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis Colts
Holland #1, lol
I like Chinn as an SS also. Coming off a 1yr 4.1 mil deal. Played 17 games so far for Commanders this season but had injury shortened seasons in 22′ and 23′ with the Panthers.
He needs to be our backup. Unfortunately, they may go with a cheaper option in Huntley.
PFF’s pick for Miami at #13:
Miami Dolphins: T Josh Simmons, Ohio State
The Miami Dolphins need to add talent to their offensive line. The Dolphins’ 55.5 team run-blocking grade ranked No. 28 in the 2024 NFL season. Their 66.1 team pass-blocking grade ranked No. 21, meanwhile, Tua’s average time to throw of 2.30 seconds was the quickest in the NFL in 2024.
While Simmons’ 2024 season was cut short by injury, he earned an 82.0 pass-blocking grade and allowed only one pressure on his 158 pass-blocking snaps. Simmons played both left and right tackle in college but could also possibly be moved inside to guard. Adding Josh Simmons to the Dolphins offensive line means the Dolphins offense won’t have to rely so heavily on a quick time to throw in order to move the ball down the field.
@schadjoe
Miami Dolphins were 9th in NFL in points per drive in games Tua started
Miami Dolphins were 32nd in NFL in points per drive in games Tua didn’t
That’s counting ‘fist pumps’, not just TD’s.
Randy, you have to start somewhere with the OL. Rookies aren’t proven either. We need to add better players.
@MikeGarafolo
Sources to me and
@RapSheet
: The #Ravens claimed WR Diontae Johnson off waivers from the #Texans.
You read that right. However, per NFL rules, he will not be awarded to them until after the Super Bowl. He will then be a free agent.
This effectively ends Johnson’s season.
@MikeGarafolo
Two things here: The #Ravens will be in line for a compensatory draft pick if Diontae Johnson gets a deal that factors into the formula. And this also takes an experienced receiver off the market should another team need one in a pinch this offseason.
———–
WTF?!!
Smart move by the Ravens and they could get a 2026 comp pick for him.
Grier’s not that smart.
Johnson had 33 catches for 375 yards in 2024. That puts him at #133 on list of WRs. Not sure how the Ravens could get a compensatory pick for that.
I don’t normally put much stock into the idea of claiming a guy who was on your opponents roster to pick his brain, but I have to wonder if this has more to do with making sure the Chiefs don’t pick him up or something like that.
Weather for Texans at Chiefs 3:30pm kickoff Saturday is 22 degrees with 14mph wind gusting up to 28mph.
Weather for Rams at Eagles 2:00pm kickoff Sunday is 38 degrees with rain/snow mix.
Weather for Ravens at Bills 5:30pm kickoff Sunday is 11 degrees with 5mph wind with chance of flurries/lake effect.
Well, we would have been bounced last week anyway….
The ONLY way we could possibly make it through the playoffs is with home advantage. We had it in our grasp the season before last but threw it away.
@NFL_DovKleiman
Interesting: #Lions OC Ben Johnson spoke with Tom Brady on the field before the #Packers game 👀
This was the first time he’d met him.
Brady’s impact on the #Raiders is being felt immediately…
Tampering? I know he’s a broadcaster but also a partial owner.
There are no consequences for Brady to tamper. He tampered with Miami, we lost two draft picks and were castigated publicly but there were no consequences for him and he was just as guilty as the team!
PFN – Alan Goldsher’s latest mock:
13) Miami Dolphins: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
CBS Sports latest Mock:
Round 1 – Pick 13 Malaki Starks S Georgia • Jr • 6’1″ / 205 lbs
The Athletic
13. Miami Dolphins: Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU
^ Saw that earlier. That was written by Dane Brugler.
Will Campbell — if we draft him — will likely be plugged into the LG position immediately. If we take him @ R1P13, he’d better become an instant Pro-Bowler, IMO.
He has the ability. Probably the only good OL out of LSU this draft. Some have Patriots taking him at #4.
Also:
USA TODAY Sports: Walter Nolen, IDL, Mississippi
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Sporting News: Malaki Starks
You know MY take on Walter Nolen… STUD!
Walter Football:
13. Miami Dolphins: Kelvin Banks, OT/G, Texas
Tankathon now has our comp pick for Wilkins listed as a 4th now. They are really accurate in their predictions. Boo!
We are looking at 13, 48, 98, 114, 133, 149, 154, 224, 231 and 252.
Correct.
2 trade downs in 1st – Added 3 OL and 3 DL
29. Tyleik Williams DT Ohio State
48. Wyatt Milum OG West Virginia
58. Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
98. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
114. Savion Williams WR TCU
122. Keon Sabb S Alabama
126. Chris Paul Jr. LB Ole Miss
134. Marcus Mbow OT Purdue
150. Cam Skattebo RB Arizona State
155. Riley Leonard QB Notre Dame
227. Omarr Norman-Lott DT Tennessee
232. Jay Higgins LB Iowa
252. Gentry Williams CB Oklahoma
None too shabby! I like it… though if Walter Nolen is there @ R1P29, I’m taking him ALL DAY! 🙂
what’s the chance more than 1 DT or OL of these 3 make a difference?
no trade downs get the star at 13
This was a generalized statement, not likely, but if we had that many draft picks from a trade down I’d be ok with a rebuild
Skattebo will be a great pro
M13,
Do you see Nolen playing IDL or just a 3 tech guy?
M13, a rookie doesn’t have to be an immediate pro bowler to be good and effective
Not totally sure but I think Anthony Weaver is being used as a Rooney rule candidate as a HC, not a serious candidate. I hope he’s back as DC for us in 2025. I thought he did a nice job with not a full deck of options.
Doesn’t matter much to me, I think Grier, McDaniel will be gone next year, so if the defense somehow plays well, Weaver may have a shot as HC
Miami Dolphins Senior Personnel Executive Reggie McKenzie did not make it to the 2nd round of interviews for the Tennessee Titans GM job. No compensatory picks for Dolphins. Oh well!
Mike, I don’t think he would count for a comp pick. He has already been top dog (General Manager) of the Raiders so it’s not like we groomed him and then he got a chance. He is a recycle.
Rocko – Rooney Rule – 2 compensatory picks awarded
Under the rule, if a team has a minority coach or executive hired away to become another team’s head coach or general manager, the team that developed that coach or executive gets two third-round compensatory picks.
We did NOT develop him though, so I’m not convinced the rule would apply.
You might be right, I had seen reports that we would get them, they could have been wrong. Now it doesn’t matter
I could be wrong too. It happens more often than I like to admit. (100% of the time if a woman is in the room…LOL)
mf13ss says: January 15, 2025 at 6:45 pm
None too shabby! I like it… though if Walter Nolen is there @ R1P29, I’m taking him ALL DAY!
——————
He wasn’t. Went with the beef instead.
Randy, not responding for M13, but I think Nolen (in the NFL) is a 3 tech guy. That’s why I went with the trade down and took the 2 who can play anywhere on the DL and give you pass rush.
watching NFL Network from week 4 Bills at Ravens
Buffalo has no answer for Henry, 181 yards early 4th
bad matchup for Bills, think they’d beat everyone else this weekend
Bill Belicheck still has not signed his contract with UNC. Rumors are Cowboys and Raiders have some interest.
Sad day for Wisconsinites and for baseball: RIP Bob Uecker.
he made it to 90, can’t ask for any more than that
you must’ve missed the tag, from the front row
I think it was just a little bit outside
RIP Uecker
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/tyreek-hill-ravens-trade-nfl-rumors/
It’s not a rumor, just click bait but there is an outside slim chance it could hapen.
Hill posted an intriguing tweet to his ‘X’ account stating the following — “3 hour drive to Tampa about to be a breeze.”
https://www.si.com/nfl/buccaneers/news/miami-dolphins-star-tyreek-hill-fuels-speculation-about-potential-tampa-bay-buccaneers-move
BBM,
Thanks. I don’t know much about Nolen, but he doesn’t look like an NFL interior guy to me.
He got a skinny butt for a DT that’s why. LOL
Belichick playing the same game he did with the Jets.
Mike, it’s going to be a long offseason and season for you I see. You’re very down on the entire team. Hopefully the Mets will keep your mind off of it for at least a little while. 🙂
Is it Holland or defensive coach/system?
Holland ranked:
2021 – #3 best safety in NFL, DC Josh Boyer, HC Flores
2022 – #74, DC Boyer, HC McDaniel
2023 – #3, DC Fangio, HC McDaniel
2024 – #89, DC Weaver, HC McDaniel
One good year and 1 bad year under Boyer. In 60 career games he has 5 sacks (1 in last 2 seasons), 5 FF (4 in last 2 seasons), 5 INT’s (1 in last 2 seasons), 25 PD’s (less than half, 8, 4 each in last 2 seasons).
This is from a Joe Schad article, PBP.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/sports/nfl/dolphins/2025/01/16/miami-dolphins-free-agent-jevon-holland-contract/77742951007/
Sites are still saying Holland is the #1 free agent target in the NFL and will command 18 mil per as Joe Schad says in his article. Schad mentioned the franchise tag but I doubt it as the projected franchise tag is still around 18 mil for a safety.
Say bye already and hello to a possible 2026 comp pick. Though we have to hit free agency hard this year to field a roster so it might be negated.
yeah, no comp picks in 2026 most likely.
I don’t know why he ranked so bad in 2022. His best 2 seasons statistically probably were under Boyer.
BBMike, Holland has also been banged up in recent years. He flashes at times but I thought he was going to be better than he has been. I don’t think he’s a priority.
That’s what Schad was saying in the article. He also went over a couple options.
I posted Dane Brugler’s top pick (right now) for the Dolphins in OT/OG Will Campbell, LSU. His second pick is interesting though, TE Harold Fannin.
Would it be smarter to get one of the best OL in the draft at #13 where we have 2 holes to fill or the best TE in the draft when we have 4 under contract; Smith, Smythe, Hill and Rucci?
I think Rucci could leap over Hill this year and Smythe could be a cap casualty.
Jannu had the best season of his career and will probably get close to that again. He will cost too much to resign in 2026.
Why not draft Jannu’s replacement if this is the direction the offense is going?
We all know the “all in” approach didn’t work. But we still have talent to work with. We’ll see what happens during the offseason.
IMO, TE Harold Fannin is almost a unique talent as Tyler Warren. He’s just not going to give you everything Warren can. He is a Jannu Smith type TE. But Fannin set FBS tight end season records for:
TE Receptions – 117
TE Receiving Yards – 1,550
Yards After Contact – 868
Missed Tackles Forced – 32
Fannin is 10 years younger than Jannu Smith.
Fannin was really the only weapon on Bowling Green and teams couldn’t stop him; 11 rec for 137 yards, 1 TD vs Penn State, 8 rec for 145, 1 TD vs Texas A&M and in his last game (bowl game) he had 17 rec for 213, 1 TD.
About 40% of his snaps were as an inline TE. Though, at 6’4, 230, he’s a much smaller version of Jannu but has the frame to add 5-10 pounds easy.
I’m not concerned about TE. OL, front seven on defense, Edge is a little murky beyond Chop who could become a monster. A legit backup QB is a must.
why is Edge murky?
we have Phillips and Chubb too
Do we?
you gotta have money to be players in FA
the guys we’ll sign will look a lot like the crap we signed in 2024
I expect to get a 2026 3rd for Holland
we need a reboot year, unfortunately the cap says otherwise
my biggest fear is, to save his job Grier mortgages more of the future
Ross should put a stop to it, if that’s what does happen, but we know he won’t
OD has been right all along Ross = crappy owner and we need to focus on OL
I disagree that OD is right about Ross. He’s not cheap, he upgraded the stadium and facilities. He allows football people to do football things. He meddled and learned his lesson. I can’t bash people for trying to do everything to win. Fans are fickle.
she’s right and Ross don’t give a fuck
how do you retain this incompetent HC Ross, IDK give him a raise
https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/16/jordan-poyer-wife-rachel-bush-dolphins-locker-room-plague-immature/
Poyer mentioned how soft the team was before the season, it’s just a reflection of the coach
who said anything about being cheap?
shitty owner is one that can’t find a leader to run the team
which leader did we have under Ross?
response to Tim above
Okay. Making the playoffs twice in a row for the first time in 20 years, then one down season so it’s time to blow it up again. Have at it fickle fans.
Exactly
Fannin, at this point, can’t be a target for the Dolphins. I would much rather stick to my last mock and load up on OL and DL. That is until we get through the first wave of FA.