For you hardcore fans that watch, and have been watching this team for a long time, or even just for a short time, you want to go into the season feeling like this team is a contender, not only for the division crown, but for the AFC Championship as well. If you watched our team last season, you understand that a lot of things have to go well in order for that to happen. I’m going to outline those things, and give you something to look forward to for this upcoming 2025 season.
We’ve already added some talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, some that were drafted and some that were UDFA’s, Undrafted Free Agents. The Miami Dolphins drafted 8 players, and signed an additional 16 players that were not drafted. Let’s start with the ones we drafted.
Last season, the offensive line was a sore issue for this team. Despite the fact that LT Terron Armstead managed to play 15 games with a bad leg, there were injuries all along the line last season. The Dolphins had plans of starting OG Isaiah Wynn but he was unavailable due to injury. That forced the Dolphins to pivot to Liam Eichenberg to replace Wynn at RG and Robert Jones played LG. 2020 1st RD Pick Austin Jackson was set to play RT and he did, but injuries forced him to miss more than 1/2 the season. OG Isaiah Wynn only managed to play in 6 games, starting 3. Swing Tackle Kendall Lamm was pressed into action and played the remainder of the season at RT when Jackson went out. The Dolphins added big OG Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona in RD 2, and earlier in Free Agency, the Dolphins picked up OG James Daniels from the Steelers.
The plan for the O-line is to have 2nd year OT Patrick Paul play LT, and next to him will be the veteran James Daniels. Aaron Brewer who played a full season last year will be back at OC, and then the rookie will play RG, Jonah Savaiinaea, with RT Austin Jackson next to him. Obviously, the Dolphins and fans alike hope that this group is ready and able to play a full, successful season. We need health to be on our side for a change, and if we could manage to have all 5 starters play the whole season, it could really make a difference in a positive way. We did add a few depth players, OT Larry Borom from Chicago, OG/OC Liam Eichenberg was re-signed for depth at OG and C, and then a player who was on the Practice Squad in 2024 like OT Jackson Carman, and 2024 7th RD pick OT Ryan Hayes. I feel the crux of this season resides with the success of this unit. QB Tua Tagovailoa has to stay healthy if this team is realistically going to compete for the division and beyond, so the Offensive line is crucial in not only protecting Tua, but the run game needs to make big strides compared to last year where we leaned on RB De’Von Achane too much, and were just awful in converting short yardage situations like 3rd and short and 4th and short. Just abysmal! The Dolphins were 24th in the league at converting 3rd Downs to First Downs at 36.32%. That’s ALL 3rd Down conversions. I don’t have the 3rd and short and 4th and short, but if you watched the games, we failed far too often.
Fortifying the interior of the offensive line could make a significant difference. The 2 OG’s that should start in ’25, LG James Daniels and rookie RG Jonah Savaiinaea should enable this offense to run inside the tackles as well as outside, where we spent too much time the last season. If you want to convert short yardage plays you must get push in the middle. You can’t expect your RB to have to go all the way to the outer perimeter of the O-line, it takes too long and gives the defense too much time. You need the shortest distance from point A to point B, which is pretty much straight ahead. The Dolphins also brought in a very physical blocking TE in Pharoah Brown, and we’ll likely be seeing a lot of 2 TE formations with Jonnu Smith and Pharoah Brown. Jonnu Smith was great last season as a receiving TE and will continue in that role, but Brown can mix it up in the trenches and will help in those short yardage situations.
The defense last season was somewhat of a pleasant surprise. Then, new Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver had the unit getting better and better as the season went on. RDE Zach Sieler had a great season finishing with 10 sacks for the 2nd year in a row. Having veteran Calais Campbell last year helped a lot, he played all 17 games and played well all season. Calais Campbell has moved on but the Dolphins added two players who should make an immediate impact. In the 1st RD, the Dolphins took Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. Grant has the ability to play multiple spots on the D-line, an odd front which be our base 3-4, or an even front in passing situations like the nickel or dime. He’ll probably be found somewhere in the interior but can and will play DT/DE like Calais Campbell did last season. We also drafted what could be a steal in the 5th RD DT Jordan Phillips. He can also play multiple spots and surely will be counted on to do so this season. Last year we got a nice rookie performance from 2024 1st RD pick OLB Chop Robinson. He just got better and better and I’m sure the Dolphins are counting on him to pick up where he left off. To add, we lost OLB Jaelan Phillips to a knee injury last season, the 2nd season in a row where Phillips missed significant time. He should be back healthy, no one rehabs better than Jaelan Phillips, he’s a monster! We will also see the return of OLB Bradley Chubb who missed the entire ’24 season. Anthony Weaver probably can’t wait to see this whole group together, it really could be fun!
One thing the Dolphins have to do is figure out the Jalen Ramsey situation one way or another. They can’t let this situation linger, either he’s here, or he’s gone. If we’re going to move on from Ramsey, hopefully it’s a trade. I’ve seen rumors of trades regarding other teams who have similar situations on their hands, so maybe a disgruntled player swap with Green Bay Packers CB Jaire Alexander is possible. No Ramsey is older, and his salary is a little less than Alexander’s. Ramsey’s cap hit in ’25 is $16.6M while Alexander’s is $23.9M. This may not be feasible, or realistic but the Dolphins may need to find 2 starting CB’s if they can’t work things out with Ramsey and keep him, or trade him. They don’t really have a starting CB on the roster, but there are some available players who are Free Agents like Rasul Douglas and a younger player in Asante Samuel Jr. . Douglas is nearly 30 but we could a short contract. Samuel is only 25, but has a shoulder issue. If he can pass a medical, it would be nice to have some young talent but his contract will be steep. We have CB’s Storm Duck and Cam Smith who have started but were shaky. To add, we have two safeties that have started games during their careers, but between SS Ifeatu Melifonwu and FS Ashtyn Davis, they’ve only started 9 games total over the last 3 seasons. The secondary needs to be remedied if we’re truly going to be contenders.
Back to the offense for a moment. Last season, we inexplicably relied way too heavily on RB De’Von Achane. We drafted and traded up for RB Jaylen Wright in RD 4, using a 2025 3rd RD pick to do so. Wright should be seeing a lot more action, and in this 2025 Draft, we selected RB Ollie Gordon in RD 6. Gordon, 6’1 226 has a much more physical style and mentality rushing the football. He could help in the aforementioned short yardage struggles we’ve had. We also brought in WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine into our WR room and he should be a welcome addition. Much like Gordon, Ikhine-Westbrook brings some size to the room at 6’2 211, much larger and more physical than Hill and Waddle and should be a nice big target as well. Westbrook-Ikhine had 9 TD’s receptions last season, 1 more than Hill-Waddle combined. He’s a great red zone threat receiver, I look forward to watching him here in Miami. Of course, the heavy lifting belong to the O-line and our QB Tua Tagovailoa. Tua needs to stay healthy and play smart. Playing smart doesn’t mean playing in bubble wrap, but it means when you’re running outside the pocket, don’t engage a defender, slide. When a defender is making a b-line to you, throw the ball away and don’t hold it and get crushed. That doesn’t mean never take a few yards if the defense gives you running room and there’s no receiver open, it just means run out of bounds or slide to finish the run.
Yes, a lot of things have to break right for us to unseat the AFC EAST CHAMPION Buffalo Bills. We also have to contend with better New England Patriots and NY Jets teams. Fix the secondary and the Jalen Ramsey situation, and even more importantly, learn how to use your rookies and let them help you win. We know Kenny Grant and Jonah Savaiinaea will be used heavily, but use Jordan Phillips a lot, use Ollie Gordon, use Zeek Biggers,. Don’t avoid using rookies you drafted! It’s possible that this year’s defensive unit could be special if both Bradley Chubb and Jalean Phillips can stay healthy, along with 2nd year OLB Chop Robinson. If the big boys are good on the D-line, and the LB’s can get to the QB, the CB and Safety situation may not seem so dire. QB Tua Tagovailoa in addition to playing smart with his health needs to find another level of play. He has to be better against the good teams, teams as good or better than us. This is something he’s struggled with since he’s been here, but if he wants this team to succeed, he has to find another gear., and help this team beat hose teams and win those important showdowns. Do it during the regular season will make it easier to do in the playoffs too.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GpVr8F7XMAAZ0eV?format=jpg&name=medium
Instagram post by Ramsey
Seem he doesn’t like the players and coaches in Miami…
I didn’t read the article because it wasn’t addressed to me. This is a guide for misguided optimists….
Ok I read it. Good Job Mike E.
I sent you a text message.
Thanks Rock!
So, you’re saying there’s a chance!? 😜
LOL, of course!
James McKinney
Multiple Miami Dolphins earn “best pick” honors from NFL’s official website #MiamiDolphins
Multiple Miami Dolphins earn “best pick” honors from NFL’s official website
From thephinsider.com
LMAO! Thank you, Mike E..
I cracked up reading the title…then, read the rest. Hope springs eternal…lol.
And, I am hopeful….but history suggests otherwise.
Thanks Krishna!
Great write Mike.
I’m hopeful for this team, but I also live in reality. I know what to expect from this team and that’s okay. It’s just entertainment that I have no control over. The only thing I can ask for is to see some good moments along the way.
Thanks SB!
Thanks MikeE for channeling your inner “Tim”. I knew it was in there. lol
LOL!
Greetings from the Gulf of ‘merica!
Weather is great! Can’t read the new article, can barely read what I’m typing
I did see the great news from BBM yesterday. Awesomeness!
Howdy Herd!
BB Mike,
EXCELLENT news, my friend! Very happy for you and yours!
Mike E,
I’m willing to bet it took many long hours for you to find the thoughts and words for this optimistic write! LOL
And who knows? Maybe… just maybe… this could be a very optimistic season for us. Many things will have to fall just right for us, but ya never know. Good write!
Thanks M! Not really, didn’t take that long. We know what needs to happen, it’s just I’ve been burned too many times to get optimistic that it actually will happen.
Nice write, Mike. For the record I really don’t know what we’ll look like as a team this year. I just look for the potential that is there. But they have to prove it on the field.
Do you agree with what I said?
Yeah a lot of it is how I feel. We have a lot of good players, we need some good fortune like the rookies making an impact and not having too many injuries to core players.
You know what I get excited about, opening day kickoff seeing the uniforms and saying let’s go!!!!!
I get it, and I know I’ll be watching and hopeful. Unfortunately, if things go as per usghe, it won’t take long for this team to have me feeling angry again. lol
😂
100% good wright up.Sent from my iPhone
HYPE ALERT:
Speaking of Phillips, Grier said: “One thing is he is a really good run stopper, run player. So what he was asked to do for them, he excelled in what he could do. We had some of our coaches work at the East-West game and he was there and really showed some stuff in the pass rush stuff when [he tried a] different stance, different techniques he was being taught down there.
“So for us, we were excited watching that and I know [defensive coordinator Anthony] Weaver was the first one who came to us and [defensive line coach] Austin Clark were like, ‘Hey, watch this from the East-West and what he was doing.’
“He’s 20 years old, has an unbelievable love for football, so we do think there’s some things we can unlock with him. At the Senior Bowl, [Maryland coach] Mike Locksley was the one who told me: ‘This kid will be an even better player in the pros.’ He said he’s so young still in what he can do, so we’re excited for him.”
“Any time we asked anyone about him, you’re like, ‘What’s he doing?’ They’re like, ‘Oh, he’s probably in the weight room working out.’ They’re like, ‘The guy’s working always’ and literally the first thing he said to me on the phone — I said, ‘You’re a Dolphin.’ He goes, ‘That’s great, Coach, can I get the playbook right away?’ Like just take it down and enjoy the day.”
We MAY have solved the D line problem for a few years.
Yessir! I’d read that article from Barry earlier today. At this point in time, it sure sounds like we may have found a gem in Jordan Phillips. I hope it to be true!
That’s good stuff 🙂
Thanks Rock – good article
A lot of you guys drafted Jordan Phillips in your mocks. I saw his name often. I watched his highlights, he’s very active and strong. He looks like he’ll be a pain in the ass for opponents. 🙂
I didn’t just mock him many times
the closet we got to the draft the more impressed I was with him. He was one of my go tos.
but I was drafting 3-4 DL each mock
There, at the end, I was taking one early, one mid and one late. That’s how it turned out.
Well, we drafted a Jordan Phillips and he wasn’t a bad player. It makes sense to draft another one and see if the next version is better. lol
Hopefully THIS Jordan Phillips doesn’t spend the better part of his career playing for the Bills too…..
Yeah, that was a downer.
The first one flashed greatness then disappeared. He’s the same player for the Bills. Our current Jordan Phillips is definitely a sleeper for a lot of people. He’s a tough dude. If he pans out along with Grant, our defense might be formidable.
his ceiling is very high
There were major rumors and reports post-Draft that the Cards wanted to trade up to our R1P13 spot to take a DT… presumably but not necessarily, Kenneth Grant. Walter Nolen may have been their target all along.
Had we traded down a mere 3 spots (as I advertised pre-Draft for months!) to the Cards, we might have been able to draft Grant (or Nolen!), and come away with their R3P78.
Okay, so let’s say we still do the trade up for Noah (nobody liked it!)… we still could have had R3P78. We could have had: Nohl Williams, Savion Williams, Wyatt Milum, Dillon Gabriel, XAVIER WATTS, or Charles Grant.
It’s water under the bridge, but I’m just sayin’.
Kenneth Grant had BETTER be an impact starter from day 1. That’s all I’ve got to say.
That’s pretty much your Walter Nolan bias. 😂
What do ya mean?!! LOL
And you misspelled Nolen!!! LOL 😉
Competition!
Herd, I am glad you made it safely. Going to be a little windy but at least it won’t be hot.
Have a great time!!!
Anyone see the Colt’s video where the Dolphins pick Kenneth Grant at #13 and the whole War Room starts laughing? They’re laughing at us for not taking Tyler Warren and laughing because they could. I hope Kenneth Grant plants their QB this season and knocks Warren out of his shoes !
Yeah the Colts have been killing it. 🤪
Tim,
LOL above! Honestly, I DO like the pick of Kenneth Grant. I think he’s going to be a SAVAGE for us.
Regarding the LOL above: did I really come off as wanting to draft Walter Nolen? 😆 LMAO!
YES!!!
Sieler, Grant, Jones, Phillips is a start on the interior DL. Our Edge is a big deal. Our ILBs are solid. I think we have so many numbers in the secondary (16) it will work itself out.
I HOPE the secondary will work itself out, but I’m not feeling good about it. JMO
Because you don’t know what we have. We run a lot of shell coverage under Weaver. Cover 2 and Cover 3. We need tacklers not exceptional man on on man guys, but you need that sometimes too.
What do you think happens with the Jalen Ramsey conflict?
HOPING for a positive reconciliation. If not, let’s get the best compensation possible for the ’26 Draft, or do a player-for-player trade.
What position?
I read a couple of articles that said Phillips had to transform his body and get into NFL shape in order to be anything other than a rotational backup. But I’ve also read that he loves football and is putting in the work. Or that he has good work ethic
We drafted him because we think he sucks! 🤣
Don’t be an ass
We took him in the 5th round. He fell because he has warts or he would have gone in the 1st round.
We also drafted a shit ton of bums over the years. Nowhere did I say that he sucks dickhead.
I said that SOMEONE ELSE said in an article or predraft evaluation that he would need to rebuild his body in order to be a success in the NFL. Also said that OTHER people said that he has a good work ethic and wants to be great.
So where do you get he sucks from?
Isn’t that nice for you?
Who wrote this and what have you done with Mike E !!! 😎
🙃
Tim is read some Lindy reviews on some of the guys we drafted / signed on D and more than a couple were lauded as very good tacklers
Should read .. Tim, I read ….
Did you guys see Ramsey’s Insta story I posted above? He is gone and Grier will be lucky to get a 4th AND pay a large part of Ramsey’s salary to get a draft pick for him.
Jalen Ramsey-Rams reunion coming? Trade talks with Dolphins for star CB ‘ongoing,’ Sean McVay says
been out there a couple of days, he’s just trolling
we hear shit like this all the time during contract negotiations, then miraculously they kissed and make up
McVay says he’s kept in touch with Ramsey since the Rams dealt him to Miami
Isn’t that tampering and worth forfeit of a draft pick?
depends
on which team you’re on
Tampering!
It’s notable that the Rams traded away Ramsey for a 3rd and a player taken in the 3rd (considered cheep because he was obviously a first round value of a player, except they were cap strapped and had to move him, but now, three year later they have plenty of cap and could afford to trade back for him. (probably for a 4th and maybe a 7th plus we pay a big chunk of the cap for them.
Those are called THC commas….
thought I posted this earlier, but I don’t see it
it was reported that our inability to run the ball allowed LBs to sag into pass coverage, making it more difficult to throw to Hill and Waddle
isn’t this the same thing that happened to us against SF, then SD the next week, during Purdy’s first start?
This is the video I was talking about yesterday, the Colts War Room at the Draft while we take Kenneth Grant at #13
It seemed to me to be laughter of relief…someone even commented about “no one could be happier than….”
We needed a high quality starter day one on the Dline, not a TE.
Mike McDaniel could end Dolphins curse nearly two decades in the making
it won’t be hard to do but it is surprising
ByBrian Miller|18 hours ago
2025 is going to be an interesting season for the Miami Dolphins. There are a lot of questions going in, and there could be more coming out at the end.Mike McDaniel needs to start showing growth as a head coach. In 2024, there were serious discipline issues, so much so that McDaniel had to address them during his post-season press conference. As fans wait and wonder what the rift between him and Jalen Ramsey is, and what will happen, McDaniel is heading into what many believe is a critical season.
Still, if he is able to remain Miami’s head coach for the entire 2025 campaign, he will be the franchise’s first head coach to remain with the team for at least four seasons since Dave Wannstedt in 2004.Dolphins owner Stephen Ross does not have a great track record with finding head coaches. When he took over the team from Wayne Huizenga, he gave extensions to Tony Sparano and later Joe Philbin, and then fired them both a year later. Last year, Miami gave Mike McDaniel an extension.
Following the firing of Sparano, midway through his fourth season, Ross has since had trouble keeping his head coaches. Philbin was fired midway through his fourth season, Adam Gase was fired after three, and Brian Flores followed three years after his hire.
Mike McDaniel has the chance to match Dave Wannstedt’s time with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have not come close to replicating the years of Don Shula. Wannstedt came the closest, as he lasted 4.5 seasons before he resigned during the bye week in 2004. His 4.5 seasons just eclipsed the four full seasons of Jimmy Johnson right before his tenure.
McDaniel has three seasons under his belt, but will he make it through 2025? That is something we don’t know and will be dependent on a lot of factors.
He has the team to compete, he has the system to be successful, but he has to learn to adapt, and more importantly manage a game.
What is sad is the fact that we are talking about four years like it is something magical. When, in reality, it’s just sad.
—–
So sad…lol
yeah, I really don’t think he has the ability to adapt and be a successful HC. Yes, he can beat the shitty and mediocre teams, but hasn’t found the way to beat the top teams with better head coaches.
Agreed Krishna. They were happy and relieved they got their guy.
Regarding the Colts video, I think you’re right to an extent, it was relief, but there was also one last year with Laiatu Latu and that guy just has such an annoying laugh, but when the team in front of them passed on Latu, he laughs and says “We got the goddamn best pass rusher in the draft!”
Miami Dolphins could bring back All-Pro cornerback currently eyeing a return to the NFL | Yardbarker
Regarding our projected 2026 4th round comp pick. We could lose it. There are a couple FA’s we signed who’s average per year does not qualify them to be entered into the equation. However, they have incentives that if met will push them over and enter them into the equation and cause us to lose our comp pick. Mainly, Melifonwu.
Melifanwu only has to play 65% of snaps to get one of his 250k incentives.
Projected 4yr contract amount for the 13th overall selected player in the draft:
No. 13: $19.67 million (Spotrac) | $21.96 million (Over The Cap)
WTF?
No. 37: $10.44 million (Spotrac) | $11.32 million (Over The Cap)
No. 143: $4.6 million (Spotrac) | $4.66 million (Over The Cap)
No. 150: $4.57 million (Spotrac) | $4.63 million (Over The Cap)
No. 155: $4.56 million (Spotrac) | $4.61 million (Over The Cap)
No. 179: $4.44 million (Spotrac) | $4.47 million (Over The Cap)
No. 231: $4.31 million (Spotrac) | $4.33 million (Over The Cap)
No. 249-257 (Comp): $4.29 million (Spotrac) | $4.3 million (Over The Cap)
There, that did it. LOL
I tried cutting and pasting all to one post and it wouldn’t let me. The Post just disappeared.
Anyway, I was just posting that to show that only Grant and Savaiinaea will affect our top 51 cap.
Crabbs is the only one that gives my net cap hit for 2025, for 13 and 37 it’s about 4m, the rest don’t crack the top 51
Wyoming’s guy
I was looking at Wease’s highlights earlier, not bad, I like Armstrong better, unless Hill leaves I doubt either are more than PS
I can’t see wasting another year on EZE
Yeah not sure what to think about EZE.
Rock, I was just joking around.
I think TE Pharaoh Brown is an under the radar signing.
I think he’ll help in the offense as a blocker. Anything past that is gravy
Smythe replacement, last year Smythe and Hill sucked a bag of…so he can’t be worse
Agreed
Jints told QB Jaxson Dart he will be sitting the entire season to learn the ropes
The play at 46 seconds got my attention. Big bully. LOL
just curious, how does college highlights have any relevance for a 30 yr old player today?
Nothing. I had just googled him to remind myself of what he was after the discussion above and laughed out loud at the play where he just bullied his way into the endzone. So I posted the video
thought maybe I missed something, like he can do more than block
he looks better than robot Smythe in the passing game
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Gp-ehe9bsAAwuX1?format=jpg&name=medium
Right, SMH with Steelers at 30
no QB I assume, we all know Rodgers will be there, then they’ll get vaulted to top 5
Fins at 24 means they’re reading the headlines instead of using their heads
Cheats ahead of us bite me, at 23 in general about right
Our secondary including Ramsey wasn’t good last year, because our lack of pass rush, that’s our only below avg group this year
you could say the OL, but we still won 8 games with it being awful, and we have a better, more complete line this year
your OL is only as good as it’s worst player, we had 2 bad ones in Eichenberg and Jones, no star this year, as a group it will be better
we should be ranked about 16-18
it’s almost a given Tua and MM will lose to good teams, same way you could say beat bad teams
If we can’t beat the good teams this year, our home record is going to suck ass.
Ryder’s breakdown on Pharaoh Brown when we signed him
It’s NICE being able to run between the Tackles and have a legit running game. Why is that, one might ask? I’ll answer: because opposing Defenses can’t play 2 deep Safeties on our Offense all day!
That’s been my mantra, my creed, my focus, and my solution to make our Phins great again on Offense all offseason… with a WANT to get Guards who are 320+ pounds to help anchor for lil’ Aaron Brewer at Center.
THANKFULLY, management went ahead and signed my #1 FA in James Daniels to help fix the problem: a 320+ pound Guard who is a great ZBS fit. And then (though I didn’t like the trade up), management went ahead and signed another 320+ pounder in Big Jonah. Though Big Jonah isn’t a perfect ZBS fit (like Wyatt Milum would have been), he should do just fine at RG.
THIS is a reminder of what happens when your O-Line can actually run-block… and yes, it OPENS the passing game for ‘Reek and ‘Da Penguin, being opposing Defenses can NOT afford to allow 2 Safeties deep…
So IF we can once again become a top-3 Offense, we can get into a shootout with any team and win.
And IF DC Anthony Weaver continues his stellar coaching on his side of the ball, we have the possibility of being a top-10 Defense again… maybe even better with the return of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, and signing a CB and/or a S via FA.
I hate to sound so positive, because we all know the injury bug WILL BITE.
And I’m so used to being let down by this team that I will not/can not be over-positive.
This team has the potential, but does it have the BITE of a BIG DOG? Until it does, my expectations will remain tempered.
1:32 mark he trucks a DB, he’s fun to watch
this should’ve by itself gotten Grier fired
Cam Smith is already on thin ice. He will start the 2025 offseason clearly in the sights of Chris Grier. The Dolphins’ GM took a big swing on a player who was friends with his son at South Carolina, and now, two years later, it appears his time in Miami will depend on what he does in 2025.
Cam Smith was considered a good pick by the pundits. He’s can’t stay healthy.
I always felt Cam Smith’s teammate Darius Rush was the better CB out of South Carolina that year… he went in the 5th round. Didn’t take long for Rush’s character flaws to emerge.
In the end, yes, we took the better CB in Cam Smith. If he could only stay healthy, now!
Steve,
Yes, I concur… that, in and of itself, should have procured the firing of Chris Grier.
Yet, we KNOW that Steve Ross would be once again clueless without Grier. And that’s why Ross hasn’t fired Grier to date.
“Clueless”, with or without Grier… you get what I’m sayin’.
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/miami-dolphins/news/dolphins-predicted-sign-asante-samuel-jr-jalen-ramsey-uncertainty/745f757e32627f94e720d138
Whatever is going on with Ramsey what do we get at this point trading him?
DL – the potential to be good is there but not very deep
ED – the potential is very high and deep
LB – three core guys
DB – there are some good players but a lot of young guys and questions
OL – it’s going to look different and has to be better
TE – Jonnu, Pharaoh and ?
WR – plenty of talent and upside with some younger players
QB – Tua is the guy (durability) and the backup competition is going to be interesting
RB – looks very good on paper
K, P and LS we shall see
Now look at it without the aqua lenses and you will see why a lot of us are so down.
DL – the potential to be good is there but not very deep
(thin- One or two injuries away from being poor)
ED – the potential is very high and deep
(Young and unproven with old and injury prone)
LB – three core guys
(Who?)
DB – there are some good players but a lot of young guys and questions
(Mediocre at best a disaster most likely)
OL – it’s going to look different and has to be better
(it has to be has it?) hope is a 4 letter word
TE – Jonnu, Pharaoh and ?
(Jonny was a good pick up, What happens if he has an injury?)
WR – plenty of talent and upside with some younger players
(mostly smaller, aging, injury, prone guys Who disappear in big games)
QB – Tua is the guy (durability) and the backup competition is going to be interesting
(FRAGIILE – Shrinking violet)
RB – looks very good on paper
( Smaller injury prone)
K, P and LS we shall see
(yay, guys to kick the ball away)
On defense I think our LB (both edge and off ball) IS very good. The big question there is health
the DL doesn’t have depth but the youth there may really help avoid injuries
but the secondary looks really questionable on its face. Maybe we keep Ramsey …maybe
would make a huge difference
on offense I’m a little more focused on execution to get back to where we were 2 years ago than personnel
but in terms of OL, avoiding injuries is key and getting younger and moving away from Armstead really really helps so that we aren’t shuffling guys around all season – it’s a hard fill for some of us to swallow but beleive it or not, Eichenbergs versatility might be very beneficial for us if we have injuries
the big thing for me, with the offense, is just to get positive yards on first down. All those losses on the outside runs on first down was the difference between 2023 and 2024 offense imo
I hope we have a 3rd TE step up. Jalen Conyers is a player to watch in camp
DL has the potential to be good, but not very deep?
How many guys do we need? Only 5 DTs will make it Sieler, Bonito and 3 rookies, unless someone late is added. Seems pretty solid to me, add in the deep Edge group and the group looks even better. Continuing on with the ILBs and it’s good and deep with Britt, Brooks, Dodson and Gay. Certainly front 7 looks better than last year
DBs will have at least 1 FA added and most likely 2, just with what we have now they’re below avg without Ramsey and with him just a little below avg. When roster is all said and done I think they’ll be good enough, considering the pass rush and the Weaver effect. Sure they’ll give up their share of yards and pts, but…
TE – between Hill, Conyers and Rucci 1 or 2 will make it, the depth is decent, if Jonnu should be out any extended period we’ll just shift the O, Ikhine will get some of those reps. Rucci looked pretty good in PS and the practices I went to, maybe depth PS at worst, Conyers the dark horse
WR – top end more than depth, don’t count out Armstrong and Wease
OL – better as a whole, than individually, I don’t see as much break down as last year in pass pro, which will benefit Tua greatly. Running people are under-estimating the new OGs, they can both get push, power running, up the middle for short yardage (biggest handicap last couple of years)
QB – we actually have a backup, that has started a few successful games and can throw the ball with velocity. Tua hurt for a few games this year won’t be a disaster
RB – top to bottom very good and diverse
of course this is just the rosie side, in actuality things will be much different, like keys to the game it never goes as expected, the potential however is there, has to start with MM, he better get it done or move over and let Weaver take control
Stay tuned for a rocky start and hopeful improvement
what if Weaver just took over now, would that mend the Ramsey fence?
MM we’re moving you to OC, Weaver is taking over as HC, now get your shine box
Rock – please refer to Tua as ” The Frajeel”. Many thanks 🤛
So we keep 5 DL?
I was kinda of thinking we keep 6-7
I don’t know how ready Biggers or Phillips will be. I love the Phillips pick but he is only 20 so he has some one limited experience – it’s gonna be a big jump for him in the pros – he has the physical talent for it. The sooner it translates to the nfl the better for us
In terms of depth and LB and Edge – I don’t think it can get any better. We might have a really good front 7.
Now that there is a lot of opinions….zero facts. The great thing about sports is that players get to prove themselves. So far, our players have proven that they are not very good. Win…and maybe that changes.
DL isn’t difficult to play. There aren’t a whole lot of things to remember. It’s usually the mature, physical nature of the players and play around them that they need to adjust to. It’s like a freshman playing with the seniors. It can be intimidating. I have no problem throwing young guys out there and letting them learn. Prove it in practice…take it out on the field.
that’s kind of my point by adding Biggers, he could be in the rotation on run downs early in the season, just asked to hold the line, something he’s fairly good at
he probably wouldn’t get many snaps, just enough to get acclimated and give others some rest
I don’t see anything better on the roster for the 5th DL
5 DL as mentioned earlier doesn’t include Edge Phillips, Chubb, Chop, Bell, Kamara…
there are a couple of 2nd year players to keep an eye on this season
the obvious one is Patrick Paul
Jaylen Wright is another who played well on limited opportunities
but there is one that realjintersting
Patrick McMorris
he actually has a shot to compete for a starting job
he basically didn’t get much attention last year spending most of the year on IR
and when he came of the IR he registered 1 whole tackle…lol
but a day 3 safety steeping up isn’t unheard of
he’s going to get a shot to compete
could be guns of McMorris and Trader end up being the safety duo of the future
That’s weird, I thought McMorris was more active than that. Maybe I was thinking of someone else. 🤷🏻♂️
I don’t think my post was all rosey or whatever. I said we have questions that need to be answered. I guess if you’re not part of the doom and gloom club other opinions aren’t valid. 🙄
Count Chocula gave the Dolphins a C+ on their draft. Only 2 other teams did as poorly, the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals both with a C grade. No word from Little Head McShay. lol
Tim – I think McMorris looked good in preseason ball.
Another I liked from PS last year was CB Isaiah Johnson. Big CB at 6’3, 205.
there’s a lot to like, the practices I saw against Atlanta he looked good and was getting good reviews from our beat/internet reporters
Mike, about McMorris you’re obviously right. I did tune out for a while.
Mets fans: Are you starting to feel like Juan Soto needs to start approaching AB’s alityle more aggressively, instead if just looking to get on? I think he needs to start hitting. That doesn’t mean swing at bad pitches, just be aggressive and make sure you hit a pitch that’s hitable.i feel like he’s far too willing to be patient and draw the walk. We’re not paying him $765M to have 170 walks, bat .260 with 15 HR’s and 60 RBI’s
one of his assets is he had a very good eye and DOES walk a lot. His Career OBP is pretty high. I hear what you’re saying, but getting on base is important no matter how you do it. That said, he needs to pick it the fuck up .
All true Bri, but like you said, and I said, he needs to produce and not always leave it to someone else to clean up
May the 4th be with you… always! 😀
I had a pick 6 in Madden today with McMorris.
I knew he would work out
😂
Tim, Not invalid at all. Just differing views of the “potential”
I honestly completely forgot about McMorris until today
I honestly believe Xavien Howard is a workout warrior. He runs DB camps and attends DB camps. He should be healed up to the tune of being a legit contributor at the boundary CB position once again.
Being he didn’t play in ’24, he can no longer command a mega-deal… far, far from it.
SIGN X for around the vet min.
And if he’s lost his top-end speed, SIGN X as a Safety for us.
BALL HAWK!!!
I have no problem bringing in X, he has to show he can still play. No matter what I want Ramsey gone. No distractions
I believe that with Ramsey’s recent tweets, he’s going to be gone and soon. Just hope we get the best return possible.
OMG Toba
Unreal
WORD is that Sean McVay REALLY wants Ramsey back on his Rams team.
I did a trade on PFF’s mock drafting tool. It was accepted that we traded Ramsey and P154 for the Rams’ R2P58 (yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it).
But if that trade were to go through, we’d have 1 first, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds for the ’26 Draft. That’s a LOT of honey to draw future GM/HC bees. Just sayin’…
Congrats, Toba.
Thank ya sir. Did not think it was gonna happen after game 4
Steve and Cav : I was ready to kick in the screen with 10 Mins in 3rd .. what a series !!! Hopefully hellybuck is over his yips
Paying Tribute to Don Shula on Five-Year Anniversary of His Passing
Don Shula was one of the greatest coaches in professional sports history and his impact on South Florida and the Miami Dolphins cannot be overstated
Alain Poupart | 20 Hours Ago
Sunday marked the five-year anniversary of the passing of legendary Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, and it’s an appropriate time to revisit what we wrote about his impact and legend on both the franchise and South Florida at the time of his death.
There probably are not enough words to properly convey what Don Shula meant to the Miami Dolphins, or to South Florida itself.
Because it has been more than a quarter-century since he coached, younger fans can’t fully appreciate what Shula did or what he meant to South Florida.
He flat-out put South Florida on the sports map. He made the Miami Dolphins the envy of most, if not all, pro football franchises for most of the 1970s and even into the ’80s both with his remarkable consistency and the hard-working, no-nonsense approach he always took.
There was a reason the Dolphins always were among the least-penalized teams during Shula’s 26 years as head coach. He wouldn’t tolerate anything else.
And player after player have told us through the years how tough, how demanding Shula could be.
But it worked. Boy, did it work.
DON SHULA’S REMARKABLE RECORD WITH THE DOLPHINS
To fully appreciate Shula’s brilliance as a head coach, you can start with the fact that in 26 seasons as Dolphins head coach, the team had a losing record twice. Twice. On the flip side, he reached double digits in victories a whopping 16 times.
Even more remarkable was Shula’s ability to adjust to his talent.
He built the powerhouse teams of the 1970s around a punishing ground game and a cerebral defense, and it worked well enough that the Dolphins made three consecutive trips to the Super Bowl, highlighted by the only perfect season in NFL history.
A decade later, he went back to the Super Bowl behind the Killer B’s defense and a strong running game with a young quarterback, David Woodley, who was as much runner as passer.
The Dolphins lost that Super Bowl against the Washington Redskins but the next spring found themselves with the opportunity to take Dan Marino with the next-to-last pick in the first round of the 1983 draft.
Realizing the remarkable talent he had landed, Shula changed the Dolphins offense and unleashed the greatest passing attack the league had ever seen.
Through the years, Shula just kept winning and winning and winning, as his stamp on South Florida became more and more pronounced.
DON SHULA REACHES THE TOP
On Nov. 14, 1993 in Philadelphia, Shula passed George Halas to become the winningest coach in NFL history, showing the same kind of resourcefulness and adaptability.
With Marino sidelined for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Shula watched quarterback Scott Mitchell get knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. So in came third-string quarterback Doug Pederson, the same Doug Pederson who later would win a Super Bowl as head coach of the Eagles.
A rookie free agent out of Northeast Louisiana, Pederson had never attempted a pass in an NFL regular season game. So Shula played it conservatively, let his defense do the work and the Dolphins left Veterans Stadium with a 19-14 victory that earned Shula a magical record and another victory ride on the shoulders of some of his players.
Shula’s record remains to this day, though the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid has reached the point where his win total needs to be monitored.
SHULA’S IMPACT BEYOND THE DOLPHINS
After retiring from coaching following a 1995 playoff loss against the Buffalo Bills, Shula remained a presence around the Dolphins. More importantly, he remained royalty in South Florida.
It’s totally fitting that the business address of Hard Rock Stadium, where the Dolphins moved in 1987, is 347 Don Shula Drive in honor of their coach and his final victory total.
But there’s also the Don Shula Expressway in Miami, and it’s close to neither Hard Rock Stadium nor the Orange Bowl, where Shula made most of his mark.
forgettable AFL seasons when Shula arrived in 1970 after coaching the Baltimore Colts for seven years, and it ended up costing Miami a first-round pick as compensation.
It was the best first-round pick in Dolphins history — even better than the one used to select Marino.
The Dolphins, who had won all of 15 games in their first four years of existence, went 10-4 in Shula’s first year and made the playoffs for the first time.
It was the start of a great ride for Shula and the Dolphins.
Shula was the first South Florida sports icon and he would no doubt be the first name mentioned as belonging in a Mount Rushmore of the area.
Not surprisingly, Shula was one of the 10 coaches to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team unveiled last year.
Because of his success with two different organizations — Shula had a 71-23-4 record with the Colts — and because of his ability to get to the Super Bowl with different quarterbacks and because he’s the winningest coach in NFL history, an argument could be made that he belongs at the very top of the list.
When it comes to South Florida sports, Shula belongs at the very top. The younger generation might throw out Dwyane Wade or even Pat Riley, but for a long time Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins were all there was in the sports landscape of the area.
And Shula brought a lot of attention to South Florida. He brought a lot of admiration.
And that will always remain.
________
Best coach and man I ever met.
Tough love!
Another coach who brings tough love…Popovich.
Article in USA Today, “Popovich always demanded better of his players and country,” by Nancy Armour, Columnist.
The trade on Ramsey would have to go down on June 2nd, that’s why they say post June 1 as to be able to break up his dead cap hit.
So, 4 weeks from today we will see Ramsey traded to the Rams. McVay says they are working on it, so I am sure “working” just means waiting on 2 June. McVay also mentioned that Dolphins are probably working on a deal with other teams as well. I think that is a smoke screen and they pretty much have a deal in place, IMO.
Dolphins will clear 5.9m in cap this year that they don’t really need unless they decide to sign a CB who is more expensive. They could sign one of the high end CB’s or go with X on a cheaper deal.
If X on a cheaper deal, they could take that 5.9m they clear in the trade and agree to pay that much of Ramsey’s 2025 contract to sweeten the deal and “buy” a higher pick in the trade deal.
Ramsey trade will leave an 18.4m dead cap hit in 2026 but that actually clears 6.5m in 2026 cap.
Ramsey will only give the Rams a cap hit of about 10m this year even without Miami taking on any of that. The problem is, Ramsey is due an option bonus of about 19m in week 1 that will be spread out over the rest of the contract. That’s where they come up with his cost being 25m. Though, only about 3.8m of that 19m option bonus counts against their 2025 cap and is part of that 10m cap hit this year. The rest of it is spread out over the rest of his contract to include 3 void years.
To compound that problem, Grier added 2 more option bonuses of 8m+ in 2026 and 2027 that, again, get spread out over the life of the contract to include those 3 void years.
It’s a total of 35.95m in option bonuses that will be spread out through 2031. That is where the problem is.
Grier needs to be fired.
This is just more evidence of that fact.
This has to be close to one of the worst deals he has ever done.
Can we please stop signing old players who are head cases?
^^
Per Spotrac, only 4 of the UDFA’s have been signed so far:
TE Jalin Conyers – 3yrs at 2.98m, 15k signing bonus and 115k guaranteed
WR A.J. Henning – 3yrs at 2.975m, 10k signing bonus and 135k guaranteed
WR Monaray Baldwin – 3yrs at 2.97m, 5k signing bonus and 15k guaranteed
RB Nate Noel – 3yrs at 2.97m, 5k signing bonus and 35k guaranteed
Of course, none of their cap hits affect the top 51. Though, if they don’t make the initial 53, their guaranteed money becomes dead cap even if resigned to the practice squad.
I wonder at the exact language in Ramsey contract regarding those roster bonuses….
Because HE WILL NOT BE on the Dolphins roster after all…..
(is the roster bonus transferable? or is it ONLY if he is on the DOLPHINS roster?)
The Wes Welker poison pill made me think of this. In the offer NE made to Wes at the time, there was a clauses that if Wes played more than two games in Miami that season then his salary would be 100% guaranteed. That salary guarantee would ONLY effect the Dolphins if they chose to match the offer an was meaningless as part of the Pat’s offer (except to screw the Dolphins over)
Now I wonder if anyone was savvy enough in the dolphins front office to include a similar provision. (must be on the DOLPHINS SQUAD for the roster bonus to kick in)
Ramsey’s 4m roster bonus was due 3/16/25. My bust, see below.
Rock, thanks! I actually screwed that up. Ramsey’s 4m roster bonus was due this past March so that is on the Dolphins as it is already paid. His additional roster/game bonus will be on the Rams and his future roster bonuses in 2026 and 2027 will be on the Rams.
So, Ramsey’s cap hit to the Rams this year will only be about 6m which includes the 3.8m of that 19m option bonus.
When I read up on it a while ago. The team trading the player is on the hook for all money already paid to the player in the form of signing bonuses and restructure bonuses. That team is also on the hook for all money that has been guaranteed prior to the trade.
The team trading for the player is on the hook for the base salary, the per game bonus money and any other bonuses that have not yet become guaranteed in the form of future roster bonuses and option bonuses. Again, Ramsey’s option bonuses aren’t guaranteed until week 1 of each season.
Thanks for inadvertently calling me on my mistake. lol
Man, nowadays I will take “kinda right” and throw a celebration! LOL
lol
Just the beginning of last week, I posted that I wanted the Dolphins to draft in the 1st round of the 2026 draft Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid just put out his first 2026 1st round mock draft and has the Dolphins selecting CB Jermod McCoy.
Nice!!
And this is why humans should never do math.
I know no one cares about next years draft right now, except maybe Tim.
RB Mattison will be gone next year and I would love to add this guy as our RB #4 through the draft next year.
I have had an eye on this dude for a couple of years. He was a walk on at Purdue and is fun to watch. Devin “Crazy Legs” Mockobee, 6′, 207
LOL @ “except maybe Tim”
😂
Mike and Brian, even though Soto isn’t hitting at the top of his game, he’s still been productive.
severe thunderstorm warning now in Brevard and Indian River County now
That’s what I thought when watching Mockobee
severe thunderstorm over the top of me in Delray Beach right now. It looks like a hurricane is going on out there from my window.
It is coming down so hard in Boynton Beach that the radar shows Snow / Mixed ice as the color code on the radar. (obviously not snowing it’s 80 degrees!)
That’s not only wild it’s groovy too.
Saturday at work I had to drive to the next county. I got caught in a bad one with 1/4″ hail. Traffic on I-10 was moving at 25mph and that was the fast movers.
This was interesting;
https://dolphinstalk.com/2025/05/quinn-ewers-agent-calls-reason-his-client-fell-in-draftchicken-s/
“In Miami, his best-case scenario is to win the #3 QB job this year and sit behind Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson this season.”
—————–
It shouldn’t be hard to win that QB3 job when there are only 3 QB’s on the roster there Mr. Oliva
we’ll see how he handles himself first
I’d think he should thrive in PS, when everything is vanilla and going against bottom feeders with our 4 UDFA WRs
he should also be chippie for being drafted in 7th
BJ Adams is one of my top 5 UDFA’s they are bringing in. Another BIG press CB at 6’3, 190.