Less than 2 weeks to go until Training Camp begins, and we get to see somewhere around 90 players, 53 of which will grab an actual roster spot, while 16 other players will be vying for an opportunity to make the practice squad, while still others may be claimed by other NFL teams. So 69 players will be part of the Miami Dolphins organization, the others either enter NFL purgatory and aren’t claimed while others have an opportunity to make one of the 31 teams practice squads or rosters.
While there has been an awful lot of talk about the attitude changing around here, players and coaches a like bristling at the notion that the Miami Dolphins are a soft team, the training camp will be the first opportunity to dispel this notion. In reality, this will have to come from the players, Mike McDaniel isn’t going to turn into some kind of hardass. One player in particular I would have my players grind on is TE Darren Waller. He quit on the NY Giants and retired because he was tired of doing drills and the physicality of the game itself. I would have defenders grinding him into the dirt every damn play to find out if his heart in this. Better to find out before the season starts than after and expend lots of time in energy getting him up to speed with the playbook and also robbing time from younger players like TE’s Julian Hill, Tanner Conner and Jalin Conyers. One of these guys may be the future while IMO, Darren Waller is the past.
The secondary battles should be fun to watch. Like I mentioned in an earlier article, I’m hoping a couple of the young players we have, whether drafted or undrafted, rise to the occasion and earn a starting job. It would be wonderful for Cam Smith to all of a sudden turn on a switch and be the player we hoped he could be. I wouldn’t be betting on it though, and more than likely, Storm Duck and incumbent NB Kader Kohou could be our starters on the outside, leaving either veterans Artie Burns or Kendall Fuller to play nickel and slot corner. At safety, with the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick, he will be one safety and then we have a battle between vets Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Campbell, and then young players like last year’s 6th RD pick Patrick McMorris, and new draftee Dante Trader Jr. Minkah Fitzpatrick played SS for the Steelers last season but don’t be surprised if his role is changed back to FS with our Dolphins, potentially teamed with Melifonwu. While Minkah is a great tackler, he’s best as a CF roaming around making plays. We’ll find out if Anthony Weaver agrees soon enough.
We’ll also get a look at the big fellas both on the O-line and D-line. Will big Jonah Savaiinaea and Kenneth Grant be Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt for us? Will they be better? We can only hope. We’ll probably see a fair amount of rookies Jordan Phillips as well, but my guess is Weaver goes with the vet NT Benito Jones to start the season, but Phillips will and other draftee Zeek Biggers will be in the rotation. Once again, this is where the “soft” comes in. Do these guys “bite” now and change that narrative, or do we fold like a cheap suit when we play the big boys. The trenches is where it starts, but as we all know, the QB has to be at his best when we play better teams, so that’s one huge factor that must change as well.
The WR corps as we know is headlined by WR’s Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. There are two players though that I’m hoping have a big impact on our offense, one BIG and one small. The BIG is Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, the small is Malik Washington. While there’s another BIG, Erik Ezukanma, as The Who said so well, “Won’t get Fooled Again”. Ikhine was a TD machine last year, and will probably steal some of the receptions that TE Jonnu Smith had last season for us. I think Malik Washington has a good chance to become a legit NFL threat from the slot. Then of course, the wild card is RB De’Von Achane who is used all over the place and will also get his fair share of receptions.
The person not on the roster that has to have a huge turnaround is HC Mike McDaniel. Let’s face it, he’s a big part of the reason for our “soft” label, and he’s also got to do a much better job adjusting to what defenses throw at us. I don’t want to hear one more time this season that the only way to beat the two deep scheme is with short passes. We know that wasn’t the answer and McDaniel has to unlock that puzzle and make teams pay. Yes, running the ball efficiently will help a lot, but whether we run well or not, you have to challenge them deep regardless, and McDaniel had better find the way to do so, or expect us to be at or near the bottom of our division.
This year, we’ll have a couple of veterans looking to get a new contract, and OLB Jaelan Phillips is one of them. I wish this kid all the success and luck in the world, I admire him so for his resolve rehabbing for 2 successive season ending injuries. 2025 is big year for Jaelan as he’s playing on his 5th year option and whether it’s here in Miami or elsewhere, a good season and being able to play a full season will go a long way to help him for his next contract. Bradley Chubb will still be under contract through 2027, but Chubb who missed the entire season in 2024 after getting injured late in the ’23 season will have a lot of work to do in order to stay on the roster beyond this season. his cap hit in 2026 is $31M. Tyreek Hill will also likely be gone in 2026 as his cap hit will be $51M, just $5 below QB Tua Tagovailoa. Don’t expect either Chubb or Hill to be around, and perhaps Phillips too if he either doesn’t make enough of an impact or can’t stay healthy once again. This camp should reveal at least somewhat as to how physical our trenches will be and I expect some hard fought battles from both squads!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Great job Mike E. Looking forward to news on how the newbies are doing
righto
I have tix for August 6th
I don’t agree with we must force the ball deep, of they give us the short pass take it, between Achane, Washington and Waller we can thrive with it
difference from last year is the OL and the blocking of NWI and Brown
Steve – thrive compared to what? We scored 20.3 PPG last season, 29.3 PPG in ’23. We better be much closer to ’23 than ’24 or we’ll be back in the basement and everyone gets fired
obviously teams aren’t going to cover us like the beginning of 2023, so we can’t just bomb away as we did then
thrive in general, mostly unstoppable
how many points did Brady put up dinkin and dunkin?
Tua is perfect for the short passing O, he doesn’t have to throw every pass short, just take what they give you
1st and 10 you look downfield, if nothing is there get 5, just stay ahead of the
for the short passing game to work your QB has to be accurate, not for Marino
OL issues and Tua out 6 games is why the pts were down last year
Running the ball better is key for me.
Tha
Lol…thank you Mike E.
I am cautiously optimistic….we’ll see if our pups bite.
I agree MM is soft. While there is nothing wrong with that, the locker room should bristle and dispel the notion.
Thanks MikeE!
last year they tried to softly, how else does MM operate, change the culture, this year it’s front and center and built into the new players
how are the WRs playing, doesn’t matter how’s the culture change coming along
how bout those young CBs? Doesn’t matter how’s the culture change coming along
Steve – First off, I said “challenge”, not “force”. Those are two different things. Let’s face it, we have to make more plays than we did last season, and we don’t have Jonnu Smith to bail us out this season either. I know you’re hoping Waller is Jonnu or somewhere close, but I legitimately don’t expect him to be playing more than a few weeks if that before he realizes he was right the first time when he retired.
semantics, if Waddle and Hill are doubled what’s the difference between challenging deep as you call it or forcing the ball into double coverage? Nothing
with a little OL blocking we’ll be able to do more than dink and dunk
Waller is a bonus, if he does anything, really his expectation should be 2024 OBJ, but he’s really a WR, and should be treated as one
I can see a path for only vet CBs with exp to start, like Kohou, Duck and Burns/Sheffield, if that happens MM is full of shit, with same ole don’t play the young guys, unless they master the mental part like Duck
some culture change
Even with Duck getting most of the backup CB snaps, Cam Smith played 133 snaps on defense, 12.5% of all snaps on defense (not counting ST snaps). He better get his shit together or be gone. There’s competition in town.
Smith has the ability to be our #1, he has to stay healthy
he’ll likely be given every chance to start, like saying its his job to lose, which we all probably expect to happen (him lose it)
Ability, yeah. He needs to learn how to use it though. I looked more into it after the last post. QB’s had almost a 100 passer rating vs Smith in coverage completing 15 of 20 passes or 75% at 11.3 yards per catch.
Yikes!
bailbondmike
says:
July 13, 2025 at 7:54 am
It’s also sad songs with a message like this don’t make it on the mainstream waves, only garbage does.
————-
Thank you for your kind words yesterday, my Bro. I appreciate it very much and I hope your health is doing GRAND after your scare.
I brought your above post down here to let ya know that you’re 100% correct on serious or sad songs with a great message never getting any (or at least the bare minimal) mainstream play… and it really pisses me off. This world needs MORE of these healthy songs in the face of so much BS.
The MSM will play ANYTHING that is intentionally controversial (especially politically biased), VERY unhealthy party music (I’ve been guilty just to get a hit many moons ago… BAD M13), and especially sexually promiscuous music (again, BAD M13, many moons ago). Yet by today’s standards, my lyrics are TAME, LAME, and OUTDATED… and I’m VERY good with that, actually! I still have regrets, nonetheless.
I mean, it’s no wonder today’s kids are all kinds of messed up… and truth be told, many generations got messed up by listening to GARBAGE, as you put it. Again, I concur 100%. And it’s only gotten WORSE over the generations, now to the likes of Cardi B’s “WAP”: Wet Ass P*ssy. WHAT?!! Yup, that’s what today’s middle and high-schoolers listen to! She makes last generation’s 2 Live Crew sound like choir boys! SHEESH!!!
I’m ALL for freedom of speech, so when such gross garbage is put out, I wonder if maybe somebodies are trying to make #1A (our First Amendment) a thing of the past by intentionally abusing as much.
Anyway, I just wanted to thank ya, sir. I think you have a good ear, a responsible ear, and a fundamental understanding of perhaps the INTENTIONAL unraveling of today’s society via GARBAGE music.
I still have a 2 Live Crew cassette in my old collection. I just can’t get rid of any of them. LOL
😆
We’ll see what MM does this year. Will he have an answer for how teams have played him recently? How will he counter and then counter what the defense does to counter that? Teams don’t double our WRs. They give up shorter catches to keep our speedy guys in front of them and close. It’s very difficult to threaten an umbrella type coverage…and you’re really just playing into their hands until you can prove that you can get first downs in other ways.
As always, Tim is right, a running game is really the only way to get teams out of that sort of defense and you still have to prove you can score at the end. Shorter passes don’t because the defense is still able to do the same basic thing they’re doing against deeper passes.
It’ll be fun to see if MM does anything and if our players can actually execute.
That we got bigger on the O-Line with fleet-of-foot cats like James Daniels and (to a lesser degree) Big Jonah, I believe we’ll be able to run again.
If we can run, that should open up the passing game from 2-deep Safeties.
And YES… we’ll see if MM does anything and if our players can actually execute.
CAN’T WAIT to see if this all works out!
I appreciate the props but it’s not rocket science. We ran for 500+ more yards in 23 than we did in 24. Tua also played in every game. 😉
steveccnv
says:
July 13, 2025 at 8:50 pm
Smith has the ability to be our #1, he has to stay healthy
he’ll likely be given every chance to start, like saying its his job to lose, which we all probably expect to happen (him lose it)
———–
Steve, I hear ya on Cam Smith’s talent. I think he has IT in him to be a true #1, but ever since he got injured in the preseason his rookie year, he seems to be ‘gun shy’ to me. It’s as though he wants nothing to do with contract and that’s a huge problem.
I think I saw ya got tickets to TC? If so, NICE!!! Let us know what ya see out of Cam Smith. I really hope he can put it all together, man.
something crazy is going on in that head, hope he can get his confidence
…back
WordPress freezing up again
Did I miss some news where we brought Kendall Fuller back? They released him back in February I thought?
Nope, got him confused with Kendall Sheffield
I added Sheffield to a post, then saw your post and thought I had the wrong insignificant guy🤷♂️
Tim,
Can’t I just be nice once!? Lol
Actually, I’ve been saying for years that football is pretty simple. No reason to make it more complicated than it really is. Tua isn’t the key to me. He’s a part. If we can establish a running game, when Tua gets hurt it won’t be as catastrophic. Good defense and a running game can keep you in a lot of games.
I just read a series of articles from PFF ranking each teams position groups and I came away very confused by it all.
PFF doesn’t rank any of Miami’s position groups in the top 10 in the league, but if you read the articles the players in Miami’s groups often (always) have higher PFF ratings than the players on teams that are ranked higher than them.
As an example, PFF says Achane has recorded a 92.2 PFF rushing grade and an 84.0 PFF receiving grade through his first two seasons and Wright, who took only 68 carries last season but recorded a solid 75.8 PFF rushing grade himself. (ranks us #18 overall in RB)
They rank the Commanders as better, but Brian Robinson was ranked with a 72.5 rating and Austin Ekeler was ranked with a 68.8 Rating..(ranked #14)
James cook has a 88.6 ranking and Ray Davis received a 73.1. (ranked #8)
Tampa’s Buckey Irving received a 90.8 and Rachaad White got a 73.8 but they are ranked #6
Kenneth Walker III got a 91.3 and Zach Charbonnet was at 78.8 for the Seahawks which came in #5.
The order of their rankings for the groups do not follow the order of the rankings for the individuals.
nice write mike. Can’t wait to see this year’s phins on the field. BTW have we thought about possibly brigning back Raekwon Davis for depth? I liked him when he was here
Rock – Could just be this year’s projections not based solely on what they did last season
Rock,
I know the problem. You’re reading PFF. Stop, and you won’t be confused anymore!
LOL
I mean it doesn’t make sense even using their standards!
Totally agreed, Rockphin! See my post below!
I think PFF is good for a basic kind of measurement. It’s certainly not advanced enough (yet… AI will likely come into play soon) to factor in the many, many parameters/elements a player goes through.
For instance, their grading system needs to take into consideration a Tackle who goes against elite pass-rushers in their own division 6 games in a season. So if you are a Ravens Tackle who yielded 6 collective sacks to the likes of TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, and Trey Hendrickson in those 6 divisional games… I’d say that Tackle isn’t doing so bad! Yet PFF would have ya believe that the Tackle in question isn’t very good.
PFF also doesn’t take into account a player who is playing through injury, playing 2 games within 5 days (Sunday and then Thursday Night Football the next week), weather/temperature conditions, etc, etc… you get the idea.
I’ve always stated that PFF is NOT the end-all, be-all of football metrics… yet it’s good for a mere snap-shot of what a player is potentially capable of doing, based on prior production. And if ya know how to read PFF correctly [a player vs another given player (ie: Tyreek Hill vs Sauce Gardner), which is never advertised for it to do], it can be a potentially powerful tool.
So if one doesn’t know how to use a caliper properly, I’d suggest not using a caliper or trying to even use a caliper. That’s not me defending PFF at all, I’m just sayin’. And that’s certainly not me dissing folks who don’t trust PFF ratings… I TOTALLY understand where you’re coming from, and for the reasons I just stated above!
PFF is just another tool you can have in your tool box to utilize for certain tasks. It is by no means the ‘magic bullet’ to solve all problems, but it can be useful at times. JMO, as always.
Perhaps better stated… I’m not sure that PFF knows how to properly use a caliper.
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/why-dolphins-second-round-pick-is-still-unsigned-01k05314t91x
Fuck the Texans and Browns! They are such trash organizations!
YUP!
And for us, it’s VERY important for Big Jonah to be on time for everything.
IF we have to start Eich because of this whole 2nd rounder hold-out ordeal, I’m going to become sick to my stomach.
Rock – A Dolphins fan calling another NFL organization a trash organization. There’s a joke in there somewhere . . .
So sad it’s not even close to being funny.
These holdouts usually get done before camp these days.
Usually, yes. However, this movement is unprecedented. The movement? Guaranteed $$$ for all 2nd rounders.
So a lot of 2nd round picks are holding out?
as of yesterday, 29 of the 2nd round picks still have yet to sign their contracts…
Wow!
Then, 30 players won’t get a contract and will sit out, potentially losing millions.
They’ll sign
They should for sure….I doubt the rest of the teams will buy into that, but who knows. That was my point.
Clev and Hou are 2 teams that signed their 2nd rd picks to guaranteed contracts
above it says 29 are unsigned, what happened with the other 2nd rd pick that signed, did they guarantee the entire cintract?
As of July 14, 2025, two second-round NFL draft picks have signed their contracts: Jayden Higgins (Houston Texans, #34) and Carson Schwesinger (Cleveland Browns, #33). The remaining 30 second-round picks have not yet signed, reportedly due to a disagreement over guaranteed money.
I just read that if a draft pick doesn’t sign their contract, they go back into the draft pool the following draft/year.
That’s a huge risk for most of these 2nd round picks that know their current value v what may happen in next year’s draft. Millions…lol
Sources: Jets WR Garrett Wilson lands 4-year, $130M extension
Raiders released QB Carter Bradley. I would pick him up and drop Gabbert.
“Savaiinaea, the 37th overall pick in the draft, is currently scheduled for a total contract value of $11,322,472 across four seasons, according to OverTheCap.”
TBH, that’s not a ton of money. What’s wrong with guaranteeing all of it or most all of it. You liked the guy so much that you traded a pick to move up for him. You must feel like he is the real deal and was worth that move.
That’s about 2.8m per year. Hell, you gave Larry Borom a 2.5m fully guaranteed contract to be a backup, not a very good one at that.
^ Right on Mike!
Note to self. Don’t fish anymore artificial reefs made from old cell towers or cranes with the boom still attached. BBM went out 25 miles yesterday to fish 2 cranes that are known for holding an average of 20+ lb. Red Snapper. A 35 pounder was caught there 2 weeks ago. I’m used to getting sharked 4-5 times on one trip but as soon as you hook up they head right for that boom. We got broke off 7 times and not one time due to a shark before we said fuck it. Now I know why there are so many giants on it. I wouldn’t be surprised if that reef didn’t hold a state record.
BBMike – Just a quick thanks to you. Remember my question about fixing the door on my armoire? I used your method with the toothpicks and got a perfect repair. My wife thanks you!
Cool!
The best thing about the Jets Garrett Wilson big contract is they still have to resign OL Vera-Tucker, LB Quincy Williams and CB Sauce Gardener.
I’ve tried that toothpick trick like 10 times. It never works! I’ve gone through whole books of matches. Those little paper matches just fall apart.
I used a nice sturdy wooden toothpick, broke it off just long enough to be at the top of the screw hole, and then used wood glue to seal the hole and make the toothpick stay in place. Waited 24 hours, and those screws went in nice and tight.
Piggy, I don’t know why you are so down on TE Julian Hill. Yeah, he’s not a good all round TE and has a few penalties but his blocking game is not all bad either.
I watched Achane’s highlights of all his runs/catches and Hill was our best blocking TE last year.
Jannu didn’t do much at all blocking. A little here and there. Quite a few times I saw him jogging around just watching the play.
Smythe, I don’t know what happened to him last year vs 2023. He was really lunging with his blocks and the defenders instantly shedding the block. He couldn’t seem to hold his blocks for more than a split second.
Many of the failed run attempts I saw Hill making good second level blocks on a LB or DB but our OL failed to create/execute. He did well blocking on screens. He did have some missed blocks as well.
He had 9 penalties (in 744 snaps offense and ST), none of which were declined, 3 were holding calls. Hill also played 246 more snaps than Smythe.
Jannu had 6 penalties, none for holding because he didn’t really block.
Smythe had only 3 penalties but he has always been a low penalty guy his whole career. The 3 penalties last year matches a career high for him despite playing 421 less snaps in 2024 than he did in 2023.
TE snap counts/penalties: Julian Hill 744/9, Jannu Smith 627/6, Durham Smythe 498/3, Jack Stoll 35/0.
Nice little recap.
Lol, think you answered your own question with the first paragraph
I’d add knucklehead, unprepared, more interested in celebrating a play than executing it
he’s got the ability and they say he was better 2nd half, guess someone kicked him in the ass to straighten him out
Rookies first day of camp today! Still no Jonah though…
From Barry Jackson, 4 days ago… I had posted the first tweet when it came out. I hadn’t post his second tweet when it came out…
@flasportsbuzz
So even though overthecap says Miami has $2.8 M in space, NFL players union says Miami has $14 M in space, so that’s a relief. Overthecap has Ramsey’s dead cap hit at $14 million, much higher than it needs to be.
@flasportsbuzz
When I checked on Asante last month, there was nothing I was told to suggest he wouldn’t consider Miami if the Dolphins make an offer. (There has been contact over the offseason.) So his father’s insults of McDaniel and Grier certainly do not rule this out.
So if the NFLPU has our cap space correct at $14M, we’re most likely going to make another move before the season begins. Still no word on ASJ’s medical recheck.
Plus, a friendly reminder. Any FA signed after week 2 of the regular season is NON-GUARANTEED $… unless the rules have changed.
overthecap I believe has the correct figure, based on videos I’ve seen
Waller hasn’t been included yet, should cost another 1m
I wish we knew for certain. The ambiguity is killing me over here!
@JakeRabadiNFL
There is a stunning amount of productive remaining free agents in the NFL: • CB Rasul Douglas • WR Amari Cooper • CB Asante Samuel Jr. • ED Za’Darius Smith • S Justin Simmons • LB Kyzir White • S Julian Blackmon • OT Jedrick Wills Jr. • ED Matthew Judon • ED Jadeveon Clowney • ED Ogbo Okoronkwo • CB Mike Hilton • WR Keenan Allen • G Brandon Scherff • G Will Hernandez • S Marcus Williams • ED Von Miller
One year contract guys mostly, so that leaves us out
Yet, if any one of these players can help us out, it would be well worth it, IMO.
I know what you’re sayin’… we only sign 2-year deals in Miami! 😉
top 25 Fins
Full Rankings
Achane is 6
that leaves Hill, Waddle, Tua, Minkah and Sieler for top 5
No. 25:Malik Washington| No. 24:Willie Gay Jr.| No.23:Benito Jones| No. 22:Patrick Paul| No. 21:Jonah Savaiinaea| No. 20:Nick Westbrook-Ikhine| No. 19:Ifeatu Melifonwu| No. 18:Tyrel Dodson| No. 17Kenneth Grant| No. 16: Alec Ingold| No. 15:Kader Kohou| No. 14:Austin Jackson | No. 13:Jason Sanders| No. 12:Chop Robinson| No. 11:Aaron Brewer | No. 10:James Daniels | No. 9:Bradley Chubb| No. 8:Jaelan Phillips | No. 7: Jordyn Brooks
So many links…. 😂🤦🏼♀️
No wonder it took a while to go thru, sorry😭
link
https://www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/news/ranking-dolphins-top-25-players-a-speed-threat-at-running-back-01k0560k10p8
Give this man an extension!!
No Miami Dolphins defensive tackle has ever had more than 10 sacks in a season.
Zach Sieler has had 10 – twice.
Sieler was once a seventh-round pick from Ferris State the Dolphins claimed off of the Baltimore Ravens practice Squad in 2019
He has been voted as the Dolphins MVP twice since he got here.
The guy has quietly put together one of the best statistical careers in Dolphins history for the position.
He has averaged since he got here;
60 tackles(285), 32 solo Tkl (164), 9 TFL (45), 6 sacks (30)
Plus 1FF, 2 Int & 1 TD
These are better than Suh and right up there with Tim Bowens.
^^^
This will also take care of our small cap issue I mentioned below. They can reduce Sieler’s cap hit this year by extending him NOW.
And he doesn’t ask for more money every year in a never ending need to be paid ‘top 5’ at his position.
M, Steve is right. I think we are at somewhere between what OTC ($2,816,628) and Spotrac ($4,492,274) says. Even in Kyle Crabbs cap breakdown, he had us at -200k after Jonah is signed and Waller’s contract hits the books. He said there will have to be an extension or restructure to be done on someone.
My guess that is why Jonah is not signed and Waller’s deal not on the books yet. Something else has to happen.
GOOD call on why Waller’s deal isn’t on the books yet… that makes 100% sense to me. However, that’s not why Jonah isn’t signed, of course.
Nonetheless, point taken as to why there are discrepancies regarding our current cap space. Thanks!
I agree on Jonah. I would think they are close to getting a deal done. I hope.
M, if we had the money, Minkah and S Julian Blackmon would have been a heck of a duo back there. Blackmon has played mostly FS but he is versatile and can play both. Last 2 seasons, 174 tackles, 7 INT’s and 12 PD’s.
Then, as Kyle Crabbs has stated (thanks for the link to the vid, I watched it!), it may be time to make a restructure or two in order to get a player or two into our fold.
We can make it happen without pushing Tua or Reek’s $$$ further downstream, as Crabbs had stated.
I agree. I think our safety room is solid now, on paper. I just wanted Blackmon going all the way back to his draft. Money will be better spent on CB or a player needed later due to an injury.
I don’t understand why everyone is so focused on the cap. This goes on every year and it works out.
Of course it does. It’s just something to talk about. Just wondering what they will do to make it work. With Grier, half the time it’s something that hurts the team in one way or another.
Well of COURSE it has to work out… it’s the league MANDATE, man!
Right! The team has people crunching the numbers 24/7.
IMO, this is ‘Last Chance Hotel’ for our current window, which will quickly close after this season concludes.
I say, shoot for the moon once more, WITHOUT being reckless with our $$$. If we can bring in a FA or two — especially at CB — we could be contenders this season.
Now if Tua gets injured again, all bets are off… and we WILL go QB with our 1st round pick in the ’26 NFL Draft. Probably should, regardless, being Tua will not survive in the NFL much longer. JMO
Half of me agrees on drafting a QB in the 1st but, DAMN, I want us to get CB McCoy!
I think there might be a big drop off next draft at CB after the 1st 50 picks. Not sure though.
As a 2nd round CB prospect, I really want to check out your PSU guy A.J. Harris. He seems to do everything well. I’m just afraid he will play himself into the 1st round this season.
We need to find a way to counter how defenses have begun playing us. It doesn’t really matter how you do it. The biggest difference I see between 2023(tired of talking about that year already) and other years was our running game. We got as many TDs out of our running game as our passing game almost. That’s huge. If you look at the numbers, we didn’t have a lot of big runs. But, we averaged 5 yards a carry. The passing numbers aren’t really all that drastically different, but the rushing TDs are.
Ding!
MikeE,
Sorry, that was a bad attempt at humor about the matches. Lol
The New York Jets are keeping their young core together. A day after signing wideout Garrett Wilson to an extension, the team reportedly agreed to terms on a historic contract extension with cornerback Sauce Gardner, according to multiple reports.
Gardner is reportedly signing a four-year, $120.4 million deal that makes him the highest-paid cornerback of all time, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Jets have just allocated 250m over the next 4yrs on a WR and a CB, about 62m per year.
Trey Smith is signing a four-year, $94 million extension with $70 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, a pact that replaces the franchise tag. Smith is now set to be the highest-paid guard in the NFL, per Rapoport.
A little Bills injury news to cheer up Hulkster. 😉
DE Landon Jackson has been placed on the physically unable to perform list ahead of training camp, per the league transaction wire.
😃
if I’m Savaiinaea, I tell my agent Im signing my contract without being fully guaranteed
I’m betting on myself to play out the full contract, making the guarantee moot
I’m not hurting my rookie season, so you and future 2nds can prosper
in other words go fuck yourself, im reporting to camp
☝️
It’s all agent driven these days. Why should a guy take less than someone drafted after him?
to not lose a year
you think Savaiinaea still starts thebyear, if he misses PS1
I’m just talking about this new 2nd round movement.
The second rounders will all be signed they are not sitting out a year
someone will sign with less than full guarantee and the rest will follow
I doubt teams will cave, more likely the players will be telling their agents I need to be in camp, quit playing around im ready to sign
☝️
The Sporting News is predicting MM will be fired and the next Dolphins HC will be the Bills current OC Joe Brady. They also predict the Dolphins will draft Tua’s potential replacement in the 1st round in Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.
They’re probably right about 1 of those 3
Waller’s contract with the Dolphins is reportedly a one-year, $2 million deal with $3 million in incentives, according to Spotrac. The deal was initially reported as a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, so these new details make sense.
His cap hit on the top 51 was just under 1m. They don’t have the breakdown on what the incentives are but any incentives reached will be deducted from any 2026 carryover cap we have.
Spotrac now has our current cap at 3.4m which is plenty to cover Jonah. When they get to cutting, some more cap will be cleared. Most notably with one of the punters clearing 1.6m or 1.9m depending on which one is cut (or 600k or 900k top 51).
There are not many others who would clear much cap, Cam Smith or Channing Tindall about 300k each from top 51.
OTC still not reflecting Waller yet.
Miami Dolphins rookie Jonah Savaiinaea officially holding out from training camp as second-round contract saga continues
Listen – I’m not a GM, but these fuckers need to get this guy signed and get him into camp so he can be ready, whether they have to guarantee his entire contract or not. This isn’t the time to nickel and dime, they’ve been absolutely irresponsible the last few years, but they need to make sure this kid is up to speed.
its business, leave em alone
surely the collusion league has told the rest of the teams not to cave
Steve – Do you think the NFL cares whether our OG is ready or not? If I’m running this team, I get that kid in camp now, and don’t worry a second about the contract
It’s definitely a power play by the agents. We’re not alone in this.
We’re alone in our own situation though. Like I said, just get the kid signed, it’s $40.87M. How much do you think they don’t want to guarantee, $10M? $15M? Is that worth not having the OG you traded up to get in training camp so he’s got a shot at being ready to go and prepared to start the season off the right way?
I have no idea but that sounds like too much money.
It be a very poor decision for a GM to agree to 2nd round guaranteed contracts. It sets a precedent for the franchise, a very expensive long term one, at that.
…hope that’s comprehensible…lol
Cleveland is not known for its brilliant contracts lately…lol
agreed 100%
the team/owner does have to worry about the future, even though Ross is aloof at times
MikeE., I agree with you but you lost me at “it’s $40.87M”.
Per OTC, Jonah’s contract is projected to be 4 years at just under 12m, around 2.8m per year.
So I did Google AI for salary of 2025 NFL Draft Round 2 pick #5 and that’s what came up. I just did pick #37 and it says $11.32M. So for that money it’s even more crazy not to just do it
I think it’s crazy not to either.
Yet you crush Grier for making poor franchise decisions on mortgaging the future, so it’s ok for him to mortgage a lifetime on the franchise.
That makes zero sense…lol
bailbondmike
says:
July 16, 2025 at 1:10 pm
Miami Dolphins rookie Jonah Savaiinaea officially holding out from training camp as second-round contract saga continues
———-
Not what I wanted to hear… that sucks.
I honestly love Joe Brady since he took Burrow from an average college QB to champion. Dude just knows how to run an offense unlike a certain someone we all know. Can he be a good HC? It just depends on what kind of coaching talent he can bring with him. I’d love for him to replace McD next year though. He’d probably need some time to grow into it though just like he did after being the Panthers OC.
I’m absolutely in favor of guaranteeing Big Jonah’s contract, just to get him to TC on time. I believe it’s very important.
However, I’m sure the owners are banding together to protect their assets. If precedence is set by giving in, it’s possible all future 2nd round draftees will have guaranteed contracts… perhaps starting as early as ’26, but that would be business between the NFLPA and the NFL, presumably.
I understand both sides of this standoff, and it’s not pretty. Perhaps a mediator can come in and break up the ice before TC? I dunno.
i wasn’t good enough to be selected in the first round, and you’re only paying me $2.8MM/ year, let me sit out, get nothing this year, and risk getting a fraction of that next year and beig out of football a year.
Great csreer stsrt…lol
It aleady tells you that Jonah is like Tua…show me the money, when I haven’t shown much…lol
And, I agree it’s an NFLPA-NFL issue for the next contract….I wouldn’t think the statistics on the success of 2nd rounders would warrant 4 year guaranteed contracts.
This whole matter disgusts me as a fan. I mean, I get it… but it just sucks.
So as I stated the other day… if this gets ugly (now it is, with Big Jonah holding out), who’s going to replace him? Liam friggin’ Eichenberg? Not looking good for us.
Krishna- I do crush Grier for bad decisions, because he’s made a fuck ton. Dying on this hill now would be another. This is the guy you needed to trade up for and you need him to be great this season. Having him miss training camp can only hinder the chances of him being prepared this season
It’s $11.32M , it’s a drop in the bucket
Not sure I’d call that a drop in the bucket(!), but I understand what ya mean in the bigger scheme of things.
$11.32M could buy a lot of political favors, for instance! 😉
yes, drop in the bucket, but this is all principal
what’s next, 2026 3rd rounders?
agents just keep pushing the envelope
Agreed with Steve. The key word is PRECEDENCE.
Im with everything Krishna has said, on this issue
If the NFL isn’t very careful, it’s going to turn into the NBA in all the bad ways.
yes, those guaranteed contracts will kill them
^ PRECISELY!
Missing time during rookie report means nothing yet, if it goes past when vets report, these players will start dropping like flies, they aren’t going to risk a bad start to their career for future 2nd rounders
I do NOT want to sound like I’m playing both sides of this situation. Fact is (and I’m consistent on it), this SUCKS. This situation could have very long-lasting repercussions… either way, contingent upon how it all works out.
Just me, but I’d allow the next CBA to determine the future. In the meantime, follow the current CBA. Do NOT allow two stupid teams to dictate the NOW of 2nd-round draftees. That’s only going to screw 30 other teams over this season… and that includes US!
Get a bloody mediator in there before it gets really bad. JMO
I don’t really think the Dolphins can afford not to guaranty the contract of Savaii at this point
once the texans opened this can of worms there isn’t going back
I don’t think the nfl will win this fight at the end of the day. Teams are going to break
the problem with having an unwritten rule of not guarantying contracts is that somenone, one of your competitors, is bound to break that rule and some one did
At this point teams are not also breaking the rule out of loyalty to the league and not loyalty to their teams.
but the dominoes will fall the closer we get to the season
and that’s a problem for us if Ross stands by this for an extended amount of time
the reality is if the owners want a standard to be no guaranteed contracts for 2nd rounders – they can make it an official rule on the CBA when they negotiate the next one
but the levy was always gonna break with this unwritten rule
now it’s up to the Dolphins not to be the last team to realize the levy broke
our pick is just a few picks after the ones that signed and we traded up to get there
you ruin your draft if your 2nd rounder holds out
Ross shouldn’t be looking to enforce league standards – he should do everything it takes to win
Looks like the Jonah situation will be resolved pdq now
here’s the link I couldn’t attach above
https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1945660642628936178
Grier built this team saying everyone else (fans) saying our OL is fine because Tua gets the ball out so quick. I’m pretty sure that’s almost a quite (paraphrased for sure).
Now, fans are saying our entire success this season depends on ONE OL who hasn’t played a down.
That’s loony tunes…imo…on both sides…lol
^…lol…it’s quite a QUOTE
$11MM, $3MM, shlameel, shlamazel….lol.
Not a lot money??!
Maybe, this whole 2nd round guarantee bullshit turns out to be the sword CG falls on….lol.
From google.AI:
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Second contracts with different teams:
A substantial number of second-round picks (43%) eventually find themselves on a second contract with a new team. Second contracts with the same team:While less common, some second-rounders (around 31% of first-rounders) will sign extensions with their original team.
To me that means 57% of 2nd rounders will not be around after 4.years, but they want to be paid as if they were.
Wow, it’s a different world than the one I live in, for sure…lol
What I’m talking about is the Dolphins giving Jalen Ramsey a 3YR/$73M raise and extension 9/24, and then of course the announcement in 4/25 that they mutually have agreed to part ways. So yeah, $11.32M for a 4 year contract is a drop in the bucket!
Well that was stupid…so you want him to be stupider?
The Washington Commanders are reportedly “finalizing terms” with edge rusher Von Miller on a one-year contract. Signing Miller fills Washington’s most significant need. The Commanders needed help at edge rusher, but appeared content to wait until closer to the regular season. Adding Miller now gives Washington a chance to have him in training camp.
I’m with Krishna and Steve on this. If you cave on the second rounders now, then everyone is going to want guaranteed money. That would ruin the NFL, or maybe it would bring contracts back to a more realistic number , I don’t know. But if I’m Grier, I offer him like $8m guaranteed. The way teams have managed the cap is creating contracts with a certain amount of guaranteed money, and manipulating the cap with signing bonuses and extensions. To start guaranteeing contracts isn’t feasible for the long term.
everyone is going to want guaranteed money bc of what the other teams already did
the 2nd rounder next year isn’t going to care about what we did if other teams gave their 2nd rounders guaranteed money
the seal is already broken
what the Texans, Browns and now the 49ers did will affect every 2nd rounder contract for years
hogwash
I just showered …
Blue Angel “sneak pass” over 700 mph at Pensacola Beach fishing pier last Saturday.
I usually go out on the boat Thusday to watch the beach show practice but was too choppy that day.
Bri – You’re worried about guaranteeing an $11.32M contract? We didn’t start the precedent, the Texans and the Browns did. IDGAF what Grier does at this point, he should be gone next season regardless and then a new GM can come here and change anything he wants. That’s how fast the NFL landscape changes. Doesn’t matter what Grier does/did if he’s not here next season
you’re looking at it narrowedmindedly
the 11.32m isn’t the issue, I’d be shocked, if he doesn’t get all the money anyways, by playing out his rookie deal
Stick to you guns Grier. Tell Jonah’s agent to fuck themselves. You know Jonah has already started spending that money he doesn’t have yet. Let him sweat! He can always go back into the draft next season after bagging groceries this season!
These entitled fucks do not live in the real world where most people have to work a decade or more to receive what they get as a bonus.
I am seriously disgusted by the greedy fucks in professional sports. I am this *_* close to quitting on sports and finding more productive things to do with my time.
Tua selling his home, sold now, seems to be all over the news for some reason reason
saying he’s done in Miami
hello McFly
2.6m is nothing, he’s buying something huge with new contract money
WordPress is killin me today can’t type more than a sentence per post
Steve – Yes, I look at everything regarding this team narrow-mindedly, because they never do anything right. Fine, we’ll win the war of the caving in on paying $11.32M guaranteed, but our OG will suck, even though we traded a valuable 3rd RD pick to get him for no good reason. Then you guys can say the O-line wasn’t good enough when we go 9-8 or 8-9 and Tua blows chunks at the end of the season, it won’t be his fault again.
if you look at the Bears and 49ers 2nd rounders terms, we’re actually talking about 1m less than fully guaranteed
WTF are these agents really trying to do?
While the Dolphins’ unsigned rookie sits at home, Collins’ deal will have a much bigger impact on the selections made after him, not before. Collins signed a four-year contract worth $10 million. Only $9 million was fully guaranteed.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday reported the 49ers and second-round pick Alfred Collins agreed to a four-year rookie contract worth $10.3 million and $9 million guaranteed.
Are we playing yet?!?!
Preseason game 1 is 24 days away. 🙂
Dolphins fly out to Chicago for joint practice in 3 weeks.
Regular season game 1 is 52 days away.
For Tim, the 2026 draft is in 280 days.
he’s been waiting for that!
Mike E,
I’m not worried about $11 million. I’m worried about the hundreds of millions in years to come.
Don’t be, this is an isolated incident. The parameters are clear and the draft positions are slotted. Honestly, I’ll never understand how the NFL has been able to get away without paying guaranteed contracts. Imagine if the NFLPA was as strong a lobby as the MLBPA is?
I know, and I agree with you on that. It’s odd, but I suspect that one of the reasons why they don’t guarantee the money is because they are so much more prone in injury than the other sports. If they guarantee you all that money in a player goes down or isn’t on the team or whatever It’s going to destroy the team for the near future.
Sources: Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams’ agent Tory Dandy informed the team last night that, after eight seasons, his client is retiring from the NFL. Williams walks away from the game at age 30.
Chargers will have to rely on rookie WR Tre Harris as the other boundary WR. Harris is good though and same makeup as Williams, big and physical.
Piggy,
the Browns fully guaranteed Watson’s contract- the other teams didn’t follow suit with their QB contracts, because they know it was sheer stupidity. They should do the same here.
Chicago Bears sign second-round pick Shemar Turner to rookie contract, no details yet on the guaranteed money. He was pick #62.
They’re starting to fall.
Baltimore Ravens
SIGNINGS
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice was reportedly sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years probation for his role in a multi-car crash in 2024.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that a Dallas County judge sentenced Rice to that jail time, which he can serve during his five years of probation. Schefter also noted, “Now that the judge has ruled, the NFL can expedite its disciplinary process and Rice is likely to receive a multi-game suspension.”
There was some misinformation by a reporter who said Jonah is “holding out”. He’s not technically holding out but the CBA does not allow unsigned rookies to participate or even report to training camp until under contract. I guess it depends on how you look at it. They are only allowed to sign a waiver release to attend OTA’s and Mini Camp.
Don’t blame the players for contract disputes, it’s the agents and the league.
I agree with you on the agents part. They are scumbags.
Tim,
That is so 2025. Agents are employees. They are at the behest of their clients. Sure, you hire an agent for his advice and counsel. But, it’s still the players who decide to follow that advice. They could simply say no. Come on. That line of BS is just another way to not get fans angry at the players. Pure PR BS.
That’s the reality of the business. Fans think in terms of emotion, they want their players signed or bad things will happen. I let that kind of thinking go years ago.
Steelers, All-Pro T.J. Watt agree to 3-year, $123M contract extension, making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history