This Miami Dolphins offseason has been odd because there seems to be no sense of urgency in constructing this roster for the upcoming 2025 season. It’s almost like the owner, general manager, and head coach feel this team is “good enough” to compete as is, and any developmental pieces they will add in the upcoming NFL Draft will be fine in filling out this roster.
I disagree and think something else is happening in South Florida now.
Before I get to that, let’s dispel two myths out there that have become “social media fact” in the minds of Dolphins fans.
- The Dolphins have no money. They do. At the time of this writing, they are approximately $17 million under the salary cap, and that number factors in the money they will spend to sign their draft class. They don’t want to spend it.
- Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel are on the “HOT SEAT,” and their jobs are on the line in 2025. Who has said this? Fans are “assuming” this. And nothing in Stephen Ross’s past shows this to be true. You have to remember, Adam Gase and Brian Flores were not fired because they didn’t win enough; they were fired because they couldn’t work with or get along with others in the organization. That isn’t the case with Mike McDaniel.Regarding Grier, there are rumors he will move into a VP or Sr. Advisor role with the Dolphins eventually, and there is an unconfirmed rumor he may make that move in a month, right after this April’s draft. To think their “jobs are on the line” is false. They are under the typical pressure that every head coach and GM is under, but to say play it up and say they are on the Hot Seat just isn’t true.
Dec 22, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) reacts on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images So what is at play right now for the Dolphins, and what is happening in Miami Gardens?
They are in a Soft Rebuild and don’t want to tell everyone.And no, it’s not a full-blown blow it up and let’s start over like they did in 2019. This is more of, let’s wait out some bad contracts we gave out, try to cultivate a young core, and tweak this as we go instead of jettisoning off everyone and starting over.
If you gave Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel truth serum, they would tell you they wish they had never given Tua Tagovailoa his contract extension, they wish they had never reworked Tyreek Hill‘s deal last August, and they probably (to a lesser extent) wish they hadn’t extended Jalen Ramsey‘s contract and paid him more money.
I think they know they screwed up and before they spend good money after bad, they want to right these wrongs of their actions last offseason.The problem is that it takes time.
They must wait out those contracts to a point where moving on from said players makes sense.For Tyreek Hill, the time-frame is easy, that is, after this 2025 season. Tyreek is a total distraction and a malcontent; they cannot move on from him soon enough. Unfortunately, with how his contract is structured, moving on from him is impossible until next off-season. Next March, Miami can cut Tyreek and open up $36 million in cap space while eating $15 million in dead money. They will eat that dead money with a smile to move on from him and the constant drama he has brought to the franchise (as well as the quitting in the middle of the game thing).
It’s a bit more tricky for Tua because he is a quarterback, and his contract is so bloated. You can trade him after this season if you do it next off-season. But you would have to find a team that wants him and also absorb that contract, so good luck with that. And if you’re trading him, that means the 2025 season didn’t go well, and even if you found a team to take him, you would probably get a 5th or 6th-round pick at best in return. Miami’s best bet is to wait until after the 2026 season, when the cap hit is much lower, and you can flat-out release him.
Looking into my crystal ball and what probably will happen, Tua will have an OK 2025 season. He will miss his typical 4 to 6 games, and Miami will miss the playoffs or sneak in and be out in the opening round. And next year, this time, Miami is drafting a quarterback in the early rounds to prepare him to take over for Tua after 2026.If you don’t think this could or will happen, just listen to Chris Grier’s end-of-season press conference in January of this year. In it, he threw Tua under the bus, criticizing him for not protecting himself and being available and on the field each week. He sounded like a general manager fed up and done with his starting quarterback. But he is handcuffed because of that contract, so they must wait out the deal.It’s to a lesser extent with Ramsey because his contract isn’t as costly as Tyreek and Tua’s, but they probably regret giving a cornerback who will be 32 in October a new deal with void years until 2029. That means he will still count on Miami’s salary cap long after Ramsey is gone from Miami or his play falls off due to Father Time.The good news is if Miami cuts Ramsey with a post-June 1st designation after this season, it will open up $18 million in salary cap space, and they only eat $6 million. I don’t need to be Oz the Meantalist to know Ramsey’s future next March.The long and short of it is this: The Miami Dolphins are treading water in 2025.They aren’t going “ALL IN” to win a Super Bowl.They aren’t taking either.
They are just playing out the string with this core of players.They will use this upcoming draft to bring in an influx of young talent, a couple may play and contribute this season. Most won’t see the field in any significant way.
And a year from now, Chris Grier will be your VP or Sr. Advisor, or still the GMA year from now, Mike McDaniel will be the head coachTyreek and Ramsey will be gone.Miami will be flush with cap space.And the Dolphins will begin the process of transitioning to life after Tua.
So, if you are confused as to why Miami hasn’t signed another offensive guard or a defensive lineman when they only have two (really one who is any good) on their roster, its because they know what the long-game is here.
It’s not about 2025. It’s about 2026 and 2027.They won’t admit it and tell you, but if you just look at their actions this offseason, and look at the contracts, the answer is right there.
Hill and Ramsey are still great players, and Tua (when he plays) is a middle-of-the-road quarterback. They will have their moments in 2025 and have some exciting wins and hover around the .
500 mark, and who knows, maybe they will catch a break and make the playoffs.But that is their ceiling and best-case scenario.The roster construction tells a story about Grier and McDaniel, who both feel safe in their jobs and were probably told they have job security. They are looking towards the future and not as concerned with trying to win at all costs in 2025.