The Miami Dolphins are currently dealing with a number of concerns, and while Mike McDaniel may not be a primary concern, the consequences of these troubles will fall squarely on his coaching shoulders.
Miami is not rebuilding, but by the 2025 season, it may appear that they have. Chris Grier’s handling of the salary cap and roster upkeep has not served Stephen Ross, McDaniel, or himself well.
It’s unfortunate that your team’s longest-tenured draft pick is a seventh-round kicker, and that’s only a minor part of the issue.
Grier has been able to move money from one year to the next, buying time and operating capital, but he may have gone too far.
Kendall Fuller’s release came as no surprise. Neither did the releases of Durham Smythe and Raheem Mostert. These three moved the Dolphin’s cap needle, but not far enough. Miami started the weekend $13 million over the cap and is now $5.4 million over. The NFL will announce the new cap rise soon, but the Dolphins still need to make significant adjustments, and they simply do not have the roster to do so.
All three releases, while expected, added to the roster’s voids, which Grier will find difficult to fill. A critical season might push McDaniel’s back against the wall before it even begins.
Dolphins’ offense and defense need help and Mike McDaniel may not get enough to win with
Tua Tagovailao will continue to be the offensive leader. If he remains healthy, the Dolphins will have a chance. McDaniel still needs to do something with Tyreek Hill’s involvement, as he has become nothing more than a high-priced decoy.
Miami must improve its offensive line; otherwise, Tua will be put under pressure, and the running back will be reduced to an outside sprint to the corner.
Defensively, things could be worse. Anthony Weaver will not be held accountable for the players he has to deal with, but if the defense struggles, so will his chances as a head coach next year. The Dolphins are thin on the defensive line, with two linebackers coming off serious knee injuries, a secondary losing one starter and no one on the current roster ready to fill in, and two starting safeties expected to go in free agency.
Add in the cap issues and Grier’s inability to reliably choose early contributors, and McDaniel’s club may appear to have been assembled from the scrapyard. That is not a strategy for turning around a team and changing the culture.
