Tyreek's murky future and FAs galore: Miami has much to fix this offseason

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wasted little time in throwing his support behind coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier, with a noticeable caveat.

After a loss to the New York Jets secured his first losing season, McDaniel said he believed he and Grier would return to their roles in 2025. Minutes later, the team released a statement from Ross on social media confirming exactly that.

"I believe in the value of stability," Ross said. "However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough."

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000 and came no closer to breaking that drought this season, despite significant spending last offseason. While his statement meant Grier's and McDaniel's jobs were safe for the next several months, Ross punctuated it with that thinly veiled warning for his decision-makers moving forward.

The Dolphins added plenty of star power entering 2024 but started with a 2-6 record before climbing to the brink of a playoff berth and ultimately finishing 8-9. This season, there isn't the same pressure to negotiate long-term extensions as there was last season, when the Dolphins had to decide on players such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, offensive lineman Robert Hunt and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Only Tagovailoa stayed.

But there are still critical decisions to be made this offseason, starting with wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Hill made several headlines this season, and rarely for his play on the field. His rocky albeit injury-marred season ended prematurely, when he subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale, and the team will have to decide whether that's something it can live with.

The Dolphins must also fix an offensive line that might need to replace three starters, address their backup quarterback position after a shaky season from Tagovailoa and possibly rebuild their secondary -- all while they enter the offseason roughly $16 million over the salary cap. In-house, Miami must establish a culture of accountability that prevents a repeat of this season, when multiple players were repeatedly late to team meetings and fined to no avail.

It appears the powers at be in South Florida are, at the very least, aware of what's at stake. As Ross said, the status quo must change for the Dolphins in 2025; jobs should be on the line if it doesn't.

"We had expectations which were created by the excitement of the last couple years and we had hoped to continue it and for various circumstances, didn't happen this year and it was unacceptable," Grier said. "No one is happy and we will get this fixed. Very confident in our process and looking forward to 2025 and not being out of the playoffs watching other teams play."

HILL MADE IT clear last offseason that as the receiver market continues to skyrocket, he expects to be paid accordingly based on his performance.

No player had more receiving yards in 2022 and 2023 than Hill's 3,509. He didn't necessarily need to be the league's highest-paid wide receiver, but he had fallen out of the top five at the position. The Dolphins rectified that by adding more fully guaranteed money onto his existing extension than any other receiver in NFL history.

Hill injured his wrist roughly two weeks later during a joint practice with the Washington Commanders. Hill told ESPN in November that he tore a ligament in his wrist and probably would need surgery, while agent Drew Rosenhaus said last week that Hill broke his wrist and doctors recommended season-ending surgery -- which Hill declined to do. As a result, he turned in his worst season in a Dolphins uniform, with 959 yards and six touchdowns on 81 receptions.

The production could be explained, or even excused; but Hill removed himself from Miami's loss to the Jets after it became clear the Denver Broncos would beat the Kansas City Chiefs and lock Miami out of the playoffs. After the game, he told reporters "I'm out" and hinted at wanting to play football elsewhere.

Hill's comments were taken with a grain of salt, his teammates said, considering the emotion of the moment. But his decision to leave the game irked both teammates and staff, although McDaniel didn't publicly scold the three-time team captain.

"I was very direct with him. He was very honest and it was great terms that we were discussing," McDaniel said of his exit interview with Hill last week. "Discussed multiple things including, without wavering, that it's not acceptable to leave a game and won't be tolerated in the future, and he embraced accountability. I wouldn't say there's anything necessarily to fix as much as we had to clear the air in a rough and tumultuous situation."

There have been multiple publicized instances of a player refusing to reenter a game, including San Francisco 49ers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell this season. The 49ers opted to suspend Campbell indefinitely rather than outright release him. The Dolphins could move on from Hill this offseason, but it wouldn't be cheap.

Trading or releasing him before June 1 would result in a $28.3 million or $56.9 million dead cap hit, respectively. Trading him after June 1, however, would result in a $12.7 million dead cap hit in 2025 and a $15.6 million dead cap hit in 2026; it would save Miami $15.9 million in 2025. A post-June 1 trade makes the most sense if Miami decides to trade him -- but the team almost certainly would not get the same type of return it paid for him in 2022: a first-round pick, a second-round pick, two fourth-round picks and a sixth-round pick.

The Buffalo Bills took on a $31 million dead cap hit last offseason when they traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick; they won their fifth straight AFC East title this season.

Grier said Hill did not request a trade despite his postgame comments, and Rosenhaus said he believes Hill is "committed" to the team -- although he said he has yet to speak with his client about that. Miami would need to add another receiver if it trades Hill, with only Jaylen Waddle and 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington recording more than 10 receptions last season.

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Stephen A. Smith doesn't want to hear Tyreek Hill's Dolphins regret

Stephen A. Smith lays into Tyreek Hill after voicing his desire to leave the Dolphins.

TAGOVAILOA MISSED A career-high six games in 2024 -- four because of a concussion that landed him on injured reserve and two to a hip injury that effectively ended his season. After signing the richest contract in franchise history (four years, $212.4 million) this offseason and not missing a game in 2023, his positive takeaways from this season did not overshadow his limited availability.

"For me, it was good to see his growth as a player when he was playing," Grier said. "I would say that the one thing that has come out of this, even this year, was the leadership part. All the players were talking about his leadership and the step he's taken. ... That being said, he needs to be available. He needs to know how to protect himself. You're going to get hit at times, it's always going to happen, but he needs to control what he can control. He understands that.

"Not being available for taking chances and risk is unacceptable to us, and he knows that."

The Dolphins' plan at backup quarterback exacerbated the issue. Skylar Thompson won the job in training camp beating out veteran Mike White. But he played poorly in his lone start against the Seattle Seahawks before ultimately leaving the game because of an injury. Tyler Huntley, whom Miami signed from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad after Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2, started five games but was largely ineffective, save his performance in a Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Grier suggested this was not their ideal plan entering the season, saying the Dolphins were "in on several topflight backup quarterbacks" last offseason and couldn't afford to sign them. He said it's a position that will once again receive attention this offseason.

"It's a position we do not take lightly," he said. "We were working through that the entire offseason, and the fact that some of those guys were willing to come here at what we could pay them shows in how they believe in Mike, the staff and the offensive scheme, and the players that are here. They're all excited about our skill group. That's a position we will always focus on, and it will be a position that we will focus on this offseason. I will tell you that every stone will be unturned at that position, including the draft."

Miami owns the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft, but it's unlikely it spends that pick on a quarterback, one season after signing Tagovailoa to a four-year extension -- especially with a weak 2025 class at the position. As Grier alluded to, however, it's possible Miami adds a developmental quarterback later in the draft. There are several veteran options available via free agency, including Jameis Winston, Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Jimmy Garoppolo. Whomever the Dolphins add will likely need starting experience considering Tagovailoa has missed at least four games in three of his four seasons as a full-time starter.

MIAMI ENTERED THE 2024 season with two returning starters on the offensive line in Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson, two elevated returners in Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones, and a new center in Aaron Brewer.

Brewer didn't miss a game, while Armstead played in 15 -- his most since 2019. But Jackson missed nine games because of a knee injury while Eichenberg and Jones ranked 61st and 63rd out of 65 qualified offensive guards this season in pass block win rate.

The Dolphins' primary swing tackle, Kion Smith, suffered a torn ACL in the preseason. Last season's starting left guard, Isaiah Wynn, had a setback to the quad injury he suffered in 2023 and logged offensive snaps in just three games.

Grier admitted to a sense of urgency with the group entering this offseason.

"We had some players that were very confident in [offensive line coach] Butch [Barry] and Mike," Grier said. "Those guys, I thought, deserved some praise because of what they had done the year before. And they started out the year well and unfortunately, injuries got to us, we didn't finish well ... We're going to have to invest in the offensive line now."

Wynn, Eichenberg and Jones are free agents, while Armstead has not stated whether he will return to the team or retire after 12 NFL seasons. Jackson and Brewer remain under contract, but Miami must figure out a new plan at the guard position -- whether that means bringing back Wynn or starting over through the draft and free agency. If Armstead retires, the team drafted Patrick Paul in the second round of last year's draft to one day fill Armstead's role at left tackle.

Guard is a possibility at No. 13 in the draft, possibly Texas' Kelvin Banks or Arizona's Jonah Savaiinaea. But it's a position the Dolphins could wait on or address in free agency.

SAFETY JEVON HOLLAND, the Dolphins' second-round pick in 2021, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason after he and the team failed to agree to an extension last year. Grier confirmed both sides agreed to halt talks during the season and said they will "see what happens here in the offseason."

Jordan Poyer, the Dolphins' other starting safety, is also a free agent, which leaves the team with an immediate need at the position. ESPN's Jordan Reid projected Georgia safety Malaki Starks to the Dolphins at No. 13 in a move that gives them a potential building block at the position. Even if they draft Starks, the Dolphins have little depth at safety and will need to make multiple additions this offseason.

Linebackers Anthony Walker Jr. and Tyrel Dodson, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, cornerback Kader Kohou and defensive linemen Da'Shawn Hand, Benito Jones and Calais Campbell are all free agents, as well, after playing more than 40% of the team's defensive snaps this season. With no immediate backup plan in place for any player, Miami could bring each of them back in 2025 -- especially Campbell, who is mulling retirement but was one of the team's best players in 2024 at 38 years old.

Whichever players return to or join the team in 2025 must adhere to a stricter code of accountability than the 2024 version, which McDaniel said featured several players who repeatedly earned fines for being late to team meetings. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler alluded to it as well after McDaniel addressed the issue in a team meeting prior to locker room cleanout.

"There were some people that had multiple that I think there's different ways to kind of counteract that," McDaniel said. "Bringing it up as a team and continuing to fine guys wasn't enough, so I'm not going to continue to just place all blame on even some of the smallest of individuals that were multiple offenders. I'm going to adjust my process and make sure that it's teamwide knowledge any time that things are done that aren't in the best interest of winning football games.

"So there's a bunch of different reasons, and one thing I did learn during the course of the season is that fining guys, which I'd been a part of for season after season in the National Football League, didn't particularly move the needle in the way we need to, so I'll adjust as I should as the head coach."