Mike McDaniel says Dolphins made Odell Beckham Jr. an offer

ORLANDO — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke to reporters about the team’s early offseason at the NFL annual meeting Monday morning at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes.

“I saw an orchestration of multiple people on all fronts being very communicative,” McDaniel said of the way the organization worked from being well over the 2024 salary cap to reaching a point they could bring in established veteran free agents amid losing key players in free agency.

“I think we found really good players that want to play for the Miami Dolphins organization. We had a lot of holes to fill.”

McDaniel said the Dolphins made an offer to former superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. when he recently visited over the past week.

The coach said conversations between Beckham and the team are ongoing and noted he would enjoy coaching him.

McDaniel said that the offseason is not nearly complete after the initial wave of free agency with more free agents to be added before the late April draft, rookies to be brought in from the draft and then moves to be made in the latter portions of the offseason.

McDaniel says the Dolphins wanted to retain defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, although the team was unable to keep him from signing a lucrative contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. He admitted the salary-cap limitations played a role in losing the likes of him and talented right guard Robert Hunt.

“We’ve never doubted Christian as a player, but you have to make some tough decisions when you’re thinking about the whole scope of the team,” McDaniel said. “It’s a lot more difficult than, ‘We want all of the best players.’… You either want to be able to retain every player that you have or you want to see them have a grassy meadow, the opportunity to go and fulfill their dream elsewhere.”

McDaniel reiterated sentiments general manager Chris Grier has expressed of offering Wilkins a fair extension the previous offseason, but the defensive tackle decided to bet on himself and increase his stock after compiling a career-high nine sacks.

The coach noted Wilkins and Hunt established significant relationships in Miami, and them leaving doesn’t mean those have to be fractured. He said it wasn’t easy for them to leave.

On the topic of one player the Dolphins want to keep in Miami long term, McDaniel said he expects quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to be with the Dolphins during organized team activities as he and the franchise work through the lengthy process of extension talks.

He offered updates on where outside linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are in their respective rehabs from torn Achilles and ACL, respectively.

“They have been doing phenomenal,” said McDaniel, who wants to take a similar approach as he did with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey at the start of last season. “From a psychological standpoint, you don’t want people to chase the wrong things. … We need to make sure they’re not chasing a timeline. As a competitor, they may achieve that timeline, and it may be the worst for their body.

He noted they mandate the two edge rushers have a week off because they’re practically living in the training room.

“They’re both doing exactly what you’d expect,” he said. “They don’t want to be healthy for one week. They want to be healthy for the whole season.”

McDaniel said, after giving thought to delegating play-calling duties this offseason, he’s going to call plays in the spring and believes he will continue into the fall, but he’s ready to adjust at any moment.