Five Best Miami Dolphins’ offseason moves
Shockwaves reverberated through Dolphins fans early in free agency.
Christian Wilkins. Gone.
Robert Hunt. Gone.
Andrew Van Ginkel. Gone.
That was after a the first bombshell of the offseason.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Gone.
Let’s not sugarcoat this. Overall, it’s been a rough few months.
But the Dolphins, under the guidance of general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, have bounced back fairly well, all things considered.
In fact, the offseason bounce back has been good enough that I’ve compiled a list of My 5 Favorite Dolphins Offseason Moves.
As rookie minicamp begins this week, followed by organized team activities later in the month and eventually minicamp in June, I consider the Dolphins’ offseason as being largely productive.
Was it successful offseason?
No.
But I’m not sure that’s a fair question considering the circumstances and financial constraints the Dolphins were under.
There was almost no way the Dolphins could have a successful offseason considering the (overpaid?) talent they couldn’t afford to keep, and the talent they decided to let go (namely cornerback Xavien Howard).
Was it a good offseason?
Probably not.
Still, it was a largely productive offseason.
The Dolphins got their No. 3 receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.).
The Dolphins improved their tight end position (Jonnu Smith).
They acquired a starting safety (Jordan Poyer).
The Dolphins acquired starting talent and built depth at edge rusher (Shaq Barrett, Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara).
They built depth at offensive tackle (Patrick Paul).
They built depth at running back (Jaylen Wright).
They got a starting inside linebacker and quality depth at the position (Jordyn Brooks and Anthony Walker Jr.).
So, taking a step back and glimpsing the big picture, the free-agent signings, headlined by Poyer, Beckham and Brooks, have been fairly good.
The draft, headlined by Robinson and Paul, was fairly good.
Acquiring defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was definitely good.
Yes, the offseason has been far from ideal.
Yes, almost everything that there is to like has been a reactive move.
And, yes, more talent walked out the door than walked in the door.
Despite all of that, the Dolphins are still headed for a playoff berth and possibly even the AFC East title.
Having said all of that, here are My 5 Favorite Dolphins Offseason Moves:
Jordan Poyer: Poyer, 33, signed from Buffalo, was a strong acquisition. The only concern is his age. But move past that. Poyer is an aggressive, playoff-tested veteran safety who fills the void created by DeShon Elliott’s departure. He’ll fit nicely beside Jevon Holland to give the Dolphins one of the league’s top duos.
The moves for now: The 30-and-over club comprises most of this category. Poyer (33). Beckham (31). Barrett (31). Backup left tackle Kendall Lamm (31). Cornerback Kendall Fuller (29). But also there’s Brooks (26) and Walker (28). Offensive lineman Aaron Brewer (26). Cornerback/special teams ace Siran Neal (29). Even Weaver (considering he’s had head coach interviews in the past and will likely get one or two others if Dolphins do well this season).
The moves for the future: Draftees comprise most of this club. Robinson is the only draftee expected to make an immediate impact. But Robinson, Paul and Wright should be around for a while based on their draft status. Keep your fingers crossed on Kamara, wide receiver Malik Washington (sixth round), safety Patrick McMorris (sixth round) and wide receiver Tahj Washington (seventh round), the lower-round picks. Also, Brooks is only 26.
OBJ: Beckham, who will likely be the starter in the slot, gives the Dolphins a No. 3 receiver, a much-needed element the offense has been missing the past two seasons. Although there are age and injury concerns, Beckham, who has lost some speed, is the type of receiver who can still beat a defender off the line of scrimmage and give quarterback Tua Tagovailoa an option beyond speedy wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver: This is likely the most impactful acquisition of the offseason. Weaver, the former Baltimore defensive line coach and Houston defensive coordinator, replaces Fangio, who led the Dolphins to the league’s No. 10 defense in 2023. Weaver could do even better because there’s a chance he uses his personnel better. The issue is that he won’t have edge rushers Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) for a few games, at least. And Weaver’s defense has lost several key players including Wilkins, Howard, Elliott, Van Ginkel and linebacker Jerome Baker, among others.
It hasn’t been a great offseason for the Dolphins.
Even with all of these moves, I’m still not yet convinced they’ll win a playoff game.
But it’s been a fairly productive offseason.
They’ll almost certainly make the playoffs, and we’ll see where it goes from there.
And that says a lot considering the financial constraints and stresses the Dolphins were working under.
