Six stories shaping the Miami Dolphins' 2025 roster rebuild
South Florida Six stories shaping the Miami Dolphins' 2025 roster rebuild
The Miami Dolphins are entering the 2025 offseason with a critical focus on rebuilding their roster after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Key themes include addressing durability concerns for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whose injury history necessitates acquiring a reliable backup, and improving both the offensive and defensive lines, which underperformed in key moments last season. Investments in younger, more consistent talent are essential, particularly in the trenches, where the team struggled to dominate opponents.
Additionally, decisions regarding free agents like Calais Campbell and Jevon Holland will shape the defensive strategy, while reshaping the run game and improving short-yardage efficiency remain priorities for revitalizing the offense. With draft capital in hand, the Dolphins have an opportunity to reset deficiencies and aim for sustainable success.
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver River Cracraft (85), guard Robert Jones (65) and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (77) during the second half of a football game on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. By Alie Skowronski
NO. 1: KELLY: TOP 10 LESSONS DOLPHINS SHOULD HAVE LEARNED FROM 2024 | OPINION
Miami Dolphins should have learned plenty of lessons from the adversity this team faced in 2024. | Published January 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Omar Kelly
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) runs out of the tunnel onto the field before the start of their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. By David Santiago
NO. 2: THE PRAISE, THE PROBLEM, AND POSSIBILITIES WITH DOLPHINS QUARTERBACKS
The first of a 10 part series examining the Miami Dolphins by position, which today's focus being quarterback | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Omar Kelly
Miami Dolphins defensive line coach Austin Clark speaks with defensive tackles Zach Sieler (92) and Calais Campbell (93) prior to the team's NFL game against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. By David Santiago
NO. 3: THE PRAISE, THE PROBLEM, AND POSSIBILITIES WITH DOLPHINS D-LINE
Expect the Dolphins to produce a new defensive line in 2025 because of the team features four impending free agents in that unit | Published January 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Omar Kelly
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand (90) is joined by teammates defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) as he celebrates his fumble recovery by Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during the second half of an NFL Football game at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, December 29, 2024. By PHOTO BY AL DIAZ
NO. 4: KELLY: EXPLORING THE DOLPHINS DEFENSIVE NEEDS AS FREE AGENCY APPROACHES | OPINION
The Dolphins need to rebuild the defensive line and the secondary that supports Jalen Ramsey. | Published March 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Omar Kelly
Miami Dolphins defensive end Matt Dickerson (98) shakes hands with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) after their NFL game at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. By MATIAS J. OCNER
NO. 5: DOLPHINS RE-SIGN JOURNEYMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Miami Dolphins re-signed journeyman defensive lineman Matt Dickerson | Published March 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Omar Kelly
Miami Dolphins linebacker Quinton Bell (56) runs through practice drills with teammates at the Miami Dolphins training facility in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Thursday, October 3, 2024. By Al Diaz / Miami Herald Staff
NO. 6: EDGE RUSHER QUINTON BELL AGREES TO RE-SIGN WITH THE MIAMI DOLPHINS
'The Dolphins are the first team that really have given me a real opportunity to go there in a regular season and play,' Bell told the Miami Herald towards the end of the 2024 season. | Published March 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by C. Isaiah Smalls II
This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.
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Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Why Jaelan Phillips' injury history has prepared him for a critical 2025 season
The last couple of years have been rather rough for Jaelan Phillips. After a solid, two-year start to his NFL career, the Miami Dolphins edge rusher suffered a ruptured Achilles that prematurely ended his 2023 season in Week 12. Then, after an arduous rehab, Phillips returned at the start of 2024 — only to play four games before safety Jordan Poyer flew into his leg against the Buffalo Bills, tearing his ACL. Most people would have contemplated retirement, succumbing to the sadness of back-to-back major injuries. Phillips, however, isn't most people. The biggest hurdle was 'finding the balance of obviously being locked in, staying on top of the recovery but also giving myself a little bit of grace and a little bit of break,' Phillips said Wednesday. 'Obviously I went through a lot these last couple of years so I felt like I needed to take a little bit of time to kind of regather myself and then it allowed me to come back with a lot more clarity and focus and motivation.' With both the ACL and Achilles healed, Phillips will look to complete his first full season since 2022. The timing, however, cannot be better as 2025 will be a contract year for the five-year veteran. And as much as this could be considered 'put up or shut up' time, Phillips' only worry is what happens between the two lines, a point of praise for coach Mike McDaniel. 'If you can't control injuries, you have to be disciplined enough not to think about it and think about your technique and fundamentals,' McDaniel said Wednesday. 'We have the appropriate person for that challenge in Jaelan Phillips.' Added Phillips: 'I'm definitely just trying to stay focused. That's all you can do — stay present, stay focused. Because obviously, it's a big year and so it's not like I'm going to ignore that fact but at the same time, I can't do anything about six or seven months from now.' Adversity, however, is nothing new to Phillips. In late 2018, the edge rusher medically retired from the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, citing a plethora of concussions and other injuries. Phillips subsequently transferred to the University of Miami where, following a year off, he returned to the football field in 2020. 'I think I went through a lot and experienced a lot in my time at UCLA and transitioning over to Miami,' Phillips said in Jan. 2022. 'So I think that's really taught me a lot about how I want to carry myself and what impact I want to have on this world. So for me, just understanding that it's way bigger than myself and it's bigger than any on-the-field or off-the-field accomplishment I can do.' The Achilles injury seemed to provide similar clarity as 'it helped me recenter myself as a person.' 'It's just another good reminder of even when you think you've overcome adversity, something's always going to come,' Phillips said, explaining that the rehab gave him the chance to develop 'relationships' that he usually wouldn't be able to due to the intensity of the NFL schedule. 'It's just very humbling, very sobering.' Such a mindset earned him praise from fellow edge rusher Bradley Chubb who rehabbed with Phillips as the former recovered from a devastating knee injury. 'He's a warrior,' edge rusher said. 'I like to surround myself with like-minded people and I feel like I'm a warrior in terms of how I handle adversity and he's the same puts his head down and he might have a bad day or two but it never affected how he approach the work, how he approached the task.' A healthy Phillips could give the Dolphins one of the most elite defensive fronts in football. The trio of edge rushers — Phillips, Chubb and Chop Robinson — combined with defensive tackles Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant on the inside would be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators nightmares in 2025, something that certainly has him and coaches alike smiling. 'It would be exciting,' Phillips said. 'Chop has been having a hell of an OTAs. His improvement from last year to this year is so noticeable. It's insane, especially if you know the nitty gritty of it. I'm really proud of Chop and really excited to see how he's going to keep progressing. Obviously Bradley looks great. I feel really good so that's going to be fun.'
CBS News
4 hours ago
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Entering his sixth season, Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa focuses on avoiding injuries
Entering his sixth season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is still trying to show he can stay healthy on a consistent basis. Tagovailoa missed six games last season because of two separate injuries and Miami finished 8-9, missing the postseason after playoff appearances the previous two years. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws a pass during practice at NFL football minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Rebecca Blackwell / AP Tagovailoa talked about his injury history as he addressed reporters following the Dolphins' first day of minicamp at the club's practice facility Tuesday. "Doing everything I can to stay available for the guys," Tagovailoa said. "Like I said before in the past, nothing changes with that." However, for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, staying healthy has proved challenging since the club drafted him as the fifth overall selection in 2020. With the exception of his standout season in 2023, Tagovailoa has dealt with multiple injuries, including concussions. The most recent concussion — in a Week 2 home loss against the Buffalo Bills — sidelined him for four games last season. Tagovailoa scrambled for yardage then collided head-first with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. "I would say the longevity for me to be on the field with my guys is more important than whatever that one play is," Tagovailoa said. "You have more quarters than there would be with just that one play. "I show the guys that I'm competitive and I know they know that. It's just a nature thing. It comes natural to me to compete in that sense. And that's the thing I fight with." The Dolphins were 1-3 during Tagovailoa's absence with backups Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley. A hip injury also forced Tagovailoa to sit the final two games of the season. With Tagovailoa's long-term health remaining an issue, the Dolphins signed Zach Wilson to a one-year deal in the offseason. Wilson, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2021 draft, is attempting to jump-start his career after three unsuccessful seasons with the New York Jets and one year while backing up Bo Nix in Denver. The quarterback depth chart also includes rookie Quinn Ewers, whom the Dolphins drafted in the seventh round following a standout college career. "I think it's really working out for Zach," Tagovailoa said. "For certain practices, you guys aren't allowed to see the development he's made and the strides that he's made as a player. I would say the same for Quinn as well." The Dolphins have plenty invested in Tagovailoa, who was injury-free in 2023 when he threw 29 touchdowns and for a league-high 4,624 yards. The Dolphins gave him a four-year, $212 million contract extension. Three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith didn't participate Tuesday. Ramsey reportedly has requested a trade, while Smith, who caught a team-high 88 passes last season, is seeking to restructure his contract.
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Dolphins' McDaniel addresses several key personnel issues. And a Jonnu Smith development
When Mike McDaniel was asked if there were any excused absences from the team's three-day mandatory minicamp this week, he said: 'Jalen Ramsey's absence was excused.' I've always found McDaniel to be supremely honest with reporters - as much as any coach I've covered. So I'll take McDaniel's response at face value. With that said, ESPN's Adam Schefter characterized tight end Jonnu Smith's absence differently on 'NFL Live' on Tuesday, asserting that his absence is also excused as the team seeks a trade. The Dolphins, according to Schefter, 'has given him permission and excused him from attending, so it can go ahead and look for a trade partner.' Smith wants a new contract to replace the one that will expire after this season and pay him $4.8 million this season. McDaniel and Schefter have portrayed Smith's situation someone differently, subtly so, over the past two weeks. McDaniel has said the team wants to keep Smith and the sides have been in conversations. But Schefter has reported that the team has been looking to trade him instead of giving him a new contract. Agent Drew Rosenhaus has said on his weekly WSVN-7 segment that the situation is 'fluid' and Smith prefers to remain with the Dolphins but has declined to discuss trade possibilities on his TV appearance. McDaniel has declined to say if Smith is being fined for missing the team's mandatory minicamp this week. The Dolphins and Pittsburgh have discussed a trade involving Smith. The free agent market is bereft of skilled receiving tight ends, so Miami would be in a very difficult spot at the position if it trades Smith. Jettisoning Smith would leave Miami with journeyman Pharoah Brown, Julian Hill, Tanner Conner and rookie Jalin Conyers at the position. The Dolphins could opt to renegotiate Smith's contract to allow him to remain in Miami. Both sides need each other, and when McDaniel says publicly that Miami wants to keep a player, the team usually keeps him. McDaniel addressed other issues on Wednesday: ▪ Guard James Daniels continues to work his way back from the Week 4 Achilles injury; his reps have said he will be back for the opener. McDaniel said Daniels understands 'how much we're counting on him and has done an absolutely fantastic job of phase 1 and phase 2. He couldn't just go through the motions of going through offseason tape and meetings. He had a great day on the field [Tuesday] working on individual [drills] and I can see what he's done on the field the past month' during a period when coaches were only in contact with him during off-field meetings. Daniels isn't yet participating in 11 on 11 drills. McDaniel did not say whether Daniels will play left guard or right guard but said he wants to keep rookie Jonah Savaiinaea at one spot. Those two players are expected to be the Dolphins' new starting guards barring health issues. Daniels 'is capable of doing either side, but when you have a rookie, you have to settle down rotation of movement to allow.. him to slow the game down,' McDaniel said. ▪ Receiver Tyreek Hill remains on track to be back for training camp after two wrist procedures. 'He's pushing the timetable of returning sooner and sooner,' McDaniel said. He isn't yet doing 11 on 11 work. Hill has spoken of running a 100 meter race on Friday to prepare for another race against U.S. track star Noah Lyles. Does McDaniel care if Hill does that? 'Whether he wins or loses, I won't care,' he said. 'We're locked into Dolphins football.' ▪ Linebacker Jaelan Phillips continues to work his way back from the Week 4 torn ACL and should be ready for the start of the season. Phillips' conditioning is very good, which is no surprise to his coach: 'I expected Jaelan Phillips to be in great shape and condition and continue to be the pro he is,' McDaniel said. ▪ McDaniel said first-round defensive tackle Kenneth Grant 'came in with a veteran-like understanding of needing to be 100 percent on what he's asked to do and he works endlessly. There have been ebbs and flows, like with any rookie. 'What I've seen from him is early down production, where he wins with techniques and fundamentals. And I see late down wins, where.... he uses grit and finish [ability] to make plays as well. Super happy he's on our team and not somebody's else. I know a lot of players that share the locker room with him would agree with that.' ▪ McDaniel said new receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 'has already found a really cool role within the team. He's a dawg competitor that brings it each and every day. He's a guy who the core of the room can depend on. Invaluable to the team.' ▪ Players have spoken this team about the improved culture. McDaniel, on what seems to be increased accountability and potentially more effective discipline: 'I had a team meeting with guys. You can't run away from things that need to be fixed.' What were the non-negotiables rules McDaniel told the team? 'The football program has to focus on football. There are a lot of things that can't dominate peoples' time - being on time, being accountable to each other, [adhering] to rules.' He said it's OK for players to 'call each other out... as long as you change your [expletive] behavior.'
