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Miami Herald
42 minutes ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Dolphins receiver Waddle juggles the basics as he looks to bounce back in 2025
Jaylen Waddle was happy during the Miami Dolphins' Tuesday afternoon practice despite the dreary, rainy weather. In between plays, Waddle and former University of Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa were talking it up on the sidelines — laughing and chatting as the air horn blew, ending the day. During these practices during organized team activities, Waddle can often be found chatting it up with defenders, raising the stakes of practice. Few passes found their way in Waddle's direction on Tuesday, but he was a top standout performer in last week's practice the media attended. And he has mastered one of the challenges new position coach Robert Prince is laboring to teach, working with all the receivers on the art of juggling, which is aimed at improving their hand-eye coordination. 'I learned in two days!' Waddle bragged, pointing out he used TikTok as an instructional tool. 'RP [Robert Prince] challenged us to learn, [and] it's actually pretty fun. I'm trying to learn some new techniques.' He's also trying to refine his game, running better routes and becoming more consistent with his hands. After a disappointing 2024 season, where the 26-year-old averaged 49.6 yards per game and totaled 744 receiving yards, Waddle's gearing up for 2025 by 'smoothing out' his routes, with the goal of taking his game to another level. The Dolphins' offense had a shaky season in 2024, averaging 325.4 yards per game. That's a far cry from the 2023 season where Miami delivered the top-ranked offense. With his $85 million contract extension, which runs through 2028, the hope is that Waddle begins to step up and performs like he's one of the NFL's 15 highest-paid receivers. 'One thing that has been really cool to watch is his understanding of who he is on the team, how much we depend on his playmaking ability, but also how much we depend on how he is as a football player in extremely non-selfish ways,' coach Mike McDaniel said. 'I'm really excited about what 2025 has in store for him, based upon the excitement that he gives me every day attacking this craft.' In last week's OTA practices, Waddle had two catchers more than 30 yards and was easily a standout player from the practice. This week, on a short pass from Tagovailoa, he made a clean break through a crowded defense and pulled down a reception that was good for 20-plus yards. As fellow receiver Tyreek Hill's future on the team remains uncertain, due to his ongoing wrist injury, age, and a potential trade he initially requested and then backed off, this could be the year Waddle steps up as the number one receiver. 'I just go out there and do my job, man,' said Waddle, who missed three games because of a knee injury he sustained in early December. 'Whatever they ask me to do, I just go out there and do it, [and] try to do it at a high level.' In his first season with the Dolphins after becoming the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Waddle showed promise with 63.4 yards per game and 1,015 receiving yards. He set a rookie record for receiving yards in that season. In 2022, he had his best season yet, balancing out the Dolphins offense with 1,356 receiving yards, averaging 79.8 per game. He also scored eight touchdowns. Now, the question remains if his first three seasons were flashes in a pan, and is his 2024 performance the new norm? Or can Waddle work his way back into a starring role for this Dolphins offense? '[Last season was] definitely not the year that we wanted as a team, definitely a year I didn't want as an individual,' Waddle said. 'But lucky for me, we get to go back [with the] same quarterback, same head coach, [offensive coordinator] and running back. Man, I think the foundation that we set here in OTA is going to really help us.'
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Kelly: Dolphins curbing pay raises, but is this the right time?
Jonnu Smith is being paid like an NFL backup, and until that market correction gets addressed nobody should expect the tight end to grace the practice field until next week's mandatory minicamp. And even then the 'Battle for The Benjamins' isn't over. It's just put on pause. That's why we're hearing Smith's name being mentioned on the trading block, even if the Dolphins know this is a leverage play in negotiations. No matter how you slice it — money being paid, two or three-year cash payout, actual value, guaranteed money — the Miami Dolphins' record-setting tight end doesn't even crack the top 30 highest-paid players at his position. 'Jonnu is a very important player and person to me, and the guys,' coach Mike McDaniel said before Tuesday's organized team activities session, the second of which Smith has skipped. 'The thing that we can stand on is his professionalism and how he goes about his business. 'There are times that business can play a part, for sure,' McDaniel added. 'And a team can make it as complicated as they like if they have a lot of time to focus on what's going on with Jonnu. I'd encourage them to focus on what's going on in their game.' But that's just it, part of this game — the NFL — is to be paid as much as you can get in your prime, before an athlete turns 30, and every team wants to sign him at a discounted rate. Imagine being Zach Sieler, who is ranked the 50th highest-paid defensive lineman in the NFL, earning an average salary of $10.2 million. Sieler, who has delivered back-to-back 10-sack seasons, is one of the biggest bargains in the NFL. There are a couple of defensive tackles who come close to doubling Sieler's salary, and he has outperformed them in recent years. That's why Sieler has even more of a reason than Smith hold out his hand when it comes to the Dolphins. Sieler hasn't participated in the on-field work since the offense began lining up against the defense. That's two weeks of absence, six practices before next week's three days of minicamp work Sieler and Smith have opted out of. How much of it is going to throw off the team's offseason training, the overall development of these two top players? Nobody knows, and truthfully, nobody should care because this is the time to get business matters handled in the NFL. And history verifies that a squeaky wheel gets greased. Sieler pulled the same approach in the 2024 offseason, sitting out OTAs before getting into the mix during training camp. Coincidentally or not, he agreed to a contract three-year, $31 million extension the weekend after he sustained a knee injury that forced him to skip the next couple of days of work, and after Christian Wilkins ended his negotiations with the Dolphins on an extension. The Dolphins were offering Wilkins a salary in the $18-million-a-season range. He ended up receiving $24 million a year for the first three seasons from the Las Vegas Raiders, and had to get it the hard way, by playing the entire season without financial guarantees and making it to free agency. Sieler, who will turn 30 in August, is slated to earn $8.1 million in 2026. So he's not in the exact same situation as Wilkins, or Smith. But he has just as much leverage as Jalen Ramsey, Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Waddle, Alec Ingold and McDaniel, who all got lucrative extensions before last season kicked off, during an era where the franchise was handing out new contracts like they were a part of Oprah's Favorite Things show. 'I'm not part of the negotiations. That's not my role. My role is to coach,' McDaniel said. 'It's really not that terribly complicated when I stay connected to what my purpose is and what people needs from me because anything else is time that could be best utilized elsewhere.' Good front offices get ahead of contracts before they become a problem, especially when we're talking about players and people the organization respects. That should be the category Sieler and Smith are in considering they are two of the Dolphins' top returners, and have a reputation as the hardest workers in the organization. The Dolphins have signed Sieler to extensions twice before, but this time around hammering out a deal is even more complicated. As for Smith, who is the 35th highest-paid tight end in the NFL when it comes to cash expected to be paid out, the contracts his peers have received is what's making his old two-year deal look bad. Evan Engram signed a two-year, $23 million deal, which guaranteed him $16 million from the Broncos after he was released this offseason by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mike Gesicki received a three-year, $25.5 million deal, which will pay him $12 million this season. Gesicki had to play on a pair of one-year deals for $6 million a season before That's two seam threat tight ends who had comparable careers to Smith, and are making two and three times what the Dolphins tight end is slated to earn. We'll soon learn if the Dolphins plan to correct that, or if they will play hardball with two of the team's biggest influencers.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins seek 'new identity' for 2025, but what is it?
MIAMI GARDENS — It's about action, more than words, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel will tell you. But the words do set the tone. And for McDaniel and the Dolphins, it seems there's been an intentional shift in tone. Advertisement The Dolphins have had talent. Pro Bowlers. All-Pros. Mega-contracts. But not enough winning. No playoff wins, actually. And so when McDaniel met with the team before what might be a little harder spring and summer of work, he set a tone with the players. "Just like, we got to kind of get a new identity," veteran Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou said at the start of organized team activities. "And there's not gonna be a lot of slack and stuff like that. Everybody has to be on their s---, really." McDaniel is not a tough guy/disciplinarian/dictator. But it's clear he wants to set a new tone. Words are words are words, but... Advertisement Here are some of the words we're hearing and seeing already. Connection. Consistency. Chemistry. Mike McDaniel changes up Miami Dolphins' tone for 2025 Those words were literally part of a recent Dolphins social media post. The Dolphins want to be a better team in 2025, which means player investment and spending more time together, on and off the field. McDaniel is asking for - and it seems he'll demand as necessary - consistency. There must be a better consistency in all areas. And after missing the playoffs last season, players seem to be on alert. There will be be changes if there is not improved performance in 2025. Advertisement More words? OK, we've got words. Toughness. Reliability. Commitment. "Personally, I feel like we're not soft," Kohou said. "We just, we just have to win more games and win the big ones." Do Dolphins have to be tougher? More committed? Accountable? Smart, incredible leaders like Terron Armstead and Calais Campbell have either retired or moved on. And on the way out, each seemed to indicate a bit more could be given by Dolphins if they wanted to experience a championship effort. Be present. Be on-time. Attention to detail. Armstead, candid as ever, put the onus on McDaniel to enforce accountability. "It starts with Mike," Armstead said after Miami's final game of 2024. "It starts with Mike. You know, he's coming with that approach that we're going to be a great team. Nothing less. And holding everybody to that standard every day..." Advertisement Accountability. A word, but an important one. Players say Tyreek Hill is showing signs of improved leadership. For talented lone wolf Jalen Ramsey, who will soon be traded, leadership was not a focus. Dolphins trading talented and temperamental Jalen Ramsey The Dolphins have tried in recent years to assemble a team of star players with Pro Bowl pedigree and it's resulted in, again, no playoff wins. There are still some really skilled players on this roster. But what McDaniel seems to be emphasizing is that more than talent is going to be required to break through to another level of success. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by) Veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks was asked about "culture" and "work ethic" and he suggested it is headed in the right direction. Advertisement "I feel like as a leader, you gotta' be the example," Brooks said. "And I think all the young guys that we've got, as a leader, you gotta' be the example. And I think the young guys, all the young guys that we got in, they'll follow behind that. "It's not just myself that's helped leading the charge. We've got several guys. And so honestly, I feel with us leading the charge and making that change or whatever you wanna' say, I think a lot of the young guys that have come in, they went to work immediately. Which ultimately has kind of changed the, people wanna say the work ethic around the team or whatever, to our benefit." McDaniel seems to be setting a 2025 tone with a bit more edge. And he's hoping, it seems, that the veteran players echo that tone in their leadership strategies. "There's no easy put a poster on the wall," McDaniel said, adding, "Your culture is defined by the people within it and how you execute your daily habits. The tonality of the focus of the team has been clear to me thus far, and we'll see how it goes." Advertisement Dolphins OTAs: Top 5 storylines: CBs, OL, Chubb & Phillips Miami Dolphins' Bradley Chubb: At least 90 percent healthy in return Bobby Slowik: Miami Dolphins' new assistant may speed Mike McDaniel's play-calling Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@ and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Mike McDaniel setting new tone, but knows words not enough
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill talks a good game — now he has to live it
MIAMI GARDENS — Tyreek Hill says he has changed. We know physically, he has, because it's a slimmed-down version of Tyreek Hill who is participating in the Miami Dolphins' offseason program. Again, though, that's physically. Now comes the harder part. The part about continuing to do the right thing, not just some of the time or most of the time, but all the time. About living up to the commitment he says he has to his teammates and coaches. Advertisement About making headlines for touchdowns, not showdowns with authorities. About being the player the Dolphins are paying him millions to be. Because, let's face it, the odds of the Dolphins doing anything in 2025 without Hill onboard are close to nil. MORE FROM OTAS: Bradley Chubb feels at least 90 percent in return The good news is that for much of his time with the Dolphins, Hill has been that player. To see him in practice is to know you're watching a future Hall of Famer who knows one speed (full), even in a soon-to-be-forgotten, blistering May workout. That's what made his checking-out drama in last season's finale shocking. Advertisement And Hill knows it. 'Every day I'm trying to prove myself as one of those guys that this team can depend on in crucial moments,' he said. 'I'm going to stand on that.' Surgery, attending church among Tyreek Hill's changes To that end, Hill said he has made changes. The first major step was undergoing surgery on his right wrist after the season, although he admitted his left wrist also gave him discomfort last year. 'At first I was nervous, but I'm actually glad I did it,' said Hill, who is still wearing a wrap on his right wrist. There's more. MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 17: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins warms up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium on November 17, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by) 'Well, for one, (expletive),' he said. 'I'm going to church more and I'm doing therapy more.' Advertisement He has always been a workout warrior but says he has stepped up that part of his life. 'I've been training a lot, man,' he said. 'I'm 183. When I first got to Miami, I was 197. I feel like I'm back to my original playing weight when I was back in Kansas City. Recent years, obviously I can run — run with anybody. But I think having that endurance, having that ability to, like, not get tired on third downs, is very important. So I wanted to, like, slim down and actually lose body fat. So I've committed myself to eating right, training hard every day and just drinking more water.' That led to the obvious question about his long-chirped-about match race with Olympic champion Noah Lyles. Hill said he has a race coming up June 13 in Los Angeles against 'just some random guys.' He's predicting he'll run the 100 meters in 10.0 seconds. 'I'm trying for the Olympics,' he said. 'I don't mean flag football.' Advertisement Take from that what you will. Coach Mike McDaniel's reaction when asked about Hill's alleged race against Lyles? 'Huh?' McDaniel said. Hill hopes to prove he's worthy of captaincy Hill's Olympic future, if there is one, has a few years to play out. On more immediate matters is his day job. Hill has been a captain on the Dolphins. McDaniel said he would be 'pumped' if Hill again is voted a captain by teammates, because it would show he'd earned it. Hill hopes to earn it. 'The OTAs, training camp, I've got to prove myself,' he said. 'I've got to show up different. The mindset's got to be different. So I don't feel like I 'deserve' it and if I didn't get it, I wouldn't dwell on it. I wouldn't sweat it, you know what I'm saying? Because I put myself in that position.' Advertisement Edge rusher Bradley Chubb praised Hill for taking the right steps thus far. 'Just being around every day, leading the young guys,' Chubb said. 'Just being that guy that we know he can be — that vocal leader that's finishing first in all the drills when we're doing Phase 1 and Phase 2, showing that speed. And it's easy to sit in the back when you're a guy of that caliber, be like, 'I don't gotta go to OTAs, I don't have to do that.' But to be here each and every day, working as hard as everybody else, even harder sometimes, it is one of those things that you commend and respect.' The flip side are the issues Hill has had keeping his name out of the news for reasons outside of football. It started on opening day last season with a run-in with Metro-Dade police, although in the end, Hill was partially exonerated. It continued more recently when authorities responded to a domestic call at his residence. EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 05: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins in a team huddle before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on January 05, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by) 'It's tough, going through what I've been through,' he said. 'Or just calling a spade a spade, a divorce or whatever. It's tough, man, but at the same time, I've got to understand, like, what I'm trying to accomplish and what this team is trying to accomplish because I want to be part of something special. I want to be able to win a playoff game.' Advertisement That's the goal. How to get there? 'My job is just to be a great father to all of my kids and be the best player I can be and be the best leader I can be for these guys in this locker room,' he said. It's good that he readily acknowledges that. Now, he has to live it. Miami Dolphins TE coach Jon Embree is blunt on Julian Hill (and everyone else) | Habib Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel offers updates on Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Tyreek Hill This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill slimmer, wants to prove he's worth big money
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins Kenneth Grant warned to slow down at rookie minicamp
MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins defensive coaches Anthony Weaver and Austin Clark warned first-round draft pick Kenneth Grant to slow down at the start of rookie minicamp. Grant a defensive tackle, wants to bring high energy and make an instant impact. Advertisement "Yeah, I'm for sure going to put my foot down and you know show people what I'm about," Grant said. But... but... but... "What coach (Mike) McDaniel was talking about is there's a right way to practice and right way to do things to not get hurt," Grant said. Weaver, the Dolphins' defensive coordinator, and Clark, the defensive line coach, have fabulous track records of developing impact linemen. Their message to Grant? Take this as it comes. "Everything's coming fast at you," Grant said. "But just focus on today, what you control today and defeat today." Miami Dolphins' Kenneth Grant takes message from Zach Sieler Grant has an excellent mentor in veteran Zach Sieler. Grant said Sieler has already addressed the entire Dolphins team. Advertisement "I wanna be one of those players he's looking to count on," Grant said of Sieler. What's the veteran messaging to the defensive front? "I mean we've got to set the standard, we've got to set the tone every day, you know, every day in practice, every game, you know, whatever it is, we're the tone setters," Grant said. "We've got to, you know, come out and show everybody what we're about." Miami Dolphins' top two picks debut at rookie minicamp The Dolphins added massive trench warriors Grant in the first round and guard Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round. This team wants to be bigger and stronger and tougher and more physical in 2025. Advertisement "Playing to my strengths and not playing to my weaknesses," Grant said of the plan. "They brought me in here because they saw something in my game that, you know, can translate to the NFL and to this team and it's very useful for this team. So whatever the coach wants me to do, I'm going to do it." Kenneth Grant of the Miami Dolphins made his on-field debut at rookie minicamp. The Dolphins are trying to take a precise, disciplined approach to this season after missing the playoffs in 2024. "I'm a culture changer," Grant said. "I come from a winning culture. Obviously the NFL is different. But I kind of know what (winning's) like." Miami Dolphins' Jonah Savaiinaea: Honored to wear Terron Armstead's 72 Advertisement Miami Dolphins' Zach Sieler: Feelings on pending Jalen Ramsey trade revealed Everything to know: Miami Dolphins 2025 schedule release Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@ and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Kenneth Grant out to prove Zach Sieler can 'count on' him
