The Miami Dolphins are preparing for one of the most important drafts in April. They’ve combined all of that with an impressive string of strategic offseason moves to lay the foundation for success. It is General Manager Chris Grier who has spearheaded these reforms. He’s changed the headlines with monumental trades and signings, including moving the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer. The Dolphins, which Grier GMed to relative success this season, made big starts like wide receiver Tyreek Hill and cornerback Jalen Ramsey since Grier took the reins. They signed experienced offensive tackle Terron Armstead to rich deals in both the 2022 and 2023 free agent classes.
In a bid to manage their salary cap, the Dolphins restructured defensive end Bradley Chubb's contract, freeing up necessary space. Cutting tight end Durham Smythe, running back Raheem Mostert, and cornerback Kendall Fuller cost a pretty penny. Though painful, this decision was imperative for the team’s long-term vision. With 10 draft picks to work with in April, the Dolphins have an opportunity to start replacing their front seven’s depth with younger players.
The team has been going all in in recent years, giving up depth to acquire the big-ticket guys. Owner Stephen Ross has been publicly backing General Manager Chris Grier and Coach Mike McDaniel. This is even after the whole team gets punished for an upcoming 2024 8-9 season. Ross made it clear that he wanted to see more than just maintaining current levels, and he would not be satisfied with a “no” on new revenue.
Grier’s hits, particularly in the last two drafts in 2022 and 2023, have been underwhelming to say the least. There’s only one productive player out of their eight picks. He has a track record of finding talent in the later rounds. As just two recent examples, he drafted running back De’Von Achane in 2023 and Pro Bowler Andrew Van Ginkel in 2019. The Dolphins currently own five picks in rounds three through five. That provides Grier another opportunity to find some hidden gems.
Whatever it is, Coach Mike McDaniel struck a good balance when you listen to his discussions about balancing current readiness versus future production when selecting new players.
"I think you value upside because you want growth, but it's a happy balance of — we don't have a farm system," McDaniel remarked.
"Generally when you are drafting someone, you don't have the luxury of redshirting them in the National Football League… I'm looking at the college game and extrapolating it to the professional game. So taking what's happening in college football with the players on any given play and extrapolating that to what that would look like on the NFL level," McDaniel added.
The Dolphins announced they have re-signed former second-rounder Liam Eichenberg to a one-year deal. His new role will be to provide depth on the offensive line. The media market’s 20-year playoff drought is still ongoing as their last series win came in 2000. This year’s draft and the immediate offseason thereafter will go a long way in deciding if Grier and McDaniel are still around after 2026.
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