2024 NFL season: Ten biggest remaining roster holes

[Atila]

I think the team has a rational approach. They go cheap but high ceiling at OL by taking guys who often don't stay healthy or are low floor risky in some other way. High floor guys are what cost the big resources in OL land. In return they get to invest in top flight WRs, RBs, pass rush, DBs and presumably soon will be paying Tua a lot more. High ceiling guys at other positions can't be had for cheap outside of the occasional late round draft/UDFA magic.. You would have the team up it's odds of a decent OL (no guarantees) but have not clarified what you would give up to do so. Don't trade for Tyreek? Let Waddle and/or Phillips leave? Don't draft Chop? Something has to give so what would you give?

P.S. I think it would be cool to have a top 5 OL with high confidence but the sacrifices elsewhere seem to carry just as much downside.

Hey man I get it - we are back into the WHY. I understand why… but it hasn’t been working for the end purpose of Super Bowl… well, not yet, anyways.

And I don’t think we need a top 5 OL but certainly middle of the pack would make a world of difference.

To address your question… I am mostly happy with the moves and I don’t pretend to know **** about the draft but from my understanding Chop is another boom/bust candidate which we take a lot of swings at.. maybe OL there? Maybe use the Shaq Barrett money differently if they saw someone they liked? One or the other, if we want to get into the details.

I don’t hate Chris Grier and certainly don’t hate our offseason moves - a lot of intelligent choices and decisions (so happy they let Wilkins walk for example), I’m just pointing out the fact that we have collectively said “our OL was a big issue and part of our demise this season” every single year and coming into the following season we have collectively said “our OL is a big question mark going into this season”.

Do you disagree with that?

None are so blind as those who cannot see.

There has been a constant rebuilding and development of the OL since I've started following the Dolphins in 2016. Just because someone isn't satisfied with the progress doesn't mean there is no progress.

It is one of the reasons we have made it to the playoffs for the last several years.

That's life - ESAD - LOL

Hey this is actually a good response.

I’m not actually pessimistic about the team ever because I haven’t had expectations for them since 2001 or 2002.

But yeah, things are trending up.

Let’s see how things play out. Hopefully we aren’t done in by OL again.

 

[Ray R]

Hey man I get it - we are back into the WHY. I understand why… but it hasn’t been working for the end purpose of Super Bowl… well, not yet, anyways.

And I don’t think we need a top 5 OL but certainly middle of the pack would make a world of difference.


Hey this is actually a good response.

I’m not actually pessimistic about the team ever because I haven’t had expectations for them since 2001 or 2002.

But yeah, things are trending up.

Let’s see how things play out. Hopefully we aren’t done in by OL again.

It's nice to see rational responses this time of year.

 

[Atila]

It's nice to see rational responses this time of year.

Are you kidding me? My bread and butter on this forum is making fun of grown men for acting like children.. I’m never gonna anything but rational. Haha

 

[Ray R]

Are you kidding me? My bread and butter on this forum is making fun of grown men for acting like children.. I’m never gonna anything but rational. Haha

I have to admit that I do get some pleasure by rubbing the "Lemmings" noses into their own nonsense. - LOL

 

[Pacer]

Hey man I get it - we are back into the WHY. I understand why… but it hasn’t been working for the end purpose of Super Bowl… well, not yet, anyways.

And I don’t think we need a top 5 OL but certainly middle of the pack would make a world of difference.

To address your question… I am mostly happy with the moves and I don’t pretend to know **** about the draft but from my understanding Chop is another boom/bust candidate which we take a lot of swings at.. maybe OL there? Maybe use the Shaq Barrett money differently if they saw someone they liked? One or the other, if we want to get into the details.

I don’t hate Chris Grier and certainly don’t hate our offseason moves - a lot of intelligent choices and decisions (so happy they let Wilkins walk for example), I’m just pointing out the fact that we have collectively said “our OL was a big issue and part of our demise this season” every single year and coming into the following season we have collectively said “our OL is a big question mark going into this season”.

Do you disagree with that?


Hey this is actually a good response.

I’m not actually pessimistic about the team ever because I haven’t had expectations for them since 2001 or 2002.

But yeah, things are trending up.

Let’s see how things play out. Hopefully we aren’t done in by OL again.

I don't disagree that the OL has been a problem, and that the team seems to undertake the risks knowingly (these are hard choices they no doubt deliberate long and hard about, taking into account both options for improvement and the relative opportunity costs).

This site has much debate about the relative impact of the OL versus other factors (coaching, WR/RB depth, defensive failures, conditioning generally, etc) in thwarting the team's aspirations. McD and his staff probably go through the same debates--except they must know more than the online commentariat. They are also working within a rolling multi-year timeline not just the immediate season.

One thing we all agree on is we want the team to address it's weaknesses and improve. We would like to see a more effective or at least more consistent OL. For my part I do see improvement versus the previous decade. It is going in the right direction and I see the biggest need as health not personnel (so I advocate investment in conditioning, though the team will never report their work in that area).

 

[gofins60]

The alternative strategy that many on this site advocate is to spend more on free agents and devote more high draft picks to the OLine. They do not identify which other positions(s) they would weaken in order to allocate more scarce resources to OL.

My alternate strategy is simple... get someone else other than Grier to build the o-line! Other teams seem to be able to find decent linemen outside of the 1st and 2nd rounds, but not Miami. Each year, with few exceptions, Miami's best o-linemen are Free Agents that weren't drafted by Grier. Free Agency should be used to fill holes, not build the majority of your line and its depth. And, it doesn't help when Grier keeps signing injury-prone players.

I'll admit that Grier has given the team some talented players, but when it comes to building a strong, healthy o-line (and depth), he sucks. He's wasting money by paying for FAs when they should have mostly draft picks on the line, and those draft picks don't need to be 1st rounders, although the occasional 1st rounder is okay.

 

[Pacer]

My alternate strategy is simple... get someone else other than Grier to build the o-line! Other teams seem to be able to find decent linemen outside of the 1st and 2nd rounds, but not Miami. Each year, with few exceptions, Miami's best o-linemen are Free Agents that weren't drafted by Grier. Free Agency should be used to fill holes, not build the majority of your line and its depth. And, it doesn't help when Grier keeps signing injury-prone players.

I'll admit that Grier has given the team some talented players, but when it comes to building a strong, healthy o-line (and depth), he sucks. He's wasting money by paying for FAs when they should have mostly draft picks on the line, and those draft picks don't need to be 1st rounders, although the occasional 1st rounder is okay.

I guess we will see won't we. In my mind personnel is not the issue and if the guys Grier has brought in can stay maybe 75% healthy the OL won't be the reason this team doesn't flourish into and through the playoffs. But sure I want one or two of our starting spots upgraded if it can be done within budget ($ and picks). OL picks have a high failure rate it takes time to build that way.

 

[djphinfan]

To me our biggest hole on D is the 2nd safety.

I’ve talked about Poyer a couple months ago after seeing some alarming reps.

There’s losing a step and losing a big step, he’s lost the latter.

So imo I’m hoping that Marcus Maye or Nick Needham step up

 

[Bumpus]

I have no doubt we will be adding at least 2 OL to our current group. Grier & Co. are definitely counting on somebody to shake loose during or after training camps.

Which is where you generally tend to find quality starters.

 

[dolphinron]

Ray Lucas was the worst that's all I know. Set the franchise back 74 years

 

[HeyJayOh]

Which is where you generally tend to find quality starters.

It's where you find guys who got bumped out of jobs because lower-paid rookies have shown they are capable of starting. It's not something to count on, but it's definitely a good way to add quality depth, if not someone capable of starting.