Dolphins Offseason Thread (Mandatory Mini-Camp 6/10 - 6/12) | Page 18 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Dolphins Offseason Thread (Mandatory Mini-Camp 6/10 - 6/12)

Jamesw said:
Regarding the environment, I subscribe to just being as good a steward of the planet I can be in my own life. When King Rama9 passed away (he ruled for 70 years) I made a personal promise to pick up 9 pieces of litter of the street each day. I actually do it. Just a very small token. When I’m in the USA, I will occasionally go hunting, and I’m an avid fisherman anywhere I am. I obey local regulations and I eat anything I kill. I never trophy hunt.
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Better than most and much more than many.
I don't raise grazers, but I do cut my grass - does that count? - LOL
 
Miami4471 said:
Whether I want him or not, they must know what kind of figure Douglas wants before bringing him for a visit. Is it the Dolphins trying to low ball again like we did Campbell
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Or the player brought in feels the Dolphins are in a tight spot at his position so he decides he may be worth more.

Both of our theories make sense.

Mine makes a lot more sense, plus, it shows no "anti-Dolphins" bias.
 
PFF grade for our offseason and the rest of the AFC East for comparison, we had a bottom 10 lowest score in the league and worst in AfC east.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: C+

It’s hard to think the Dolphins are in a better spot than when they started the offseason. They lost Jevon Holland, who admittedly struggled on his way to a 57.1 PFF coverage grade this past season, and also have some uncertainty with stars Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill.

Miami brought in James Daniels at guard after he earned a 92.9 PFF overall grade in 2024 before getting hurt in Week 4. They got better in the trenches by drafting Kenneth Grant and Jonah Savaiinaea. I still have big concerns about the Dolphins' secondary and the team's long-term outlook.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A+

The Patriots had a stellar offseason. They completely revamped and upgraded their coaching staff with Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels coming in, both proven forces at head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively.

They also added a ton of new talent in free agency and the draft after finishing last season ranked 24th in PFF defensive grade (64.4) and 30th in PFF offensive grade (63.2). This is an easy A grade, and one that was bumped to an A+ for the moves in the front office and coaching staff.

BUFFALO BILLS: A-

The Bills’ top priority in free agency was handing out contract extensions to their core players, and Greg Rousseau, Terrel Bernard, Christian Benford, Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir cashed in. They signed Josh Palmer — the right type of receiver to bring in, as he earned a 90.5 PFF receiving grade on targets of 20 or more yards last season.

But Buffalo is scheduled to start the same safety duo that earned a 31st-ranked PFF coverage grade (41.3) last season in Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp.

NEW YORK JETS: B

Aaron Glenn's hiring was a win, and so is leaning into Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, with the Jets knowing they were likely going to be a run-heavy team as they work out the passing weapons beyond Garrett Wilson — the only Jets receiver to earn a PFF receiving grade above 63.5 in 2024 outside of Davante Adams, who is no longer there.

New York lost D.J. Reed and Morgan Moses but drafted Armand Membou and Azareye'h Thomas to replace them. The team doesn’t have playoff-level talent, but it was a good offseason of turnover for them.

www.pff.com

2025 offseason grades for all 32 NFL teams

With free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft largely in the rearview, we look at every team's offseason body of work.
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PFF one big takeaway for each team AFC East addition:

MIAMI DOLPHINS: IMPROVEMENT IN THE TRENCHES, BUT WILL THE SECONDARY SURVIVE?

Miami entered the offseason with clear concerns in the secondary after finishing 25th in coverage grade last season and losing multiple starters, most notably star safety Jevon Holland. Yet in the early rounds of the draft, the Dolphins focused on the trenches, selecting defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. Both players should help stabilize their respective units, but the lack of urgency in addressing the secondary was notable.

Miami didn’t draft a defensive back until the fifth round, raising eyebrows given the current roster turnover, and with Jalen Ramsey trade rumors still lingering, the uncertainty only grows. As things stand, the Dolphins may have done too little, too late to shore up their coverage unit for 2025.

Kenneth Grant's 2025 NFL Draft Profile

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: DRAKE MAYE SET UP FOR SUCCESS​

The new regime in New England has made it a priority to build the right support system around rookie quarterback Drake Maye. And so far, they’re off to a strong start. After fortifying the defense with several veteran additions in free agency, the Patriots focused heavily on offense in the draft, using their first four selections to surround Maye with talent.

First-round pick Will Campbell is expected to start immediately at left tackle, providing blindside protection from Day 1. Center Jared Wilson could also push for a starting role on the interior. On the perimeter, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams inject much-needed explosiveness into an offense that ranked 30th in overall grade last season. With those additions, the foundation is finally being laid for sustainable offensive growth in Foxborough.

NEW YORK JETS: AARON GLENN’S YOUTH MOVEMENT​

The Jets’ new regime has made it clear that their focus is on sustainable, long-term growth, and their draft strategy reflected that vision. Each of their first three picks — Armand Membou, Mason Taylor and Azareye'h Thomas — will be just 21 years old throughout their entire rookie season, giving the coaching staff a young, moldable foundation to build around.

Membou, who earned an elite 90.6 PFF grade at Missouri last season, projects as the immediate starter at right tackle. Taylor is the front-runner to take over at tight end for a unit that ranked 30th in overall grade in 2024. While Thomas may not start right away, he offers length, athleticism and the press-man traits that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn typically covets in his corners.

It’s a class that may not generate instant headlines, but one that fits perfectly into a methodical, long-term plan to reshape the Jets’ future.

BUFFALO BILLS: FILLING THE GAPS ON DEFENSE​

After finishing 28th in team defense grade last season, the Bills made the smart move to reload on that side of the ball in the 2025 draft. First-round cornerback Maxwell Hairston is expected to step into a starting role right away, while defensive linemen T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson, and Deone Walker all have the tools to compete for immediate playing time in the trenches. Even late-round picks like cornerback Dorian Strong and safety Jordan Han**** could contribute early and bolster the team’s depth. If Buffalo can get meaningful snaps from just a few of these rookies, they'll have the supporting cast needed to make a serious Super Bowl run.

www.pff.com

One big takeaway for all 32 NFL teams after the 2025 NFL draft

Highlighting one key takeaway for all 32 franchises — a snapshot of what each team prioritized, what it says about their roster construction strategy, and how it might shape the upcoming season.
www.pff.com www.pff.com
 
Interesting theory but I don’t think it will get approved, but one of the better solutions I’ve seen for adding the 18th game.




How an 18-game NFL schedule could work for everyone: Introducing the 1816 Compromise

Eighteen games seems inevitable, or at least the NFL wants everyone to feel that way.

I remember getting that sense at the Landmark Hotel on Marylebone Road in London in 2010. The San Francisco 49ers were in town to play the Denver Broncos and the beat writers for both teams were invited to a sit-down with commissioner Roger Goodell. He fielded a variety of questions that morning but always seemed to steer the conversation back to an 18-game NFL schedule.

Asked about upcoming collective bargaining talks, he noted that expanding the season by two games would mean more revenue for the players.

Asked about the 49ers giving up a home game to play in London, Goodell agreed that was “painful” but noted that if the league moved to 18 games, teams would get their usual allotment of eight home games even if they played abroad.

Asked if he’d visited Trafalgar Square, Goodell said he hadn’t but that he knew Admiral Horatio Nelson would have been a huge fan of 18 games.

OK, he didn’t say that last bit, but the point is that the league has been aching for 18 — and getting us conditioned to the concept — for a long time now. It’s at the core of all its plans, from more international games to updated venues to new broadcast deals.

The problem is that the two groups that would be most affected — coaches and players — don’t want it. When The Athletic polled players last season, nearly 60 percent of responders said they weren’t in favor of an extra contest, mainly because they already feel maxed out with 17 games.

“No, because players barely make it through 17, so adding 18 — we don’t know what type of implications that’ll have long term,” one player said, “because you’ll see guys have high use one year and the whole next year they battle injuries. Physically, I think it’s too much, and I know from the standpoint of the NFL, they see the money, but they’re gonna lose a lot of star players to injuries.”

The players union seems to be digging in on the issue.

“No one wants to play an 18th game. No one,” NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said in February. “Some guys don’t want to play 17 just given the toll it has on their body and the lack of time to recover.”

Last season, the injury-ravaged San Francisco 49ers had just six players who started all 17 games. And that was on the high end for the league. The Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams had just one player in that category. The Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots had two. Sixteen teams had five or fewer start the full season.

What should the NFL do? Today, the day the league’s clunky, 17-game schedules are released, I propose a solution. It’s one that indeed expands the schedule to 18 regular-season games (owners stand up and cheer wildly) … but states that players can participate in no more than 16 games (players stand up and cheer wildly).

I call it The 1816 Compromise.

It’s a rare everyone-wins scenario. The schedule grows by one game, which brings all the extra revenue — from broadcast deals, ticket sales, parking fees, etc. — the owners have been pining for. The fans get an extra week of real football. The players, meanwhile, not only won’t have to suffer the wear and tear of an extra game, they’ll play one fewer game than they’ve played the last four seasons (the entire arena rises and cheers wildly).

Other 1816 benefits:

• More strategy, more intrigue. If a player misses two games with, say, a thumb injury, that counts as the two contests he must sit out. Teams might decide to play their top-line players early under the assumption that many, or even most, will miss games with injuries anyway. Or maybe they sit them early in the season so they know they’ll be available during the critical homestretch when teams are jockeying for playoff position.

• More rest, more recovery. The NFL season already goes into February and an 18th game would make it longer. Having two mandated games off, along with bye weeks, would serve as rest stops for players. Last season, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner played most of the season with an ankle fracture that was slow to heal because he played on it every week. Warner, who seemed like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate before the injury, was not as good after it. A multi-week hiatus might have given him the time he needed to recover.

• More opportunities. The compromise would guarantee that younger or lesser-known players get to start at least two games. Maybe that means expanding practice squads from 16 players. It’s another win for the players union.

• Fewer asterisks. Limiting players to 16 games will get individual records back to where they were from 1978 to 2020. Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105 yards), Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving performance (1,964) and LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-season touchdown mark (31) wouldn’t be compromised by someone playing two more games than them.

Is it a perfect plan? Oh, I can envision some grumbling.

For instance, teams might have trouble signing players to new deals in a league in which revenue is greater but the players’ overall workload has decreased. That might be a hurdle initially, but the market ought to solve that over time.

Television networks, meanwhile, might be hesitant to pay top dollar to broadcast a game that doesn’t include a team’s top quarterback. Fans would have the same issue. No one wants to shell out $600 to take their family to a Kansas City Chiefs game only to find that a healthy Patrick Mahomes is in street clothes and Gardner Minshew is starting instead.

So perhaps an exception is made for the faces of the NFL, the quarterbacks. After all, the 1816 proposal is about player safety and there are already all sorts of rules to protect quarterbacks. And maybe we grant an exception for the specialists as well. They don’t suffer the cumulative pounding other players do — four of the five oldest players currently on NFL rosters are specialists — and owners definitely wouldn’t want to keep multiple long snappers and punters on the payroll.

But as noted above, most players don’t play a full season anyway. Some of that is due to strategy — playoff-bound teams often rest starters in their regular-season finales.

More is due to attrition. The 10 highest-paid 49ers players last season — the marquee names fans buy tickets to see, the ones networks pay billions to broadcast — missed a combined 77 starts.

Eighteen games? Seventeen already seems like too many.
 
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