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

[dolfan91]

One thing to remember. It was Tua who implemented the changes to the offense after he came back from his concussion. He said, he studied the offense while recovering, and came away with ideas on how to improve. Once he returned Junno Smith took off within the offense. Now if only they can incorporate that with a improved running game and better blocking, perhaps, the deep pass opens up again?

 

[Finsup1981]

The way your post came across was a criticism. If that wasn’t your intention then I’m wrong.

My point was, after his last concussion he came back at an elite level. And last season, after his concussion, he was 35-50 (70%), 15 TD’s and 1 INT for a 118 passer rating in the RZ.

I doubt a one read QB gets those numbers inside the RZ.

If you watch from about 2 mins in it starts with Arizona and you can watch him in the red zone…he definitely moved his feet more and rarely went beyond 1 or 2 progressions

I don’t blame him after the concussion and the state of our oline that’s how he needed to play. But if we want to progress as an offense the oline has to hold up longer and he needs to learn to trust them.

This is obviously just highlights and it’s easier to see in action in full games and all 22.

 

[rickd13]

I absolutely loathe the tush push.

Another year of that crap.

Me too. It’s not a football play. It made way more sense when the rules were that you couldn’t aid a ball carrier by pushing or pulling him.

 

[rickd13]

Yeah I don’t think that’s right, it’s from schefty but makes 0 sense

It’s right. The Bills do it but I think they are probably worried about injuries on defense. If they take the push rule away, that gives Buffalo an advantage over other teams that use it because of Josh Allen. He doesn’t need a push.

 

[hoops]

If you watch from about 2 mins in it starts with Arizona and you can watch him in the red zone…he definitely moved his feet more and rarely went beyond 1 or 2 progressions

I don’t blame him after the concussion and the state of our oline that’s how he needed to play. But if we want to progress as an offense the oline has to hold up longer and he needs to learn to trust them.

This is obviously just highlights and it’s easier to see in action in full games and all 22.

I feel like you know this but that red zone zona play on here is a designed screen to Achane. That’s an example of a single concept primary. Throw the screen. So I don’t know that’s a good example of his footwork. Looks pretty spot on to me for the ask.

I can’t believe I forgot about all that pistol use. It’s littered thru these highlights.

There’s some good reads too by the qb on here. The jets game winner to smith was an excellent read and decision by the qb. Top side db crouches on the under throw it over to the crossing smith. You got to hold the db there well or he drops and undercuts it following your eyes.

An awful lot of screen plays on those highlights especially for tds. Good design by Mcd with both Jonnu on the tight end screens and Achane. Teams kinda started sitting on the Jonnu screen use though.

 

[Finsup1981]

I feel like you know this but that red zone zona play on here is a designed screen to Achane. That’s an example of a single concept primary. Throw the screen. So I don’t know that’s a good example of his footwork. Looks pretty spot on to me for the ask.

I can’t believe I forgot about all that pistol use. It’s littered thru these highlights.

There’s some good reads too by the qb on here. The jets game winner to smith was an excellent read and decision by the qb. Top side db crouches on the under throw it over to the crossing smith. You got to hold the db there well or he drops and undercuts it following your eyes.

An awful lot of screen plays on those highlights especially for tds. Good design by Mcd with both Jonnu on the tight end screens and Achane. Teams kinda started sitting on the Jonnu screen use though.

Oh I know I’m not saying he had happy feet all the time just that I felt it was more noticeable post concussion , but a lot of the ask was single concept primary to get the ball out of his hand asap, and I can’t argue with that design with the OL we fielded last year. Was just stating that for this offense to evolve and for the defenses to stop sitting on concepts we need to let some of the longer developing plays happen…defenses sat on the stuff over the middle and the shorter stuff like you mentioned with Smith and we need to mix in some longer progressing plays to mix it up…Tua has no trust in the OL and I think he started hearing footsteps after 2 seconds and I can’t exactly blame him knowing Eich and Jones were out there.

 

[FanMarino]

I absolutely loathe the tush push.

Another year of that crap.

It's basically a Rugby play. Somebody will get hurt with that play and i mean hurt.

 

[Finsup1981]

Jonnu Snith Fantasy projection for 2025:

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PLAYER PERFORMANCE​

Jonnu Smith was a third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2017. He worked his way up to more playing time, and in 2019, had a 79.3 PFF receiving grade on a 35-catch, 439-receiving-yard season while playing 70% of the offensive snaps. His snap rate increased to 74.4% in 2020, and he caught eight touchdowns. However, he still received a low target volume and finished 13th in fantasy points per game despite the high touchdown total.

Smith signed a big $50.0 million contract with $31.2 million guaranteed with the New England Patriots. However, the Patriots also signed Hunter Henry. Smith ended up only playing 50.6% of the offensive snaps in his first season and 49.0% in his second, and he finished with less than two receptions per game each season. The Patriots moved on from him, so he reunited with Arthur Smith on the Atlanta Falcons. With Atlanta, he had the first two games of over 85 receiving yards in his career despite Kyle Pitts‘ presence. However, he was also under 40 receiving yards in 12 of 17 games, making it impossible to trust him for fantasy purposes.

This led to a two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, who lacked a receiving option at tight end. Smith had a quiet start with the team, averaging 20 yards per game in September. That shot up to 60 yards per game in October and 78 yards per game in November. That dropped to 45 per game in December, but he also scored seven touchdowns in his last eight games. This was enough for a Pro Bowl birth and career-highs in basically every stat, making him a rare eighth-year breakout.

The one area in which Smith has always stood out is his ability to avoid tackles. His 0.04 avoided tackles per route is the most for tight ends since 2022. Smith will be 30 years old before the start of the season, which is typically past an age where tight ends decline. While Smith doesn’t have as many receptions as other 30-year-old tight ends, he does have over 5,000 career offensive snaps.

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PROJECTED ROLE​

Smith’s utilization changed throughout the season, which helped fuel his emergence. In the one preseason game where all the lead tight ends played, Smith played exclusively in 11 personnel, which isn’t great for a tight end's fantasy value.

Smith averaged 65% of Miami's offensive snaps in 11 personnel over the first six weeks, which jumped dramatically in Week 7 and held steady at 79% over the rest of the season. In 12 personnel, he only played four of a possible 24 snaps over the first two games, but that quickly changed, and he played 75% of the snaps from Weeks 3-15. However, he saw a notable decrease at the end of the season, averaging 60%. In 21 personnel, he only played 22% throughout the season. While the rate didn’t fluctuate, the Dolphins stopped using as much 21 personnel in the second half of the season compared to the first half, giving Smith more opportunities to play in the other personnel groupings.

The Dolphins moved on from long-time tight end Durham Smythe and added Pharaoh Brown, who happened to be the player who replaced Smith in New England. He’s primarily a blocking tight end. While Brown won’t be a threat to Smith in 11 personnel, the Dolphins could use the duo of Julian Hill and Brown a lot in two tight end sets.

His competition for targets will come from Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane. Both wide receivers had notably down seasons last year. If they can rebound this season, that could impact Smith’s target rate. If one of the wide receivers rebounds, he can still be a top-eight fantasy tight end. If both rebound, he might only be a borderline fantasy starter. If neither do, he should be a top-five fantasy tight end again.

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IMPACT OF TEAMMATES​

Smith will have Mike McDaniel as his head coach and Tua Tagovailoa as his quarterback for a second-straight season. McDaniel had no problem changing his philosophy around tight ends with Smith on the roster. McDaniel spent one year as the San Francisco 49ers‘ offensive coordinator and multiple years as their run game coordinator, all with George Kittle on the roster. While Smith isn’t as good as Kittle, it’s understandable that McDaniel knew how to use a tight end but just didn’t have one to utilize in Miami previously.

While other players in the Dolphins had strong splits with and without Tua Tagovailoa last season, Smith found success in both situations. His seven-catch, 96-yard and one-touchdown performance came the week before Tagovailoa returned from injury. However, Smith had two 100-yard games that occurred with Tagovailoa at quarterback. Tagovailoa is a good quarterback, and importantly, doesn’t scramble or get sacked as often as other quarterbacks, which is good for the fantasy value of all Dolphins receivers.

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BOTTOM LINE​

Smith’s 2024 season was very promising, but a lot depends on how well the other players in the offense are playing. Smith played well in a down year from both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but at least one of the wide receivers should rebound.

 

[Finsup1981]

PFF receiver rankings, Tyreek in tier 2 8th overall and Waddle in tier 3 21st overall:

8. TYREEK HILL, MIAMI DOLPHINS​

Hill’s production dipped in 2024, as it did for much of Miami’s offense, and he finished with a 77.3 receiving grade. Still, it’s difficult to rank him lower than No. 8, given how dominant he was in the years prior. He posted the second-highest WAR among receivers in both 2022 and 2023, with seasons of 1,779 and 1,861 receiving yards.

21. JAYLEN WADDLE, MIAMI DOLPHINS​

Waddle took a noticeable step back in 2024, finishing with a 71.5 receiving grade after earning an elite 90.1 the year prior. Still, as one of the league’s most explosive threats — both with and without the ball — there's reason to hope for a rebound if Miami’s offense returns to form in 2025.

PFF Wide Receiver Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2025 NFL season

A.J. Brown comes in at No. 1 on PFF's 2025 wide receiver rankings, with Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown closely following.

www.pff.com

PFF ranked the top acquisition for each team this offseason:

Key Metric: 87.5 Run-defense grade in 2024 (13th among qualified FBS DIs)​

Miami lost its best run defender, Calais Campbell, in free agency and wasted no time finding the player it hopes can replace that production. Former MichiganWolverine Kenneth Grant brings his 331-pound frame to Miami to fill that void. Grant earned an outstanding 87.5 run-defense grade in his final season in Ann Arbor, 13th-best in the nation among qualified interior defenders.

One impact offseason acquisition for each NFL team based on PFF Data

Dalton Wasserman breaks down one impact offseason acquisition for each team based on PFF Data.

www.pff.com

 

[Finsup1981]

PFF ranked all 8 divisions, guess the AFC Least is back, division ranked 7th out of 9 overall which is the lowest rating in years.

1. NFC NORTH: LIONS, VIKINGS, PACKERS, BEARS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 37

The Lions, Vikings and Packers all finished the 2024 season ranked inside the top 10 of PFF’s power rankings. The Bears were the only team in the NFC North to fall outside that range, landing at No. 24. However, with significant upgrades to their interior offensive line — which posted just a 70.1 blocking grade — and sweeping changes to the coaching staff, Chicago is a legitimate dark horse to contend for a wild-card spot.

Coaching transitions in Detroit and a quarterback change in Minnesota add some uncertainty, but top to bottom, this division is loaded with competitive rosters. Every NFC North matchup in 2025 figures to be a battle — a true murderer’s row on the divisional slate.

2. AFC WEST: CHIEFS, CHARGERS, RAIDERS, BRONCOS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 37

The Chiefs are still the Chiefs, winners of nine straight AFC West titles and fresh off a third consecutive conference championship. They remain the team to beat, finishing last season ranked No. 2 in PFF’s power rankings. But the gap may be closing. The Broncos, who ranked fourth in team defensive grade (78.8) and second in EPA allowed per play in 2024, made notable additions with Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Jahdae Barron. If Bo Nix takes a step forward in his second season, Denver could quickly become one of the league’s toughest opponents.

Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are coming off a wild-card berth and are built to contend for double-digit wins again in 2025. And even the “worst” team in the division — now led by Pete Carroll with Geno Smith at quarterback — is far from an easy out. There’s no soft landing in the AFC West anymore.

3. NFC WEST: RAMS, CARDINALS, SEAHAWKS, 49ERS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 37

If the Cardinals take the next step — and there’s reason to believe they can — the NFC West could turn into a four-team slugfest. Kyler Murray quietly posted his second-highest big-time throw rate (4.7%) in 2024 while keeping his turnover-worthy play percentage at a career-low 2.4%. With the defensive reinforcements Arizona added this offseason, they’re well-positioned to push for a 10-win campaign.

The Rams remain one of the toughest outs in the league, and if not for the blizzard in their playoff game against the Eagles, they might have been on their way to the NFC Championship Game. Seattle faces more uncertainty, with Sam Darnold stepping in at quarterback and no D.K. Metcalf in the receiving corps. As for the 49ers, health will be the biggest variable, but one key area they addressed was the run defense, which ranked 28th in the NFL last year in terms of run-defense grade. Their draft class should go a long way toward correcting that.

4. AFC NORTH: RAVENS, BENGALS, STEELERS, BROWNS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 34

The AFC North remains a competitive division, but it’s no longer the juggernaut it was just a few years ago. The Ravens have claimed back-to-back division titles and are firmly in their Super Bowl window heading into 2025. The Bengals, with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins all returning, should again field one of the league’s most dangerous offenses. However, their defense regressed in 2024, ranking 20th in EPA per play. Getting Trey Hendrickson back on the field and in the fold could be key — if the defense can hold up, Burrow is more than capable of carrying them to a playoff berth.

In Pittsburgh, it's nearly sacrilegious to predict a losing season, but despite having one of the league’s best defensive lines, there’s little to get excited about offensively. The team still hasn't locked in Aaron Rodgers, and even if they do, it’s questionable how well he fits Arthur Smith’s scheme. If not Rodgers, rookie Will Howard could end up being the guy — a major gamble in a competitive division.

As for the Browns, their quarterback situation is a full-blown mystery, with four players reportedly in contention for the starting job. Kevin Stefanski has two Coach of the Year awards, but the team’s win total projection (4.5) tells the story.

5. NFC EAST: EAGLES, COMMANDERS, COWBOYS, GIANTS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 34

The NFC East sent both representatives to the NFC championship game last January, but those two teams — the Eagles and Commanders — are carrying most of the weight for the division as a whole.

Philadelphia lost key talent in free agency, but reloaded effectively enough to remain one of the favorites to return to the Super Bowl in 2025. Washington, meanwhile, struck gold with Jayden Daniels, who earned PFF’s Rookie of the Year honors. The offense looks promising, but the defense must improve after ranking 29th in team grade (60.0), including a 54.2 run-defense grade and just 258 total pressures (21st). Upgrades in the front seven are a step in the right direction.

The Cowboys were derailed by injuries at quarterback last season, and while the arrival of Brian Schottenheimer as head coach brings some uncertainty, they still have the talent to be competitive — especially if the run defense, which graded out at a league-worst 49.3 in 2024, can bounce back.

As for the Giants, their quarterback situation remains unresolved, with three players currently in contention for the starting role. The offensive line hasn’t seen meaningful improvement, which raises concerns regardless of who starts under center. However, the additions of Paulson Adebo and Jevon Hollandshould help bolster a secondary that ranked 26th in coverage grade (52.5) last season.

6. NFC SOUTH: BUCS, FALCONS, PANTHERS, SAINTS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 30

The Buccaneers have claimed the NFC South crown in four straight seasons, matching the Saints’ longest run since the division’s inception in 2002. Despite losing offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Tampa Bay brings back much of its core and projects once again as the division favorite, hovering around a 10-win expectation.

The Falcons could be primed for a breakout offensively. They boast a strong offensive line, elite skill talent in Drake London and Bijan Robinson, and the potential for fireworks if Michael Penix Jr. — who ended the 2024 season with a stellar 94.5 passing grade in Week 18 — is unleashed. Their defense, however, remains a concern and could be what holds them back from true contention.

The Panthers were among the league’s worst teams last year, finishing 31st in PFF’s power rankings and earning a dismal 45.0 team defensive grade, including just a 37.5 grade against the run. That said, they’ve made major upgrades on defense through both free agency and the draft and added a true WR1 in Tetiaroa McMillan. Carolina could be a sneaky riser in 2025 if those pieces click.

The Saints, meanwhile, appear headed for a rebuild. With Derek Carr now retired, uncertainty at quarterback looms, and the roster around that position may not be strong enough to compensate. A long year could be ahead in New Orleans.

7. AFC EAST: BILLS, PATRIOTS, DOLPHINS, JETS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 34

The Bills have claimed the AFC East title five years running and remain well-positioned to extend that streak. Josh Allen continues to play at an elite level, posting five consecutive seasons with a top-tier offensive grade, a testament to his consistency and ceiling as one of the game’s most impactful quarterbacks.

The Patriots, meanwhile, may surprise people. Despite coming off a rough 2024 campaign, their over/under win total of 8.5 reflects major organizational changes. The roster and coaching staff are virtually unrecognizable from a year ago. If rookie quarterback Drake Maye takes a meaningful step forward, New England could enter the playoff conversation.

The Dolphins took a clear step back in 2024, finishing with eight wins, and expectations shouldn’t be much higher in 2025. With lingering questions on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to project significant improvement, and a slight regression wouldn’t be surprising.

Then there’s the Jets, arguably the biggest wildcard in the division. With Justin Fields under center, expect a run-heavy approach and plenty of close games. The defense should keep them competitive, but whether they can turn those close contests into wins remains to be seen.

8. AFC SOUTH: TEXANS, JAGUARS, COLTS, TITANS​

Cumulative over/under win total: 30

The Texans captured their second straight AFC South title in 2024 behind rising star C.J. Stroud, but their offensive line remains a concern. Outside of Laremy Tunsil — who’s no longer with the team — no lineman earned a grade above 70.5 last season. That said, Houston’s defense should continue to fly around and keep them atop the division as the team to beat.

The Jaguars are firmly in the mix, as well. Their success may hinge on how quickly new offensive coordinator Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence can establish chemistry. Much will also depend on how they utilize two-way talent Travis Hunter, whose impact could be felt on both sides of the ball.

The Colts face uncertainty at quarterback, but their defense provides a solid foundation. They earned a 74.5 team defensive grade in 2024 and could take another step forward this year.

As for the Titans, the rebuild is still in full swing. Even with Cam Ward under center, they enter 2025 as a team likely headed for another top-five draft pick. After finishing as PFF’s lowest-ranked team last season, expectations remain low while they work to reshape the roster.

 

[TXFinFan]

 

[TXFinFan]

Dates and times for the Miami Dolphins’ three preseason games were announced Thursday morning.

The Dolphins will first visit the Chicago Bears for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Aug. 10, a Sunday.

That following Saturday, Aug. 16, Miami plays at the Detroit Lions in another 1 p.m. kickoff.

The Dolphins’ lone preseason home game, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, will then be on Saturday, Aug. 23, starting at 7 p.m.

 

[TXFinFan]

 

[TXFinFan]

 

[TXFinFan]