Dolphins assistant sheds new light on one of Miami’s most controversial personnel moves of the offseason with surprising but sensible reasoning

The Dolphins traded up to draft Savaiinaea in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and promptly put him at left guard — one of two positions he never played in college. Savaiinaea had logged meaningful snaps at left and right tackle, plus right guard — never let guard. Yet from the jump in Miami, the team was insistent that he was going to play where he was 'most comfortable'. And, with veteran James Daniels having all kinds of experience playing all three spots inside, it seemed feasible to believe that as absolute fact.

When training camp rolled around, it was confirmed publicly that Savaiinaea had been prepped for the entire offseason program at left guard. Through the first five weeks of the 2025 season, the rookie looks like someone who has never played the position before. When asked about a potential change to the right side in September, McDaniel dismissed the idea quickly.

"The way he approaches everything and why we tried (left guard) early is he feels more comfortable where he’s at right now in our offense," said McDaniel.

“If there were things happening to him that I thought it would be alleviated by playing on the right, I would absolutely do that. Both his good plays and his bad plays at this point, the way he’s gone at it, we haven’t measured a side issue, which is why we haven’t thought to do that.”

Miami Dolphins pass protection pressures allowed through Week 5

• Left tackle Patrick Paul: 6 pressures
• Left guard Jonah Savaiinaea: 16 pressures
• Center Aaron Brewer: 4 pressures
• Right guard Cole Strange: 5 pressures (2 games)
• Right tackle Larry Borom: 11 pressures

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith on Thursday provided a little different perspective on the move other than 'he feels more comfortable'. Smith indicated that his position was done with the intent to create a young pairing with second-year tackle Patrick Paul to stabilize the unit long-term.

"I think when you're looking at a long-term vision and plan, of putting him on the same side as Pat (Paul) and then having those two guys build a chemistry and rapport that we hope to attain. It wasn't necessarily looking at the result now. It was looking at what we could have towards the future," said Smith.

Such an explanation makes plenty of sense. But it does underscore that continued strategy of Miami to methodically plug away and their long-term outlook without the proper awareness of their current situation. It surely was, and still is, a difficult tight rope to walk. But the Dolphins must start hoping Savaiinaea's transition to left guard starts bearing some more fruit in the immediate sense too, in order to keep Tua Tagovailoa upright and help this Dolphins team start to reel off some wins — because the current football operation may not have much of a long-game left to play.

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