Phins Phorward: Make or Break Season for Grier & McDaniel

Phins Phorward

Edition #5

Make or Break Season for Grier & McDaniel

The Miami Dolphins enter 2025 with a revamped roster, a chip on their shoulder, and a fanbase absolutely weary of unfulfilled promises. After a 2024 season that fizzled into mediocrity and finger-pointing, the Dolphins’ 2025 NFL Draft and offseason moves may signal a shift toward grit over flash. Tua Tagovailoa’s health still hangs over the franchise like a dark cloud, and the roster holes are still glaring. Is this the year Miami finally breaks through, or will it be just another “wait til next season” kind of vibe?

The draft, led by GM Chris Grier, targeted the trenches with a vengeance. First-rounder Kenneth Grant, a 342-pound Michigan nose tackle, is a human roadblock who could transform a defensive line. Paired with the underrated Zach Sieler, Grant might make Miami’s sixth-ranked PFF run defense even stingier.

Second-round guard Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) brings size (6’4”, 324 lbs) and pass-blocking chops to an absolutely awful offensive line that bled quarterback pressures and sacks last season.  Later round picks like Maryland’s Jordan Phillips (DT) and Georgia Tech’s Zeek Biggers (DT) are more than likely raw depth pieces, not saviors.

The secondary, however, is a hot mess of house cards. With Jalen Ramsey’s trade rumors swirling, fifth-rounder Jason Marshall Jr. (Florida) and safety Dante Trader Jr. (Maryland) are Band-Aids, but not solutions, for a cornerback room in transition. Grier’s promise of free agent signings, likely a veteran corner, better deliver, because this unit screams liability. Meanwhile, seventh-round QB Quinn Ewers (Texas) is a smart hedge for Tua’s injury-prone career, but he’s no 2025 starter. Zach Wilson, unfortunately, remains the uninspiring backup.

Offensively, the Dolphins still have the dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill for now and Jaylen Waddle, though Hill’s wrist surgeries and trade chatter are casting some doubt on them remaining a tandem. De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright bring electric speed, but sixth-round RB Ollie Gordon II, although a value pick, kind of feels like a luxury when the offensive line and secondary beg for more help. Coach Mike McDaniel’s push for physicality is clear, but his seat is definitely warming up after three years of finesse first football that’s crumbled in cold weather and big moments. Plain and simple, this team needs to get tougher and more resilient.

Grier’s draft track record (only 18% of picks since 2020 becoming starters) doesn’t inspire much confidence. Trading a 2025 fourth-round pick for a 2026 third-round pick was savvy, but the roster needed more than eight rookies to escape the same old, same old. This is a pivotal year for Grier, McDaniel, and Tua. If the offensive line gels, Grant dominates the line of scrimmage, and free agency plugs the secondary, Miami could potentially sneak into the playoffs.

However, if Tua misses more time, the corners get torched, or McDaniel’s play calling stays too cute and weird, 2025 could be another “wait ’til next year” sob story that has become the norm around here. Fins Fans deserve better than just hype and empty promises. It’s time to actually deliver and do something crazy like win a playoff game!

-JP