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Make no mistake. There's a whole lot of ballgame left between now and the start of the 2025 regular season. The Miami Dolphins are set to undergo mandatory mini-camp next week starting on Tuesday, the latest litmus test for Miami amid the team's offseason of change. There's a lot of new (and young) faces on the roster and as a result the Dolphins are a team that many are uncertain about for their outlook this year.
So let's whittle down the list a little bit. Based off Miami's investments, the trend of players that we know and some early reports from Miami Gardens, what could a 53-man roster projection for 2025 look like now that the Dolphins have completed their OTAs and are now set to participate in mini-camp?
Offense - 25
Quarterbacks - 3
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Zach Wilson
- Quinn Ewers ®
The Dolphins' outlook this season will go as Tagovailoa does. If Miami gets a full workload, this team will be competitive for a postseason spot. The catch there is, of course, that Tagovailoa has played a full season once in three seasons under McDaniel and had injured reserve stints in the other two. As a result, Miami must carry three quarterbacks on the 53. Wilson got a hefty guarantee as a backup and the team drafted Ewers this spring.
Running backs - 4
- De’Von Achane
- Jaylen Wright
- Ollie Gordon II ®
- Alec Ingold (FB)
The decision here lies with whether or not to carry veteran running back Alexander Mattison, who got a fully guaranteed minimum contract this offseason from the team. It's a decision that could come down to the numbers game. Gordon II can play the same kind of role and if he shows up ready to roll, it can be an easy sell for Miami to lean into the youth and upside.
Wide receivers - 5
- Jaylen Waddle
- Tyreek Hill
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Malik Washington
- Tahj Washington
The first four spots in this group are fairly elementary. Waddle and Hill are identifying players in the offense under McDaniel. The team secured Westbrook-Ikhine this offseason on a multi-year contract and he should fulfill a "blue collar" role for the team to help the running game and serve as a big-bodied threat downfield. Malik Washington emerged throughout the second half of the 2024 season as a nice secondary option. The fifth spot comes down to Tahj Washington, Dee Eskridge, and a number of UDFAs who received nice guarantees to sign with the Dolphins after the draft. The tight end dynamics prompt me to lean into another route runner for the fifth spot.
Tight ends - 4
- Jonnu Smith
- Pharaoh Brown
- Julian Hill
- Jaylin Conyers ®
Trade rumors surrounding Smith have been persistent this past week. I'll believe it when I see it, though. Smith and the Dolphins want to be together and more often than not these issues get resolved when that is the case. Undrafted rookie Jaylin Conyers feels like an ideal Mike McDaniel pet project and the Brown/Hill combination at the 'Y' tight end spot should give the Dolphins physicality and, hopefully, improved play over what Durham Smythe and Hill in his second year could provide in 2024.
Offensive Tackles - 4
- Patrick Paul
- Austin Jackson
- Larry Borom
- Kion Smith
Paul has been tabbed as the heir to a retired Terron Armstead and showed some flashes late in the year when playing his natural position at left tackle. Austin Jackson's return should breathe life into Miami's ability to run the ball, which was a big problem without him in 2024. Beyond that, Miami gets two new faces in the mix — Borom should be a much better scheme fit here than he was protecting Justin Fields & Caleb Williams the last few seasons and Kion Smith returns from a season-ending injury in the preseason last year.
Interior Offensive Line - 5
- James Daniels
- Aaron Brewer
- Jonah Savaiinaea ®
- Liam Eichenberg
- Andrew Meyer
For all the grief the Dolphins get about their offensive line, this overhaul sure looks good to me. Going from Rob Jones & Liam Eichenberg to James Daniels & Jonah Savaiinaea as starters at guard is lightyears more promising. Aaron Brewer was a delight despite playing with limited, ineffective guards on either side of him for the entire season.
The Dolphins, much to the chagrin of the fanbase, did bring back Eichenberg at a low cost thanks to his positional versatility and experience in the scheme. If he's the 8th offensive lineman on the depth chart, some of the intangibles could provide value. And the team was so committed to 2024 rookie UDFA Andrew Meyer that they carried him on the 53-man roster all season. You have to imagine they'll stick that one out for another year.
Defense - 25
Edge Defenders - 6
- Bradley Chubb
- Jaelan Phillips
- Chop Robinson
- Quinton Bell
- Mohamed Kamara
- Grayson Murphy
What a difference an offseason makes. In October of last year, the Dolphins were rolling with Robinson, Tyus Bowser, and Emmanuel Ogbah as the top three rushers off the edge. That is, of course, when they weren't stealing reps there from a 38-year old Calais Campbell. Chubb flirted with a late return in 2024 but is back on an amended contract nearly two years removed from his 2023 season-ending injury. Jaelan Phillips will be healthy to start the year after a second-consecutive season-ending injury. Don't sleep on 2024 UDFA Grayson Murphy, who flashed in the preseason but was stashed away for the year due to injury.
Interior Defensive Line - 5
- Zach Sieler
- Kenneth Grant ®
- Jordan Phillips ®
- Benito Jones
- Matthew Butler
Rookie seventh-round draft choice Zeek Biggers was a hard one to leave off the list. But he's more of a developmental player and the Dolphins have a lot of youth loaded in this group thanks to their draft investments. Butler has nice potential to serve as an odd-front end and be a more involved depth player than anyone the team had at their disposal in 2024, although he will have competition from new signing Ben Stille and, potentially, an inspired effort from Biggers.
Linebackers - 4
- Jordyn Brooks
- Tyrel Dodson
- KJ Britt
- Willie Gay Jr.
The Dolphins made a conscious effort to overhaul the bottom half of this room. It is a win in and of itself for the Dolphins to have moved on from Duke Riley, who was exploited at the end of 2023 and then made several baffling special teams gaffes in 2024. Britt and Gay Jr. could realistically platoon a spot if one of the starters misses significant time — the depth here is strong.
Cornerbacks - 6
- Kader Kohou
- Mystery Veteran Free Agent
- Artie Burns
- Storm Duck
- Cam Smith
- Jason Marshall Jr. ®
Jalen Ramsey isn't gone yet but he will be. All eyes, as a result, are on the mystery veteran who the Dolphins ultimately land. It could be an aging veteran like Stephon Gilmore. They've reportedly met with Rasul Douglas and they've been reported to have had contact with Asante Samuel Jr., too. Beyond the Jalen Ramsey replacement, Kohou is a starting capable player who is returning to the same scheme for the first time in his four-year career.
Artie Burns is a nice veteran hedge who played well in limited time in the same scheme in 2024 with the Seahawks. But leaning on him too much feels like a recipe for a disaster. Who steps up? Does former UDFA darling Ethan Bonner push anyone off a spot?
Safeties - 4
- Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Ashtyn Davis
- Patrick McMorris
- Dante Trader Jr. ®
The challenge in this group will be if Elijah Campbell, a long-time veteran who the team seems to like but has never made a leap beyond core special teamer, can stave off the young draft choices the Dolphins committed to in the past 15 months. McMorris flashed big time in the 2024 preseason as a late-round pick and seemed to build trust with the coaching staff after a stint on injured reserve. The Dolphins clearly like Trader Jr. and he should be considered a lock as a fifth-round draft choice this April. Numbers are hard to come by in this group.
Special Teams - 3
Specialists
- K Jason Sanders
- P Ryan Stonehouse
- LS Joe Cardona
The big battle here is set to be between Stonehouse and 2024 incumbent, punter Jake Bailey. Miami is getting a fresh face at long-snapper after long-time starter Blake Ferguson spent most of the season on the Non-Football Injury list.
More must-reads:
- Browns may not be prepared for one thing with Shedeur Sanders
- Broncos QB Bo Nix pumps the brakes on his own head coach's hype train
- The 'NFL single-season reception leaders' quiz
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Thinks It Is Clear Preseason Hero Will Be Playing Elsewhere In 2025
Browns may not be prepared for one thing with Shedeur Sanders
During a recent edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Cleveland Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may not be prepared for the "potential fan backlash" that could arise regarding the team's handling of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Stefanski seemed to say plenty about the subject when it was learned on Monday that Sanders remains fourth on the club's unofficial depth chart even though he enjoyed a solid NFL debut in the club's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Also on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer made it known that Stefanski won't be in a rush to play Sanders or fellow first-year pro Dillon Gabriel ahead of schedule. "Stefanski and the other offensive coaches have a plan for the rookie QBs, and they’re not about to be swayed by public opinion and the Sanders-mania that’s sweeping the nation," Cabot wrote. "Yes, it was a great debut against the Panthers with two beautiful touchdown passes to first-year receiver Kaden Davis. But Stefanski always keeps things simple for his rookie quarterbacks in preseason games, and most have looked excellent in their outings under him. Therefore, he wasn’t ready Monday to start handing over those precious starting reps to Sanders when he’s unlikely to start Week 1 and doesn’t necessarily need that valuable time with the ones — yet." Neither Gabriel nor presumed backup Kenny Pickett played against the Panthers after they were slowed by hamstring injuries during training camp. Meanwhile, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland's 30-10 victory over Carolina. Gabriel returned to the practice field on Monday, but Pickett reportedly could be sidelined "for a couple more weeks." It's unclear if either signal-caller will play in Cleveland's preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Saturday. "They have had a process with Shedeur all the way through," Cabot added during the latest episode of the podcast. "And even when they were taking heat nationally from all kinds of pundits and experts saying that they were setting Shedeur up to fail, they stuck to their guns. And even after his really, really nice debut, they really haven’t changed the process." As recently as Tuesday morning, Zac Jackson of The Athletic mentioned that veteran Joe Flacco is still "the clear leader" to be Cleveland's Week 1 starter over Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -310 betting favorite to get the nod for the Browns' regular-season opener versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Previous whispers indicated Stefanski will want to name his Week 1 QB1 before Cleveland wraps the preseason up with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23. It certainly sounds like Stefanski won't lose any sleep over disappointing members of a passionate fan base who want to see what Sanders can do against live defenses in meaningful contests.
Mock Trade Sends Suns' Dillon Brooks to Lakers for $66 Million Duo
The Phoenix Suns are set to enter next season with an almost completely different roster than what they had last season after making major changes to it this offseason. Of course, the Suns broke apart their star trio of Devin Booker, Keivn Durant and Bradley Beal as they traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and bought out Beal’s contract, allowing him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Now Booker is the only remaining star from their big three and he is set to be the centerpiece of Phoenix’s future after they signed him to a massive contract extension this summer. For the Suns, they have done a solid job of building a younger roster as they landed Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams via trades and also selected Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the 2025 draft. While the Suns have made some major moves this offseason, more could be on the way before the start of next season as multiple players continue to be in trade rumors. Suns predicted to send Dillon Brooks to Lakers With this in mind, SB Nations’ Jacob Rude recently released a mock trade that would see the Suns send Brooks to the Los Angeles Lakers for two players. In the trade, the Suns would send Brooks to the Lakers in exchange for Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber. This would be an interesting trade for both teams involved and one that does not make a ton of sense for the Suns to make. Of course, the Suns could look to trade Brooks at some point before next season’s trade deadline as they may try to add more young talent to their roster but to swap him for two veterans who struggled last season does not make a ton of sense for Phoenix. For the Lakers, adding Brooks to their roster would be a massive upgrade after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency as the veteran forward would give them a solid scorer and great defender alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Despite this, the Suns would likely want more in return in a potential trade for Brooks that would likely require Los Angeles to include draft capital and a young player. Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the Suns would consider this offer for Brooks, especially before he even suits up for their franchise.
Super Bowl champion may have foreseen Caleb Williams' early struggles
Caleb Williams was considered the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but a Super Bowl champion wasn't wild about the Chicago Bears quarterback. In a story published Tuesday, The Athletic's Jon Greenberg shared excerpts from Seth Wickersham's new book, "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," set to release Sept. 9. He also interviewed the ESPN writer via a phone conversation. Citing a section of Wickersham's book, Greenberg noted Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton scouted Williams, despite the team not being in a position to take him. The process left him with concerns. Before the 2017 draft, Payton developed a formula to help calculate processing speed for QB prospects, a critical factor in NFL success. Unlike fellow second-year QB Bo Nix — whom the Broncos selected with pick No. 12 in 2024 — Williams scored poorly. Payton also felt the 2024 No. 1 pick left "too many completions on the field at USC," per Wickersham. Other coaches share similar sentiments about the former Southern California Trojans star. On Monday, The Athletic's Mike Sando released his annual QB tiers. The tiers are numbered one through five, with one being the best and five being the worst. Williams landed in Tier 3. A head coach told Sando that Williams' processing looked "alarming" when watching the tape. An offensive coordinator said the 23-year-old often holds the ball far too long, consequently taking too many sacks. During his rookie season, Williams took the most sacks (68 in 17 starts) in the NFL. To cut the 2022 Heisman winner slack, his offensive line was shaky. According to Pro Football Reference, the unit ranked sixth in the NFL in pressures allowed (160). After firing Matt Eberflus, the Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach. His marriage with the young QB seems to be off to a rocky start. Williams has reportedly looked inaccurate during training camp. Williams still has time to get the hang of his new playbook before the regular season starts in September. However, if his problems persist in year two, that would validate Payton's doubts about the QB.
How Craig Berube Is Reshaping the Maple Leafs’ Identity
In a recent breakdown of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason storylines—roster turnover, bubble players, and the team’s push for a new identity—one thing became clear: Toronto is in the midst of more than just a personnel shuffle. They’re not simply changing who they play; they’re changing how they play. And at the heart of that transformation is head coach Craig Berube. Berube Isn’t Just a Coach—He’s the Culture Reset Button When Berube took the helm in May 2024, Maple Leafs management wasn’t just looking for a fresh voice behind the bench. They wanted a tone setter. A culture-changer. Someone who’s lived the grind of an NHL season and knows what it takes to win when the stakes are highest. Berube checks every one of those boxes. He led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019, transforming a last-place team into champions in just a few months, not through smoke and mirrors, but through structure, accountability, and total team buy-in. His philosophy is straightforward: play the right way every night, regardless of your role or nameplate. That’s the shift happening now in Toronto. Less flash, more finish. Less chaos, more control. The Maple Leafs are no longer a team hoping their offensive talent can outscore mistakes. Under Berube, they’re building from the ground up—starting with habits and structure. The Maple Leafs’ Stars Still Can Shine if They Work Harder Let’s be clear: the Maple Leafs haven’t abandoned their star power. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and (until his departure) Mitch Marner didn’t suddenly turn into fourth-line grinders. But Berube’s system doesn’t hand out free passes—not even to the franchise players. Nylander is being pushed to round out his 200-foot game. Matthews, already respected for his defensive reads, is leaned on even more as a tone-setter at both ends of the ice. And if you don’t compete shift to shift? You won’t get minutes. Simple as that. For players like Matthew Knies or new addition Nicolas Roy, that kind of clarity is gold. They don’t have to force offence or try to match superstar output—they have to excel in their defined roles. In a league where depth often determines playoff success, giving those players a clear path to impact is crucial. Berube’s Track Record: The Right Fit, Right Now If there’s one thing Maple Leafs fans are exhausted by, it’s potential without payoff. That’s where Berube’s resume speaks volumes. He’s not a coach who needs five years and a perfect roster to succeed. He wins by setting clear expectations, holding everyone accountable, and stripping away unnecessary drama. The 2019 Blues are the best example: a team left for dead in January became champions by June. That turnaround wasn’t magic—it was a product of buy-in to a system that valued structure and work ethic over highlight-reel moments. For Toronto, this feels like the right fit at the right time. After years of early playoff exits, the team needs a blueprint that can translate to the postseason grind. Berube has shown that he can deliver. So, What Will Maple Leafs 2025-26 Hockey Look Like? Maple Leafs hockey in 2025–26 probably won’t resemble the freewheeling style fans have grown used to. Instead, expect consistent forechecking, five-person defensive units, and innovative puck management. It might not always be glamorous, but it’s the kind of hockey that wins playoff rounds—and the kind that fans can rally around when they see the results. Hard-working. Structured. Resilient. These are the traits the Maple Leafs have chased for years, often without fully committing to them. Now, with Berube steering the ship, there’s a clear mandate to make those traits a nightly reality. The Big Picture and Maple Leafs Bottom Line This season is about more than the standings. It’s about identity. Can Toronto play a consistently disciplined game every night, regardless of the opponent or situation? Can they buy into Berube’s structure without losing the offensive spark that makes them dangerous? Those are the questions worth asking—and the 2025–26 campaign will provide the answers. Berube’s impact won’t just be measured in wins and losses, but in whether the Maple Leafs can finally shed the reputation of only playing their best when they feel like it. If they succeed, it won’t be because of one star’s brilliance. It will be because the team learned to play and win as a unit. [Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
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