The Dolphins’ Failure to Address the Secondary is Confusing

The Dolphins’ Failure to Address the Secondary is Confusing

The Miami Dolphins aren’t a bad football team.

The roster has some flaws, yes, but this team has talent.

What it doesn’t have is a quality NFL secondary.

Not only is Miami’s secondary bad, but it will be the reason this team doesn’t make the playoffs in 2025.

And if you’re holding out hope that Miami can still fix this somehow, some way, don’t. It’s too late.

It’s August 17th as I write this, and the window to improve this secondary has slammed shut. Miami is going to go with what they’ve got in-house.

Sure, they can (and will) add cornerbacks and safeties once teams around the league make their final cuts, but those guys are players who were cut.

Cut from other teams for a reason, so they won’t waltz into Miami and be an answer or savior.

If Chris Grier looks to make a trade for a cornerback, odds are it’s for a guy that a team is going to cut, and Grier just doesn’t want to fight other teams for his services on the waiver wire.

Rasul Douglas is a free agent who can be signed and is available, but he is on the wrong side of 30. Not to mention when we had Bills beat reporter Ryan Talbot on the DolphinsTalk.com Podcast two months ago he said Douglas is shot as a player.

He has nothing left in the tank and isn’t sure how much he can help any NFL team in 2025.

Asante Samuel Jr is still available to be signed, but he had neck surgery in April.

Is he 100%? I guess no, because if so, someone would have signed him by now.

Not to mention his father has a weekly podcast and has already said very critical things of Tua Tagovalioa, Mike McDaniel, and the Dolphins.

The Dolphins are already struggling to handle Tyreek Hill and the distraction he brings; now they are set to sign a player recovering from neck surgery, who will undoubtedly bring his own set of distractions. I don’t see it happening.

The secondary truly is the only thing that will hold this team back.

Tua, if he stays healthy, is good enough at quarterback to lead Miami to 9 or 10 or more wins.

The offensive line, while not perfect, looks to be better than it was last season, especially up the middle with upgrades at guard.

The wide receiver depth is as good as it’s been in years, with Miami having numerous young players who look like they have a bright future in this league.

De’Von Achane is a monster, not just running the ball but also as a receiving back.

And Ollie Gordon is flying up the depth chart as someone who looks like he may be really good.

Jason Sanders is one of the top kickers in the league.

The Dolphins have so many edge rushers they don’t know what to do wth them. Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Quinton Bell, Derrick McLendon, and Grayson Murphy.

Zach Sieler is a superstar.

Kenneth Grant looks like he is going to be really good as a rookie, and fellow rookies Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers look like they will both contribute some this season as well.

I think Joe Barry, the Dolphins’ defensive run game coordinator, is going to have a lot of success with Miami stopping opponents ground game this season.

This roster is good.

This roster can win games.

Well, they can IF they had a secondary.

This secondary is so bad, I am shocked we are at August 17th and Chris Grier is still sitting on his hands not doing anything to address it.

I’m not saying that if Miami had an average secondary, they would be a Super Bowl contender.

But if they had an average secondary, they could win a playoff game this year.

That wouldn’t be a wild notion.

But the problem is that this secondary is going to hold them back.

This secondary is going to make the marginal quarterbacks Miami goes up against, like Justin Fields, Michael Penix, whoever Cleveland plays against us, Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson look good.

I would bet you one dollar today that all of those guys have their best games of the season against Miami in 2025.

Cornell Armstrong hasn’t played in a game since 2022, and he may be Miami’s starting nickel CB.

Kendall Sheffield, who has bounced around the league and hasn’t played much in recent years, may be CB1.

Storm Duck is a nice player, but he is not an NFL starter or anything close to that.

Jack Jones has athleticism, but he isn’t a seasoned cornerback who should play.

Cam Smith is a bust.

If those names were Miami’s 3rd, 4th, or 5th cornerbacks on the roster, you would be fine with them.

But none of these guys are starters and should be on the field for 60 to 70 snaps in a game, and that is what the Dolphins are going to ask them to do.

The safety position isn’t much better.

Sure, Minkah Fitzpatrick is a superstar, but after that, they’ve got nothing.

Ashtyn Davis is already hurt with no time frame to return. And again, not a starting NFL safety.

Elijah Campbell is primarily a special teams contributor, not someone you want to see play safety, and he is very poor in pass coverage.

Ifeatu Melifonwu has always been injured during his time in the NFL and cannot be trusted to be on the field week to week.

Then you have your unproven guys like Dante Trader, Patrick McMorris, John Saunders, and Jordan Colbert, who are borderline NFL players.

Like, how did we get here?

Who is running the Dolphins?

Are they this clueless that they can’t see this is a huge problem?

Why are they still dragging their feet?

This is why it’s so frustrating being a Dolphins fan. The problem that Miami has was easily correctable, but it was ignored by the people in power.

And we all see this train wreck coming a mile away, and there is a feeling of hopelessness that we can’t stop it.

This team is good at almost every key important position…except secondary.

But the secondary will be the reason this team doesn’t have success in 2025.