Top 25 Dolphins Since 2000: Players 20–11

Moving forward with the list of the best Dolphins players of the century, we’re starting to get into the area where each player’s spot can be heavily debated. Here we feature a recently retired player and include two of the three remaining active Dolphins.

• #20 Branden Albert

Perhaps when discussing a high-priced Dolphin free agent left tackle signee who had trouble staying on the field, you may think I’m referring to a certain someone who will pop up later in this countdown, but this spot is reserved for Branden Albert. Albert came over as a free agent in 2014, signing a five-year deal after Miami had previously tried to trade for him in the 2013 NFL Draft. He arrived in Miami after a tumultuous situation had gone down in the Dolphins’ O-Line group the previous year, a little incident known as “Bullygate.” Albert immediately became a significant piece for the Dolphins and played up to his contract.

Unfortunately, he missed 13 of a possible 48 games.. However, he was an integral part of the 2016 Dolphins team that ended an eight-year playoff drought. Following the season, he was traded to Jacksonville, where he would never play a snap as he retired before the year.

• #19 Jarvis Landry

Landry has a complicated legacy in Miami; he was an analytics nightmare and yet the face of the franchise for three seasons. I’m not denying Landry had faults; leading the league in receptions while failing to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier isn’t a particularly good feat for any player. However, he had everything a fan would want as a player.

No one can deny that Landry would put his body on the line for that extra yard, whether it was on his own reception or blocking for a teammate. Aside from his toughness, he was also prone to making flashy plays that would awe fans. I don’t think Landry is among the 25 most talented Dolphins players of this century. To be honest, I don’t think he’s even a top-five most talented receiver, and yet there’s no doubt in my mind that he belongs on this list. Hell, perhaps he’s too low.

• #18 Brock Marion

In the 2000s, only three Dolphin players had more interceptions than Marion, and all three will be featured on the list. Marion was an integral part of the Dolphins’ early 2000s defenses, which featured three top-10 units in four years and resulted in four winning seasons, including two playoff appearances. While perhaps not as fondly remembered as Sam Madison or Patrick Surtain, Marion made the Pro Bowl three times as a member of the Dolphins while totaling 18 interceptions in those four years. Originally, Marion was brought over from Dallas due to his familiarity with Jimmy Johnson; however, the free safety ended up outlasting the coach in Miami before finally departing for Detroit in 2004. After he left, Miami’s defense went from the 3rd best in the NFL to the 20th. The Dolphins haven’t had a top-three defense since.

• #17 Joey Porter

When mentioning Porter around NFL circles, a large majority of people remember him in the Steelers’ black and gold. However, Dolphins fans know that the best year of his career occurred in Miami as he finished with 17.5 sacks in 2008 while earning Second-Team All-Pro honors. He was an integral figure in the Dolphins going from a 1-15 team to the 11-5 AFC East-winning team. Everyone talks about the Steelers typically letting good players leave and how they fall off a cliff when arriving at a new team – well, Porter was the exception. In three years in Miami totaled 32 sacks and 39 tackles for loss.. His 2008 season ranks second among the Dolphins ‘ single-season sack leaders, behind Jason Taylor.

• #16 Randy Starks

Big men in Football don’t get enough love, and that was always the case with Randy Starks. He signed with Miami in 2009 after an up-and-down first four years with the Titans. With the Dolphins, he was a model of consistency, starting 96 games and totaling 30 sacks in seven years. Despite his decent sack numbers, Starks was primarily impactful in run defense, frequently moving around the line as he could play all three downs, whether on the inside or outside. He was useful in all of the little things that tend to go unnoticed when watching a game on the TV broadcast, which is part of the reason I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Dolphins fan sporting a #94 Starks jersey. In spite of that, he managed to make two Pro Bowls as a Dolphin and remains one of the best free-agent signings of the century.

• #15 Jaylen Waddle

The second current Dolphin player to make their way onto the list just managed to crack the top 15 despite coming off the worst year of their young career. Perhaps his ranking can be seen as premature as he has only played four years in Miami and hasn’t made a Pro Bowl yet. And yet Waddle has accomplished the following:

• Most receptions by a rookie in NFL history in 2021 (record has now been broken).
• League leader in yards per reception (2022).
• Fourth most receiving yards in a single season by a Dolphin (2022).
• Fifth most receptions in a single season by a Dolphin (2021).
• Tenth most receiving yards as a Dolphin.

Not bad for someone who’s only spent four years in the league. If I did a Top 30 Dolphins list since 2000 and he hasn’t gone up this list, something’s gone badly wrong as he’s under contract with Miami through the 2028 season.

• #14 Brent Grimes

One of the most common occurrences in the NFL offseason is free agents signing a one-year prove it deal with a team in hopes of regaining past glory that sees them eventually land a bigger deal, the success rate on them is typically low; however, Brent Grimes was a home run. Grimes signed a one year prove-it deal in Miami with only two million guaranteed in 2013 after he’d suffered an achilles tear in 2012 that saw him miss most of the season. Grimes was a  30-year-old cornerback coming off an achilles surgery and somehow he was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in 2013. After his incredible 2013 season, Grimes was rewarded with a four year extension in Miami. He would put up two more solid seasons in Miami, earning Pro Bowl honors in all three years. Unfortunately, things turned bad after the 2015 season, in which despite the Pro Bowl honors, he saw his first real sign of decline, and off-the-field issues involving his wife, Ryan Tannehill, and Stephen Ross, Grimes ended up wanting out and was released by the Dolphins. 

• #13 Tua Tagovailoa

In my time following the Dolphins, no one has created more controversy on and off the field than Tua Tagovailoa. Whether it’s a conversation as to if he’s good or not or whether he should retire, he’s seemingly always talked about. I’m not going to make this about comparing Tua to other QBs around the NFL or talk about his unfortunate injury history. Instead, I’ll focus on what Tua has already accomplished as a member of the Dolphins.

He’s done the following:

• Third-most passing years in a single season by a Dolphin (2023).
• Fifth most passing touchdowns in a single season by a Dolphin (2023).
• Fourth among all-time Dolphins passing leaders
• All-Time Dolphins leader in passer rating.

Of course, that doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s also missed 20 games due to injury in his short career and has failed to end Miami’s playoff win drought. There’s a legitimate chance that this is the highest he’s ever going to be on a list like this, but that is yet to be determined. Whatever you may think of Tua, he’s the face of the team that has had winning seasons in all but one year of his career. 

• #12 Terron Armstead

On March 22, 2022, the Miami Dolphins signed Terron Armstead to a five-year deal worth up to $87.5 million, and after three years of playing under that contract, he announced his retirement.. Armstead spent the majority of his time here listed on the injury report and having fans hope that he’d be available for Sunday. Why did fans hope this? Because that’s how good a healthy Terron Armstead was. When he was in the lineup, he made the whole offense better as he was one of the game’s premier left tackles throughout his entire tenure in Miami.

Despite being stuck with a body that was breaking down and battling nagging injuries nearly every week of his three years here, I don’t think there’s any Dolphins fan that regrets Miami giving him that hefty contract. He was one of the best leaders in the Miami organization and solidified himself as a Dolphins great in his three years. It’s a shame his run couldn’t last longer in Miami.