No NFL team has a perfect roster; every General Manager and Head Coach will point out issues with what they have on their team. Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel are no different, but as an objective observer, I can say the issues facing the Dolphins (minus one) are not significant.
Mike McDaniel, Frank Smith, Anthony Weaver, and Chris Grier must be pleased with their current roster.
I know, I know, the offensive line is problematic, and Miami’s offensive line isn’t very good. Anyone (fan or media type) who tries to tell you differently is lying to you. But I don’t want to make this another article about the offensive line.
We know it’s an issue and will address it in another article.
So, putting that aside, the rest of the issues with the Dolphins are minor.
After three weeks of training camp and two preseason games, what are “Dolphins Fans” complaining about?
The Punter
The Backup Quarterback
Will we carry a 4th tight end
Who will Miami’s 6th wide receiver be
Which one of the undrafted rookie cornerbacks should we keep on the 53-man roster?
Seriously, these things are all small potatoes and won’t play a factor in whether Miami wins the AFC East in 2024 or not, or whether Miami wins a playoff game in 2024 or not.
Yes, having a lousy punter can affect a game and make things harder on Miami’s defense. But it’s a punter, at the end of the day, so let’s keep the outrage in check and not go overboard.
Regarding the backup quarterback position, few teams have a stable and quality backup quarterback. So, if Tua goes down for any length of time (meaning two games or more, in my opinion) and has to miss games, Miami is screwed, and their season is over as Mike White and/or Skylar Thompson isn’t beating any team in a real game. As it is for most teams in this league.
With all due respect to Tanner Connor and Jody Forston, if one or neither make the 53-man roster, it is nothing Dolphins fans should stay up nights worrying about. The same can be said about who Miami’s sixth wide receiver will be.
As we all know, the Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game in 24 years. In recent years and for the longest time, the Dolphins have had major issues and problems at various positions. For the past decade-plus, pick a year and a position; odds are Miami had a major issue with it.
What the Miami Dolphins have now is what you call “champagne problems.” That means, yeah, there are problems, but they are minor in scope. It’s like a rich guy worried about when to open and close his pool. Is it a problem? Yeah, maybe for him, but he still has a pool at the end of the day, so nobody worries about it or him at the end of the day.
I don’t know how this 2024 season will play out for the Miami Dolphins, but I think it will look similar to the 2023 season: win many games, make the playoffs, and have trouble beating good teams with that offensive line.
But outside of that one issue (that pesky offensive line), the Dolphins have very few real issues as they head into the start of the 2024 season and Week 1.
Let’s hope Tua is able to avoid an up the middle rush. Grier’s reluctance to address this issue is an outrage. A punter? I would start having auditions. Hopefully some of the rookie DB’s will avoid waivers and make the pratice squad.