There will be a lot of talk in the upcoming weeks and months about how the Miami Dolphins should approach this offseason. While many fans tend to tune out during this time of the year, I actually enjoy it. The team-building process is one of my favorite parts of the season. So, like the hundreds of other armchair General Managers, I’m going to take my shot at what I think the Dolphins should do this offseason.

I’m going to start with the organization’s leadership. Mike McDaniel and Chris Grief are in the hot seat. While I understand Stephen Ross’s desire to maintain continuity within the organization, the upcoming season will require both the GM and coach to improve.

This will be a controversial take, but Chris Grier has done a relatively decent job. In my opinion, he has brought in enough talent for this team to compete. Are there position rooms with holes in them? Of course. In today’s NFL, with a salary cap, it’s unrealistic to think you’re going to have elite players at every position. I hate using the injury bug as an excuse because I realize that that is life in the NFL but imagine a world where Phillips is healthy, Tua is healthy, Waddle is healthy, Armstead is healthy, Fuller is healthy, Jackson is healthy, etc.

That’s more than enough talent to be competitive. I also have the intellect to know that these guys also come with that “oft-injured” label, and that falls on Grier of not having the depth behind them to be the next man up. This offseason, Grier has to have above-average success in the draft. Young studs on cheap contracts are the bedrock of NFL franchises. This season is Grier’s put up or kick rocks season. 

Let’s cut to the chase: Mike McDaniel has to grow a pair. Like others, I enjoyed his different and quirky approach to leadership. As someone who works with young people, the hard-nosed, suck-it-up approach doesn’t necessarily work anymore, but there is definitely still a place for it. McDaniel needs to add that to his repertoire. When the season came to an end, and things started to leak from the locker room, it became apparent that McDaniel needed to be more heavy-handed in some situations. Become a true leader of men. It’s ok to have a laissez-faire attitude as long as you have a fastball when needed. Grown men will respect that.

McDaniel also has to delegate some tasks. One thing he is often criticized for is his playcalling. I’m on the fence about whether he should give up playcalling. When Mike is in his bag, there aren’t many better playcallers in the league. The problem, though, is that he’s missing instances where he needs to be the head coach and not the offensive coordinator.

McDaniel has to change some of the coaching personnel. I’m sure Danny Crossman is a nice guy, but he needed to be fired several years ago. The special teams unit has been a disaster for years. One name that could fill this opening is Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel. With the news of Mike McCarthy out in Dallas, it seems likely that much of his coaching staff will be, too.

Now I know Jimmy and Joes often trump Xs and Os, but the Cowboys were the only team in the NFL to have both a punt return and kick return (2) touchdown. They were second in the league in kick return yardage. He was the special teams coordinator and interim head coach for the Rams prior to Dallas, with stints in Baltimore and Oakland prior to that. Fassell would be high on my list for the Dolphins to pursue. 

The Miami Dolphins also fired wide receivers coach Wes Welker. This one may have caught some off guard, but if you look at the group as a whole, it should have been too surprising. Who was the last receiver the Dolphins have developed? I’ll wait. This group has been top-heavy for the past three years with Waddle and Hill. Miami has tried very unsuccessfully to find that third option until maybe this year with Washington. Welker’s job was to develop one of the several players that have been brought in over the past few years who were expected to fill that role. 

I still think the Miami Dolphins are closer than their performance has shown this season. The core is here. The core is pretty damn good, and McDaniel has one year left to figure out how to “change the narratives”. A slogan I’ve grown to despise!