As the Miami Dolphins prepare for the 2025 NFL season, many fans are left questioning general manager Chris Grier’s decisions in free agency, especially regarding the trenches.
We have not made any other substantial additions to the offensive line outside of adding James Daniels, who we hope can return to 100% by the regular season. And it’s even worse on the defensive line, especially considering who is left out there in free agency.
One of the biggest question marks is whether or not Terron Armstead will continue to play. Armstead is a cornerstone of the Dolphins’ offensive line and has been a reliable performer when healthy.
However, his availability has been an issue since before his time as a Dolphin, and there are growing concerns about whether he will choose to retire. With no clear answer on Armstead’s future, the Dolphins are left in a precarious situation at tackle.
The team does have Patrick Paul and recently signed Larry Borom to help shore up the tackle unit—unless they have Borom transitioning to guard—but they are not nearly as solid as Armstead. It’s unclear whether they can hold up over the long haul, especially against top-tier pass rushers.
Even with the addition of James Daniels, the interior of the O-line is still a question mark. This needed to be emphasized based on our struggles and our shorter quarterback, but it almost seems like we are throwing a bandaid on a bigger issue. If we don’t make any other solid additions and/or hit in the draft, we are set up to fail from the get-go once again.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the defensive line has also been largely ignored. Miami’s defense struggled to generate consistent pressure last season, and while they have some promising pieces, there is still a glaring need for a dominant presence up front alongside Zach Seiler.
The hope for some is to bring back Calais Campbell, and while that would be fantastic for so many reasons, he is a rotational piece because he is nearly 40 years old, and we would likely need to add another defensive tackle. If Campbell doesn’t come back, the Dolphins need to add a tackle in the next waves of free agency and in the draft.
Based on the first week of free agency, I do not have confidence that Chris Grier will adequately address the trenches to be a contender. In terms of legitimate help that is out there, we may have missed the boat on solid players. I also don’t believe that Chris Grier can draft more than 2-3 players that can fill the holes we have in CB, DT, S, and the O-line.
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