For those closely following the Miami Dolphins, a clear shift or pivot in strategy is evident during this year’s free-agent frenzy. While the 2024 offseason did not feature major splash signings, the team decided to voluntarily re-up several key and expensive contracts, including those of Jaylen Ramsey, Tyreek Hill, and Tua Tagovailoa.
The result was a disappointing 2024 season marked by Tua’s injuries and the offense’s inability to muster up a decent performance without him, aside from against the lowly Cleveland Browns.
This year, the offseason strategy seems to be focused on adding value players to the roster who will help fill holes but who will also have little to no guaranteed money following this upcoming season. In addition, thus far, Chris Grier and Brandon Shore have not visited the ATM that is restructuring Tua’s contract—thereby missing out on an opportunity to create almost $20 million in cap space but also avoiding another three-year guaranteed sentence of having a polarizing quarterback lead the Dolphins for the next three seasons following 2025.
All signs point to 2025 being a pivotal year for determining the fate of the front office, coaching staff, and several high-profile players.
With so much riding on the line, I personally find it odd to see Miami’s cautious approach to free agency thus far unless Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier, and Steve Ross all know something that we don’t. It almost seems like there is some sort of implicit agreement in place with a succession plan.
With that in mind, I am contemplating a unique and out-of-the-box scenario that would just be so Miami Dolphins. Imagine the team struggling again right out of the gate and being below .500 by week 6. Imagine a scenario where Mike McDaniel is not fired per se but is forced to share head coaching responsibilities with Anthony Weaver.
While there are so many reasons why this would not be a practical option in the NFL due to personal egos, team culture, questions related to authority, and the inner workings of an NFL locker room, it would not be a stretch of the imagination to see Miami being a pioneer in this area. After all, this team’s front office constantly boasts about having a collaborative leadership structure and work environment where no one can ever be held responsible unless you step outside that inner circle to voice complaints.
In addition, McDaniel, while having a big ego, is a new age coach that purports to be open to all types of leadership and communications structures. So some sort of power-sharing structure between McDaniel and Weaver is not out of the realm of all possibilities and maybe this franchise can find a way to make such a wacky idea actually work in 2025.
