Not every Miami Dolphins player of yesteryear lost this offseason amid the new regime's mass purge of the roster. In fact, a lot of those veterans went on to more promising situations.
While a couple of newly minted Fins got the short end of the [fish? sorry] stick to some degree, some of those who did survive GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's personnel overhaul emerged as winners. As you might infer, running back De'Von Achane was among them after a big contract extension.
We'll dive into Achane a bit, but there are others to consider who are perhaps feeling the consequences of Miami's rebuild more than most in the building.
Miami Dolphins winners and losers are a good sign of things to come
Winner: JuJu Brents
Sometimes in the NFL (and in life), actions speak louder than words. The Dolphins didn't have a bunch of cash to spend in free agency. They did draft a cornerback in the first round in Chris Johnson, too.
Nevertheless, JuJu Brents stands out as a big winner. Miami did sign other bargain-bin players at his position on the open market, yet nobody to really challenge Brents, who's a potential game-changer for Jeff Hafley's defense when healthy.
That's the key. Brents has battled injuries throughout his NFL career. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the 44th overall pick from the 2023 draft has a shot to set himself up for a handsome payday next offseason.
When Brents was in action in 2025, he was something of a revelation. He made five tackles, recovered a fumble, and gave up two catches for 12 yards on five targets in Week 10's shocking 30-13 win over Buffalo.
Quite a small sample size. Hard to extrapolate much from one game. Nevertheless, Brents has legit CB1 upside. If Johnson lives up to the hype, and Brents can remain on the field, Hafley may have himself a stellar boundary tandem in the secondary.

Loser: Malik Willis

Less than a calendar week after signing on the dotted line, Malik Willis watched his would-be top passing target, Jaylen Waddle, get traded to Denver.
Willis did say he had a soft awareness that a deal might go down. Still, no matter how bullish Phin Phanatics (or is it only me?) may be about Tutu Atwell, Willis does not have a legit No. 1 wide receiver to throw to.
Sullivan and Hafley hail from Green Bay, where Willis just spent the past two seasons as Jordan Love's backup. They must have serious faith in Willis' ability to elevate the talent around him — and he must've known he'd have some margin for error/starting job runway whilst playing with an underwhelming supporting cast.
It feels like Willis is analogous to a hard-working actor who just got his big break in Hollywood, only to star in a dopey big-budget tentpole movie with a bad/written-on-the-fly script that's more or less dead on arrival.
In other words, Willis' dream to be a starting NFL quarterback is about to come true. Hard to imagine walking into a more adverse working environment, though.
Winner: Jonah Savaiinaea
For all the housecleaning Sullivan did, you're telling me he didn't get rid of the worst guard in the NFL from last year? Savaiinaea played on the right side of the line (guard and tackle) in college, only to kick over to left guard in 2025 and get absolutely dominated.
There's no question that the Arizona product has the physical tools to flourish. Hence, the Dolphins traded up in the second round for him in the first place.
Instead of bringing in someone to replace him in the starting lineup, the coaching staff has shuffled Savaiinaea back to the right side at guard. First-round rookie Kadyn Proctor is the projected starter at left guard.
If there isn't much urgency for the Dolphins to win now, well, Savaiinaea has to string together some wins on his personal reps in short order. Otherwise, he'll either be riding the pine or get waived.
Loser: Caleb Douglas
Reaching on draft picks relative to the consensus board is more of a risk than it used to be. The whole draftnik community is a lot smarter these days, and by anyone's evaluation, Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas was a colossal reach with the 75th overall pick.
Since Sullivan had so many Day 2 selections to burn, maybe Douglas was a metaphorical dart throw. But with fellow rookie Chris Bell still on the mend from a torn ACL, Miami could've found someone more pro-ready or productive in college to better position Willis to succeed.
This isn't such a good spot for Douglas to be in. If the on-field output doesn't match his high draft billing, fans will be calling for his job very early.
Douglas did have 114 catches for 1,723 yards and 13 TDs over the last two years at Texas Tech. He's 6'3.5" with sub-4.4 40 speed. Not a bad combo. But from the moment he suits up, Dolphins fans will be watching him like hawks to see if he can perform.
Winner: De’Von Achane
So yeah, the contract makes Achane a self-evident offseason winner. He also benefited from the acquisition of Willis. Not only does the quarterback's superior arm strength to Tua Tagovailoa threaten the field vertically, but Willis is an electrifying runner who can open up lanes for Achane.
There's also the offensive line to consider. Proctor can't possibly do worse than Savaiinaea did at left guard a season ago. Savaiinaea is back on his preferred side of the line.
Oh, and stud center Aaron Brewer got a new contract as well, so he's locked in place. If Austin Jackson stays healthy at right tackle and Patrick Paul keeps ascending at left tackle, this Miami o-line could shock a lot of people.
Achane doesn't need much room to take it to the house on any given play. He has a ridiculous 5.6 yards per carry on 544 NFL rushing attempts to date. This man is about to continue to cook.
Winner: Chop Robinson
Similar to Brents in a way, just with a larger profile, 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson didn't get any worthy challengers to his spot at defensive end.
After lighting it up as a rookie, Robinson endured the classic sophomore slump. The likes of Josh Uche and David Ojabo won't press him for a starting job, so it's up to Robinson to prove to Hafley that he can be a dynamic pass rusher and add better run defense to his arsenal.
When you look at the type of upside Robinson possesses based on sheer athleticism, it's hard not to get excited about how Hafley's coaching could help him realize his potential.
Chop Robinson, new #Dolphins pass rusher, may not come anywhere near the production of future hall of famer (and one of the chief inspirations for #RAS) Von Miller, but from an athletic standpoint they aren't too far off. Would be an absolute high water mark for Robinson. pic.twitter.com/VkOLfbJOqI
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 26, 2024
We'll see if Robinson is ready to answer the bell and emerge as the superstar the Dolphins frankly need to be competitive any time soon.
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