It wasn't a great season for the Miami Dolphins and Mike McDaniel in 2024, but they managed to battle back and came up just short of getting beyond .500. Now, the real work starts.
The Dolphins have made a quiet start to free agency but added talent to the roster. That work will continue in next month's draft. McDaniel has to control the flow and tempo of the games better while also maintaining the discipline that great teams show on Sundays.
While the Dolphins still have needs to address as free agency begins to cool down, there are many reasons to be excited for a turnaround this season.
Dolphins fans have reason to believe the team can bounce back in 2025
Continuity on defense will have a big impact on the players
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver didn't land a head coach job in this year's cycle. The Dolphins are big winners, as for the first time in McDaniel's tenure, he has his defensive coordinator back for Year 2. There is a lot to be said about continuity, and Weaver will bring that back to Miami this year.
The players who remain from last year will benefit from not having big changes made this offseason, and they will now have the time to focus on the nuances of the system they grew into last year. It's now important for Chris Grier to upgrade the unit in the draft.
Dolphins have a high ceiling offensively as Mike McDaniel enters Year 4
McDaniel isn't a bad game manager. He gets too wrapped up in trying to be cool and call his shots. He needs to settle down as a coach, and there are no more excuses as he enters Year 4. If last year served the Dolphins well, it would be a wake-up call for McDaniel to stop trying to be a friend to the players and be their coach.
There is a lot to like about McDaniel personally, and on the field, he has the tools at his disposal to be great. After the way Miami lost last year, it should be fun to see if McDaniel used the offseason to revamp his approach and game plan rather than running it back with what worked in 2023 without changing it.
Imagine a Dolphins team with a good offensive line
Grier began the offseason by admitting they needed to improve the offensive line. There's still work to do, but free-agent signing James Daniels should secure a starting job while Larry Borom provides depth at multiple positions.
Miami also needs to add talent in the draft. Can Grier help the Dolphins transition from a finesse-blocking team to a more physical unit?
If the Dolphins can check this box, the passing game can grow from a quick two-second read-and-react system. The running game can become more of a dual threat, where the guard/center gaps come into play rather than running outside all the time.
Tyreek Hill could have a chip on his shoulder
Tyreek Hill apologized to his team and feels remorse for how he handled the way the season ended. He should come back with a vengeance in 2025.
The No. 1 player in the league, according to the NFL Top 100 voting, has to play better. He needs to be in McDaniel's face to make changes to the offense to get him more involved when defenses take him out of the game plan...and that does not mean wide receiver screens.
Jonnu Smith could be the key to making the Dolphins' offense work
Jonnu Smith had a near-perfect 2024 season. McDaniel didn't truly know how to use him, but after several weeks of Smith being an afterthought and defenses taking away Hill and Jaylen Waddle, McDaniel had no choice but to feature Smith in his play-calling.
It worked. Smith caught 88 passes for 884 yards and a team-best eight touchdowns.
Now, McDaniel knows what he has and needs to work Smith into the system from the start. Smith can open the running game and create space for the deep ball to Hill and Waddle. His role can be the difference between the Dolphins making the playoffs or missing them.