No matter what the Miami Dolphins want to believe, they do not have a winning culture built in South Florida. They have a team that should be winning, but are not.
This offseason will be another critical one for many reasons, including the futures of both Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel, but if Stephen Ross truly wants to build a culture that is dominant and consistently wins, they need to find players who are coming out of a winning season and building on what they already have been taught.
From physical trench play to self-discipline, the Dolphins have a lot of things to work on ahead of the 2025 season, and this past Super Bowl should be a starting point for change. Adding a few of those players who played in the big game wouldn't hurt.
Mekhi Becton went from being a draft bust to a Super Bowl champion.
It truly is all about coaching, and for the Dolphins, watching a potential guard addition get jettisoned for their rivals, the New York Jets, and landing on a Super Bowl team like the Eagles is something they can smile about. Now, Becton is going to try and turn the championship into a payday. He isn't going to break any banks, but he had a great season with the Eagles, and he would fill a huge need for the Dolphins. Butch Barry should be able to keep his upward momentum going.
Avonte Maddux could provide competition in the Dolphins' secondary.
Maddux won't be a hugely expensive corner when he hits the market but for the Dolphins, they need to find depth and someone that can start should Kendall Fuller get released. Maddux is coming off a good season and will surely cash in on the Super Bowl but his value should still remain lower than others on the market.
Milton Williams would make a great addition to the Dolphins' defensive front
Williams had one of the best seasons of any defensive tackle last year and in the Super Bowl, he was an absolute menace to Patrick Mahomes. Williams won't be cheap, but he shouldn't cost as much as the Raiders paid Christian Wilkins last offseason. Miami has to invest some money, and doing so here would give the Dolphins a great pairing with Zach Sieler, as well as a more physical punch up front. It would also free the Dolphins to look elsewhere early in the draft.
Matt Araiza could again become and option for the Dolphins
The booming punter has not had a great start to his NFL career after being drafted by the Bills and subsequently released due to a legal issue that turned out to be wrong. Araiza joined the Chiefs last year on a one year deal and will hit free agency this year if they don't re-sign him. Jake Bailey is as inconsistent as a punter can be and the only thing tying him down in Miami might be as the holder for Jason Sanders.
Trey Smith is the perfect guard for the Dolphins
To put this in better perspective, Smith is going to get more money than Robert Hunt did with the Panthers and the Dolphins wouldn't play Hunt the money he got, they are not going to pay Smith more. In a perfect world, the Dolphins would find a way to make it work and immediately improve their offensive line, but it's the Dolphins, so nothing is ever close to perfect...well, not since 1972.