An interesting offseason awaits the Miami Dolphins. Owner Stephen Ross is keeping faith in general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel, but changes need to happen.
The Dolphins will enter 2025 with a lot of work to do. They are further from being a competitor than they may internally think. Miami will not be cash-strapped, but they can't freely spend either, which could prohibit them from making big moves.
With both Grier and McDaniel potentially entering the season on the hot seat, they need to get it all figured out before free agency and the draft.
What can we expect this offseason?
Bold predictions for the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 offseason
1. Dolphins will turn down several offers for Tyreek Hill ahead of the draft
Miami will receive calls about Hill and may have already. The Dolphins' top wide receiver has said he wants out.
His agent played down Hill's comments, but one thing is certain: we have not heard the last of this. That leads to interest from other teams. The Dolphins should accept calls, and they will probably receive several offers from teams hoping to get a bargain. By trading Hill, Miami would have to eat a significant dead cap hit, making a deal more complicated.
Expect reports that the Dolphins turned down offers this offseason, and Hill remains with the team.
2. Dolphins will re-sign one of their impending free-agent guards
Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones are both impending free agents, and the Dolphins will likely make an offer to one of them. The Dolphins may try to re-sign Eichenberg. For some reason, they like him and believe he can play more than one position.
Jones is the better option of the two. The other will need to come from free agency, but don't expect the Dolphins to spend a lot of money on the position. Chances are, Miami will add a mid-round guard in the draft. If they are as high on Andrew Meyer as it seems, Jones and Eichenberg could be gone, and Meyer will take over one of the two spots.
3. Dolphins will opt to retain Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr.
It is a foregone conclusion that Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. will hit free agency this year. Wilson is an impending free agent, and Mostert should be released for cap savings. Right?
Perhaps not. If the Dolphins lose both, they would need to strengthen the running back corps. Mostert is now a backup to De'Von Achane, and Jaylen Wright is pushing to become RB2. Wilson has been the odd man out.
The Dolphins can retain Wilson on a one-year deal at a low cost, and he may not get a better offer on the market. Mostert will likely restructure his contract to stay in Miami for another season. If both leave, the Dolphins have to either waste another draft pick to replace them or add at least one running back in free agency. McDaniel likes both players and if there is a way to keep them, he will.
4. Jevon Holland will turn down an offer from the Dolphins and leave in free agency
Holland has said he is open to returning to the Dolphins, but also that he is willing to play somewhere else. This is clearly about money, and there is nothing wrong with that.
The Dolphins didn't discuss a contract extension in 2024 but have said they are talking with Holland's agency. This isn't going to lead anywhere unless Miami makes an offer that makes him the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
Holland wants to test the market, and while he probably won't become the highest-paid safety in the league, he is considered to be the best free agent at the position. The Dolphins can't match what another team will offer, and Holland knows that. They will make an offer, but he will turn it down and move elsewhere.
5. Dolphins' backup quarterback decision will not thrill the fans
The Dolphins say they are committed to fixing the backup quarterback situation this offseason. Grier stated they tried to land a top backup last year, but money was an issue. That isn't going to change this offseason, either. With other holes on the roster, it is hard to imagine Grier allocating a few million or more in cap space to a backup quarterback.
That means Miami will bargain shopping again and tout it as being the player they wanted all along. It would be pleasantly surprising if the Dolphins landed a top backup, but money remains an issue, so fans should expect an aging veteran with some starting experience. Think of an Andy Dalton-type signing to compete with Tyler Huntley.