The Miami Dolphins are heading into an interesting season that could see head coach Mike McDaniel's career take a turn similar to former "genius" hires.
Bleacher Report has not been kind to the Dolphins this offseason. Most media outlets haven't been kind, and it has been pointed out repeatedly in emails to me that I haven't exactly been a pillar of positivity, but one of the least desirable teams to be traded to? I wouldn't go that far.
B/R lists the Dolphins and the division-rival New York Jets among the NFL's five "least desirable trade destinations." Have we really come this far...down? To be fair, they do list the uncertainty of McDaniel's future as well as the health concerns of the franchise's quarterback.
It shouldn't be a surprise, given the uncertainty over McDaniel's and Chris Grier's futures, along with the salary cap issues, that the Dolphins are considered one of the league's worst trade destinations.
Dolphins are no longer a destination players should hope for
Not one Dolphins fan is hoping for a collapse in 2025 just so McDaniel can be fired, and frankly, there is no guarantee that a collapse would force Stephen Ross into making that move. There are, however, problems in the organization that need to be fixed.
It wasn't long ago, two years to be exact, that Miami was a sudden hot spot destination for veteran free agents who were not simply seeking a big payday. The Dolphins were suddenly relevant after McDaniel was hired. They went to the playoffs and were a team the players raved about being a part of. Everything was looking up. Then 2024 happened, and it all came crashing down.
Over the course of the last two seasons, the Dolphins have been called soft by a former player, were called out as soft by one of their linebackers after a loss, and had another player say he only joined the team because he heard the camp practices were easy. The list goes on.
Add it all together, and it's not a pretty picture in Miami (again). The Dolphins were close to turning it all around until Tua Tagovailoa went down last year, and Miami could not move forward without him.
Add to the equation the poor play due to Tyreek Hill's wrist injury that he dealt with all season, and now the drama with Jalen Ramsey, and it becomes clear Miami has to turn it around this year, or more changes will need to be made.