Nothing is easy in the NFL. For Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, his 2025 offseason is a critical one that could lead to his job being on the line in 2025.
It's hard to imagine Stephen Ross firing Grier. More than likely, he would ask Grier to take another position within the organization, similar to what he did with Mike Tannenbaum. Ross is far too loyal to the wrong people. That leads to making tough decisions that could save or cost someone like Grier their job.
Mike McDaniel's future with Miami is not entirely in his control either. He can be judged by his own coaching mishaps, but ultimately, he too is reliant on Grier to provide him the roster he can win with. So far, McDaniel hasn't done that.
An interesting year awaits. The Dolphins do not have an easy schedule, will play a home game in Spain, and have a lot of holes and impending free agents. Still, they have to make these tough decisions.
Here are three pressing problems they must fix.
Dolphins must quickly make a decision on Tyreek Hill's future
This was never a question until Week 18 of the regular season when Hill simply walked off the field and proceeded to tell the media he was done with the Dolphins. Since then, neither the Dolphins nor his agent have definitely said, "Tyreek Hill will be back."
Miami is left with a conundrum. Keep a player who isn't happy with his situation and has made it clear he wants out, trade him for whatever they can possibly get at this point while eating a big chunk of his salary, or they can offer him more money to make him happy. None of that sounds great, but make no mistake, the Dolphins need clarity.
Dolphins need to find ways to create cap space
The Dolphins will get some relief from the NFL's annual rise in cap space, but they will still need to make roster choices due to their cap problems. For all the "cap isn't real" comments, it is very much real when you have to trim salaries, restructure annually, and sign players to one-year deals to fill your roster. Miami will also need to release some players.
Durham Smythe, Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller, and even Jason Sanders are all players that could be released to add more space. Ultimately, Grier and McDaniel need to examine the roster's deficiencies and make decisions that best put Miami in a position to compete in 2025.
Dolphins need a game plan to fix their offensive line
The best teams in the NFL all have good or great offensive lines. The Dolphins do not. They are not even mid. Grier has said it is time to address the line issues, but those words are easier said than done.
Grier can talk about fixing the most glaring problem on his offense, but his time as a general manager since 2016 says differently. It's hard to imagine Grier suddenly opening his eyes to spending money on a guard or using a top draft pick on one, but if his job is on the line, he may have no choice.
The bigger issue is whether or not he can identify quality linemen. He traded up for Liam Eichenberg and invested cheaply in an injured Isaiah Wynn. His decisions this offseason at the position will determine what happens on the field in 2025.