On the surface, it's never good to lose a member of your team to a division rival. Unless they aren't very good. That hasn't been the case for the Miami Dolphins in a very long time. On Wednesday, they officially released Bradley Chubb, who joined the Bills. Then they lost a tight end to another division rival.
Julian Hill has had his ups and downs since joining Miami as an undrafted free agent. Most of the time, he was down. His inconsistent play often drew the ire of Dolphins' fans. Now, those same fans are hoping he continues to negate positive yards on first and second downs with holding calls on his new team: the New England Patriots.
More #Patriots moves: They have agreed to terms with FA TE Julian Hill and FA S Mike Brown, per The Insiders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2026
Miami Dolphins fans are hoping Julian Hill's struggles will continue with the Patriots
Hill took just 35% of the offensive snaps in his rookie year in 2023. That improved to 48% a year later, and in 2025, he was up over 50%. Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel loved him, but the fit never seemed to work. Despite his problems, McDaniel continued to plug him in.
There was a lot to like about Hill. He has great size for a tight end, but he wasn't a great blocker, and he wasn't a great pass-catcher either. In this league, you need to be at least above average at one of those two if you're a tight end.
The biggest problem for Hill has been the timing of his infractions on the field. In 2023, he committed five offensive penalties. One on 3rd and 12 and another on 4th and 7. It didn't improve in 2024 when he drew nine penalties, including four against the Seahawks.
2025 was much cleaner for Hill, and it appeared that the Dolphins should take a look at keeping him around for another season. He reduced his penalties to just two, but statistically, he wasn't making big improvements where they needed him to.
Hill had become an afterthought in the offense. A year earlier, Jonnu Smith was putting up Pro Bowl numbers, and last season, McDaniel was putting his offense on the shoulders of Darren Waller, at least when he was healthy. The problem was that Hill wasn't picking up the slack.
The Dolphins added veteran Greg Dulcich to the team in 2025, and he played 10 games for Miami. In those 10 games, he posted 438 yards receiving to Hill's 140. Hill's prowess wasn't as a pass-catcher, however, but despite the need for more blocking help, more snaps began to flow in Dulcich's direction. Miami re-signed him before free agency started.
In New England, the Patriots may be able to advance Hill's potential into a reality, but Dolphins fans are not too worried about it.