The Miami Dolphins' idea of fixing their offensive line problems was to sign James Daniels and Larry Borom in free agency, then trade draft capital to move up and take Arizona's Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round of last April's draft.
Needless to say, the parting gift from Chris Grier just kept getting worse. Now, the Dolphins are back to square one with their guard situation. If it could be any worse, Pro Football Focus just gave fans a reason to throw more shade in Chris Grier's direction.
PFF offensive grades for rookie LGs in the 2025 season (minimum 400 snaps):
— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) December 31, 2025
1. Dylan Fairchild (CIN) - 60.8
2. Donovan Janckson (MIN) - 59.1
3. Grey Zabel (SEA) - 51.8
4. Connor Colby (SF) - 50.7
5. Jared Wilson (NE) - 49.9
6. Jonah Savaiinaea (MIA) - 29.1 pic.twitter.com/Dyi0NeeGDP
Miami Dolphins Jonah Savaiinaea is one of the worst-ranked rookies and offensive linemen in all of the NFL
We won't bother to post how badly the young guard compares to the rest of the league, but PFF's focus on the rookies clearly shines a bright interrogation light on the decision Grier made to draft Savaiinaea. 29.1 says more than a series of strung-together words could.
The decision to leave the rookie in all year speaks volumes to the "Grier-Way." He needed Savaiinaea to succeed, and when it was clear he needed more time to develop or finish his first season looking like a bust, Grier spoke about getting him reps while Butch Barry talked about the little details he was fixing.
Miami should have benched him. If nothing else, it would have sent a message that his play was unacceptable. The next GM will have his hands full finding competition for that starting job. Saviinaea may have shown dimly lit glimpses of what he may be able to do, but they can't wait for him to grow overnight.
Savaiinaea has had 16 games to get better and couldn't; there is no reason to hand him the starting job without having someone behind him pushing him for his job. That will be another of those top offseason decisions that need to be made.
The one player Grier did get right, however, was Patrick Paul. He and Aaron Brewer may be the only two building blocks on the entire offensive line. Austin Jackson's contract is cut-prohibitive, but in 2027, he is likely gone as well. Don't be surprised if the Dolphins' next GM doesn't start making those moves for the future when the 2026 season kicks into gear on March 11th.