The offseason for the Miami Dolphins has arrived. OTAs and minicamps are in the rearview mirror, with training camp on the horizon.
The Dolphins, specifically Mike McDaniel, are hoping this year's offseason practice sessions will provide a path to a new culture where players are not just going through the motions or lying about wanting change. The Dolphins are hoping they have the right players on the field who want to be there while also hoping they let the problematic players go.
Miami ended its offseason work with a slip-n-slide practice, a fumble drill with a fire hose. It was wet, fun, and intended to draw the players closer as a team. The question is, will it actually work?
Rooks slidin' through 🛝 pic.twitter.com/LyA5vLHaW4
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) June 13, 2025
The Dolphins may need more than a fire hose to wash off the dirt while changing their culture. They need to change their identity, too. It begins not with a mere accumulation of water and mud, but rather with physicality, determination, and desire.
This is where the Dolphins need to change. Miami has the right players, a talented group that will eventually form a 53-man roster. While the team now spreads out around the country, if not the world, the hope is they will return energized and ready for the grueling training camp schedule.
Mike McDaniel needs to change the Dolphins' training camp structure if change is going to happen
Camp can not be easy. It has been stated over and over again that the Dolphins' training camp is easy. Calais Campbell made a point of saying it was the reason he joined them last year. McDaniel has to do his job better, and it starts with holding the players accountable, not expecting them to do so themselves.
Physical toughness can't be taught, but it can be an expectation that is instilled in the threads of a player's being. The Dolphins can't hold back and keep guys like Kenneth Grant from pushing too hard. Keeping players fresh is important, but taking away the drive is something else.
Miami isn't known as an imposing team, not physically. They are fast, but that doesn't scare teams anymore. If the Dolphins are going to be feared, they have to give teams a reason to fear them.