The Miami Dolphins rebuilt their team in 2019. It didn't work. They tried again in 2022, but that hasn't worked either. One of the reasons is continuity, but you can't have that with so much turnover.
Fans know that you can't pay everyone in the NFL a big, long contract. You have to supplement the roster with players that are on short-term deals, but too many of those types of contracts eventually bite you.
For Chris Grier and the Dolphins, those deals are biting, and when you can't hit on players in the draft, it puts a lot of pressure on the guys making all the money.
Miami Dolphins have to get out of the habit of supplementing their roster with low-end contracts
Rarely will players receive one-year deals when they are great. They typically are borderline roster players or players who are in the twilight of their careers. Maybe an injury history is preventing them from earning more (not from Grier, of course).
According to Spotrac.com, when the league's new year began in March of 2024, the Dolphins signed 22 players to their roster during free agency to one-year contracts. Of the 26 free agents, only four received deals longer than one season. In 2023, that number was 19 one-year deals.
It only got worse in 2025. Miami added 28 players to its roster, some of whom were, of course, on the team last year. Of those 28 players, all but three had been with the team for more than one season. This number also includes players added during training camp and since the season started.
The trend, regardless of the numbers, shows Miami is investing in the top of its roster with large amounts of money. This is where the Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Jalen Ramsey money eats into the cap. Next year, it could be uglier.
The Dolphins will have 28 impending free agents they will need to make decisions on next March. Only five of them are restricted free agents.
Most teams can handle roster turnover, but when a bad team can't find quality starters, make solid draft pick decisions, and make free-spending trades, they are often left with bargain shopping that doesn't help anyone. In this case, it isn't helping the Dolphins.
On the upside, if Grier is let go after this season, the new head coach and general manager will have a nearly clean slate to work with as they, well, once again try to rebuild the franchise.
The solution is easy to say, but apparently is much harder to implement. They need to add players on two and three-year mid-level contracts and stop overpaying premium prices on guys that don't deserve it.
Reducing the number of one-year deals to less than 10 on your actual roster would also eliminate a lot of the journeymen players who are not making the right types of impact.
Players learn a system, and it doesn't often click immediately. By the time they get it under their skin, the season is over, and they are once again on the street as a free agent.