When Mike McDaniel was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, what came next was a mere formality. The absolute roster demolition anyone could see coming from a mile away came to fruition quickly. In the NFL, eras pass at lightning pace, and the McDaniel era was no different. From the final contest of the season to late March, the pseudo-band that was given The Greatest Show on Surf tag — McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle — left De'Von Achane to enter his Michael Jackson arc as a solo artist.
While no one will mistake the 2025 Dolphins for a team that was good or great, some players made strong contributions to an otherwise disappointing season. They proved more than capable of being serviceable players at the NFL level. In an interesting twist, when Jeff Hafley took over, he retained a handful of assistants from McDaniel's final staff. This provides a bridge for some of these players to potentially come back for another year.
What's left of the Dolphins' remaining free agents is generally slim pickings. This quintet of veterans, however, would make some sense to return, particularly in roles familiar to them under their old coaches. They could help the Dolphins' whopping 13 rookies (plus any undrafted free agents who make the team) develop.
With holes on the roster, the Miami Dolphins don't need to look far to find valuable depth
Cornerback Rasul Douglas
You'd be hard-pressed to find a less-experienced and more untested group of corners than the one currently employed by Miami. The unit is currently headlined by first-round pick Chris Johnson, second-year Dolphin JuJu Brents, second-year fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr., and free agent additions Darrell Baker Jr. and Alex Austin. Needless to say, the group could use an infusion of veteran leadership.
Not only does Douglas have nine years of NFL experience under his belt, but he was also a top-ranked cornerback in 2025. His age continues to work against him as it relates to interest from other teams, but a 73.0 passer rating surrendered indicates he's still got the juice. Douglas could start alongside Johnson and provide invaluable mentorship to the group, who surely wish to carve out careers as successful as his.
Douglas is also already familiar with assistant defensive backs coach DeShawn Shead after spending last season together.
Offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill
Brunskill joined the team late and instantly carved out a meaningful role on offense. A pseudo-fullback/sixth offensive lineman, he assisted De'Von Achane's excellent season in a variety of ways. Similar to Douglas, he has seen a lot of movement in his old position room. The Dolphins have added first-round pick Kadyn Proctor and sixth-round pick D.J. Campbell to the group, as well as former Los Angeles Charger Jamaree Salyer.
Brunskill is nonetheless familiar with the Dolphins' holdover offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and last year's reassigned assistant offensive line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre. He would instantly provide a wealth of experience with his seven years in the league to a group of youthful players who are still learning, and he has experience at multiple positions along the offensive line. As far as depth goes, the Dolphins can do a lot worse than Daniel Brunskill.
EDGE defender Quinton Bell
Quinton Bell earned Dolphins fans' attention with his appearance on Hard Knocks. He built off that exposure by making the active roster as a depth defensive lineman behind Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Chop Robinson. The new regime in charge left Chop Robinson and special teams ace Cameron Goode as the only holdovers in the room, with the rest of the group representing a hodgepodge of rookies and former high-draft picks trying to resurrect their careers.
Bell was always a solid player for Miami — the kind of guy who sets the edge, makes tackles in the run game, and is generally solid if not spectacular. Jeff Hafley retained defensive line coach Austin Clark (originally hired by Brian Flores) and even expanded his responsibilities. If the Dolphins wind up adding to the group due to injuries or a change in circumstances over the coming months, Clark may opt for familiarity and suggest Quinton Bell.
Safeties Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu
Last year's leaders in the safety room (at least when Minkah Fitzpatrick was working the nickel spot) both remain available. A quick peek into their advanced metrics makes it pretty clear why. Both Davis and Melifonwu were victimized in coverage to the tune of 121.8 and 128.0 passer ratings allowed, respectively. Regardless, they have some things that none of Dante Trader Jr., Lonnie Johnson Jr., Zayne Anderson, and Michael Taaffe possess: Experience and periods of high-level play in their careers.
Despite their struggles in coverage, the duo was generally durable and willing to tackle with 50+ tackles each. They both stand over 6'0", so they also represent Jon-Eric Sullivan's soft requirement for his defensive backs. Neither Davis nor Melifonwu should be relied upon as starters any longer, but that doesn't mean they can't supplement the youth movement taking place with experienced depth.
Expectations are admittedly low for the Dolphins this year. An underrated aspect of rookie development is mentorship, not only from their coaches but also from their peers. Ask any player, and they probably have a name of someone whom they relied on as "their vet." An unintended consequence of such a large rookie class is a proven lack of NFL production on the roster. The Dolphins could change that with these familiar faces.
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