The Miami Dolphins' offseason consisted of Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan leaning heavily on those they were familiar with. Hafley brought in coaches he had worked with in the past, while Sullivan added players with ties to the Green Bay Packers.
There was nothing surprising about the addition of former Vikings and Packers tight end Ben Sims. He spent three seasons with Green Bay. Sullivan knew him well, so when he left for the Vikings last season, Sullivan brought him to Miami as a free agent.
Sims is supposed to give Greg Dulcich some competition, but so far, the veteran TE hasn't impressed. At least not according to some in the media.
Miami Dolphins' Ben Sims faces critical training camp after lackluster OTAs
Sims has never been a big threat in the passing game. He is considered more of a blocking tight end. The Dolphins were hoping they could continue to develop him, and maybe they will, but the early returns aren't promising.
To be fair, the Dolphins have not put pads on yet. Players who rely on physicality are at a disadvantage during OTAs and mini-camps, relying instead on techniques. Sims may shine brighter in training camp.
Miami is banking on Sims becoming a reliable number two tight end, but he has to do better than he did this offseason. If he can't, Sullivan may have to look for an available free agent or trade for one. Miami drafted two tight ends in April's draft, but the position isn't an easy one to learn, so the door is open for Sims, who has the experience that they don't.
Despite being in the league for three seasons, Sims' playing time hasn't been where he would likely hope it to be. In his two seasons with the Packers, he took just 21% of the offensive snaps, a career high in 2024. That dropped to 18% with the Vikings last year.
If Sims doesn't work out, Sullivan has options. He could, but likely won't, look to former Dolphins Jonnu Smith. He could look toward a seasoned veteran like Zach Ertz or Will Dissly, but the pool isn't deep beyond them.
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