Where Are The 2025 Miami Dolphins Most Improved & How Do Their Improvements Compare To The AFCE?

Where Are The 2025 Miami Dolphins Most Improved & How Do Their Improvements Compare To The AFCE?

What position rooms on this Dolphins roster are better than they were last year? And how do their improvements stack up to the rest of the AFC East? We’re exploring that here today on Locked on Dolphins. You are Locked on Dolphins, your daily Miami Dolphins podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. All right, Miami. Welcome to another episode of Lockdown Dolphins. It is your team every day here on the Lockdown Network. I’m your host, Kyle Krabs, a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan, host of Locked on Dolphins, co-host of Locked on NFL scouting, author of Touchdown Miami on Substack, and NFL staff writer for A Toz Sports. Want to give a special welcome and shout out to our everyday because it is your team every day. We don’t just say it, we live it here on the Locked On Network. Today’s episode of Locked on Dolphins is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Today on the show, we are looking at the AFC East as a whole and the Dolphins within that for where they are better in my assessment of the roster. And it is just one man’s opinion, my assessment of the roster, where I think they’re better, and how those things that are better, which one of them crack across the entirety of the AFC East, the top five of being better for whatever you needed it to be. Uh, so we’re going to look at the Dolphins, then we’re going to look at the other three teams in the AFC East for where there are improvements. obviously different and varying degrees of that across each team based on their own individual situation. I think for Miami, the the first place that you start is with the assumption of a healthy Bradley Chub and Jaylen Phillips. You’d have a hard time convincing me that this group of the pass rushers would not be the most improved unit on the team from what it was week I guess you you could really go probably the worst stretch of play that you had from a pass rush perspective was weeks five, seven, eight, nine and then it really felt like Chop Robinson turned it on on the back half of the year. Now, I wrote a story for a Toz today, and it looked at the top five improved units within the AFC East, and I did not have the Dolphins pass rush unit on there in part because there were no new names, right? There was no infusion, and it was really looking at what have teams done with their off seasons to get better in certain spots. But also, it comes with that fine print of you’re assuming health, but you don’t want to assume that they’re going to have it. So, it makes it just it’s a weird intersection of like it’s you know what or get off the pot time with this nucleus of this group, right? Like Chop Robinson’s going to be a centerpiece of the unit moving forward. But Jaylen in the contract year, Bradley Chub negotiating his contract now, missed all of last year. It’s familyfriendly program. You know what? off the pot time. Um, I think the safety unit certain it got certainly got some um endorsements for being better from the ESPN poll that just came out. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is polling. It’s over 70 executives, coaches, and scouts across the NFL. They’re asking for the top 10 players at each position. Safeties came out today, and the Dolphins have a top 10 player on the board. Minka Fitzpatrick. Um, Javon Holland was an honorable mention and the quote there is is pretty damning for Javon. I love the skill set, but he drastically regressed last year, which was shocking to see from a young player and a contractor that from an NFL personnel director was the quote on Javon Hob. But an honorable mention versus the player that is in for Miami is Minka Fitzpatrick. Um, the quote from an AFC executive on Minka, he was the best in the NFL for years, but is slowing down. He was ranked first in 23 in this exercise, fourth and 24 last year in this exercise and now ninth this year. And NFL coordinators quote, uh, he still has a lot to offer. Incredibly hard worker, tone setter, super solid running things on the back end and preventing big plays, things that go unnoticed. I’m expecting a bounceback year from him. Uh, fun fact, Brandon Jones also on the honorable mentions with the exodus from Denver. And that feels like one of those ones where a team a fresh start, a new environment with a new coaching staff put him in positions to be successful and they obviously invested in him. They gave Brandon Jones a pretty handsome contract. Uh, and for every hit that’s a Brandon Jones, there’s a miss like what Rayquin Davis ended up being for the Colts. This guy signed for the same amount of money with different teams, right? Jones revives his career and and Rayquan Davis had some health issues and did really not play and is still a free agent. So NFL executives and coaches and and scouts across the league voted Minka Fitzpatrick as an upgrade over Javon Holland. And I don’t think anybody would argue that when you’re comparing it to Jordan Puyer if Melanu with what he can do as a former corner and Ashton Davis as a more explosive player and then having more depth with a player in Patrick Morris who’s a year older. And I’m not comparing Mc Morris to Jordan Puyer. I’m not doing that. But I think Ashton Davis and and Melondo at this stage of their careers, you have more to work with. Whether you want the athletic high post player or if you want the athletic mismatch heightweight speed but can play some man coverage type of player. I think the Dolphins are better at safety. I also think the Dolphins are better with their interior offensive line. uh which for me is probably the unit that I look at where you do have a player that’s at safety at least of the the units that we’ve mentioned thus far the edge room and the safety room. We don’t know where Minka Fitzpatrick’s going to fall. Is he really like significantly regressing? What will that look like? I know James Daniels is coming off of a an Achilles tear and I know Jonah Sevay has never played a snap of football in the NFL, but I know what the interior offensive line play looked like last year with the two guards and I know how low the floor is to clear to be a significant improvement. And I think you look at stylistically the players who have displacement point A to point B ability, who still have explosiveness, who still have anchor and wide bodies and mass and uh they’re much more diverse players, but without making concessions and what the core principles of the offense have been since not just Mike McDaniels got to Miami, but ever since the wide zone system has really taken hold in the NFL. And I think that’s for the Dolphins. I think that’s your most direct pathway to a most improved unit is James Daniels is new. And I know he’s coming off of an injury. And I know at the edge group I just looked at guys coming off of injuries and had speculation, but there was no new names there to to regard it as an improved room versus what it should have been for you in the first place. I think the interior offensive line with James Daniels and Jonas of Ioni because of how low the floor is is probably your most impactful improved room that you have on your roster. And I think there’s more physicality with the ancillary skill players. And I don’t think you’re better right off the bat at defensive tackle, but I do think you’re much better longterm with these defensive tackles. And I think you’re deeper at linebacker. You’re not better at corner. You’re not better at offensive tackle. You’re not better at tight end. You’re probably not better in the immediate sense at running back. But like defensive tackle, I think you can be better there long term as well. So, it’s an interesting balance of units. I I think maybe you’re better long term, but maybe not immediately as it good right now. You’re definitively not better at. And then I I look at probably about half the position groups on the roster and say, “Yeah, I think they’re they’re better to to battle with right now.” in 2025. So, that’s where the Dolphins stand. Where does the rest of the AFC East stand? This is where this conversation gets really fun. We’re going to get into that next here on Locked on Dolphins. Stick with us. Summer sports are in full swing and whether you’re about baseball under the lights, golf on the green or high stakes soccer action, FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting. you’re already following in on the action. So, why not make it a little bit more thrilling? With FanDuel, you can get in on the game while your friends are getting sunburnt on the beach. You can use FanDuel to track your favorite matchups, and the app keeps it fresh with new daily promotions and fun ways to bet. I personally uh very much enjoy looking at the NFL futures. And if you happen to believe that the Dolphins are going to make the postseason this year, they’re pretty good odds. you get the Dolphins at plus 210 to make the playoffs. So, if you are buying the Kool-Aid with the Dolphins this year, plus 210 on the Dolphins to make the playoffs might be worth some consideration. And if you’re new to FanDuel, new customers can get $5 in on a bet. And if it hits, you get $150 in bonus bets if that first $5 bet wins. So, open the FanDuel app today or visit FanDuel.com to get started. I kind of want to start with New England, but I also don’t want to start with New England because there’s so much new um in a good way for New England. I think they’re the most improved team in the division. Now, do I think that they went about it a way in which they’re going to look back two years from now and be really excited about the contract value of some of these names? Uh, no. Because I don’t think Milton Williams for 27 million or I don’t think Harold Landry getting 26 million guaranteed or I I don’t think Stefan Diggs for 21 million or whatever it is. Like it’s not good value, but that’s the price you have to pay when you’re a bad team. It’s the 2020 Dolphins, right? 2020 Dolphins. They pay Kavanoi. They pay Eric Flowers. They play Shaq Lawson. They play pay Byron Jones. They threw the money bags around like nobody’s business. That’s what the Patriots did this year. And that’s good for for one-year spikes, but how good is it for long-term value as far as value on your roster with what you’re compensating guys for? That’s the question. Now, we’ll we’ll get to New England. We’re going to start uh with the Buffalo Bills. Of course, this team has won the division five years running. Uh so, it’s kind of their show. I think Buffalo has a strong case um that they’re deeper in the secondary bringing back Dane Jackson using their first round draft choice on Maxwell Haristen. They bring back the ghost of Tradavius White. But then they also draft Dorian Strong out of Virginia Tech who I really like. And then they bring in Derek Forest at safety and Jordan Hancock with a fifth round draft choice to go with the nucleus of guys that was there last year with Rap and Cole Bishop as their second round pick last year, Demar Hamlin. So I think they’re deeper in the secondary. They obviously have Rul Douglas as a starter last year that’s on free agency and he’s kind of the guy that many have softcircled as Miami is going to add that to their quarterback. But where I think they’re really better, definitively better is on the defensive line. They signed three in free agency and they drafted three in the first four rounds. Uh and it’s taking the place of snaps like Austin Johnson. uh at defensive tackle for them and the names that are stepping into those roles and what Von Miller was for them, not what Von Miller was supposed to be, but what Von Miller actually was for them, I think is a pretty good step in the right direction. Now they have Greg Rouso, Ed Oliver, Daycoin Jones as kind of the and AJ Epaness as the marquee guys. They signed Joey Bosen free agency. Did I love the value? No, but there’s incentive money there, so they’re protected in that regard. Michael Hoy I I really liked with the Rams as kind of a unique build, a bigger player uh but had some unique athleticism to be able to do some uh drop stuff and playing space and I don’t think the Bills will do a ton of that. Larry Agen Joby I think is a big step up from Austin Johnson and then they drafted Landon Jackson in the third round of Arkansas. He’s the the most quintessential Buffalo Bills defensive end. love their heavy-handed guys, whether it was Epanessa or Russo or um Boogie Bashim, who they drafted in the top 100 once upon a time. That’s their kind of guy. And then they traded up for TJ Sanders, the disruptive interior player from South Carolina. And then they drafted Deion Walker as the big-bodied nose tackle type, which they really didn’t have. So, I think that group you could look at probably the top nine in Buffalo in the defensive line and I think their ninth guy this year is a more intriguing answer than probably what their seventh guy was last year. So, I think they’re much better personally Buffalo up front. Offensive line kind of stayed the same. They added Jackson Hall at tight end. I’m pretty pissed off about that because it was a big Jackson Haw guy. But, uh, not a lot of other stuff’s changed. Amari Cooper’s out. They signed Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore. So I think maybe they’re a little deeper at wide receiver. The big question mark there is obviously Keon Coleman, but they extended Khalil Shakir. So that’s where Buffalo I think is better. I think they’re they’re deeper at wide receiver and corner, but I think they’re definitively better and deeper on the defensive line. I look at the New York Jets. It’s a difficult team because they they really hit reset on the entire football operation. Uh, new head coach Aaron Glenn, new general manager. Uh, Darren Mogi, Tanner Angstrand, and Steve Wilks are the coordinators for this group. They brought in Andre Cisco at safety. I guess safety is a spot where I look at and say this team’s probably better than last year with Andre Cisco coming in to play with Tony Adams and and Malachi Moore as a fourth round rookie draft choice. But they lost DJ Reed in free agency and they signed Brandon Stevens at $12 million per year to play that spot. I don’t think that’s better. Now, they drafted his Aar Thomas out of Florida State in the third round, but it’s a rookie. Like, do we know? I guess technically, if you’re you’re getting credit for Jonas Ovanayia because the floor is low at offensive guard for Miami, you could make the case, but the floor was high with DJ Reed as far as how good that player was that you’re stepping in to try to replace. I think they got a big win with bringing back Jamie and Sherwood at linebacker, but I don’t think they’re as deep on the defensive line either. Um, it’s Quinnon Williams, Dererick Naughty, Byron Coward, J2 Feli is the top four defensive tackles. I don’t think that’s a better group than what they had last year. It’s Will McDonald, Germaine Johnson. Germaine Johnson coming back from injury will help. And then Tyler Baron was a fifth round rookie this year. I I don’t think they’re particularly better on the edge versus what they were supposed to have with Hassan Reic. Now, you could get into whether or not the execution of that one thing or another. They’re not better at quarterback with Rogers versus Fields. Now, there’s a long-term term intrigue with Justin Fields or what maybe he could become, but I don’t think they’re better there. They’re better right tackle with Morgan Moses, the Armanu as a rookie. But again, the floor’s high. Their wide receiver influx is Tyler Johnson, Josh Reynolds, and and Aaron Smith. They have Devonte Adams going out. Uh they have Bree, they didn’t touch the running back room. They added Mason Taylor and Stone Smart to the tight end. They’re better at tight end. It’s a foundational year for the Jets. I don’t think there’s any question about that. And and because of that, I I don’t look at their unit and see a lot of spots where they’re definitively I think improved. I think they’re different. I think they set themselves up for some long-term answers that they might like to have before they really get into the weeds with the team building process, but I don’t think they’re better anywhere other than tight end and maybe safety. I I like Andre Cisco. So, I’d say safety and tight end are the two spots for the Jets. Which brings you to New England. I’ll tell you what, we’re going to do New England after the break because they they they spoiler the the story I did for a toz sports, the Patriots have three of the top five spots. There’s a lot of new, but I think there’s a lot of improve from just how it’s kind of like the Dolphins guard situation last year. The floor was so low. But I look at what you have and I say, “Yeah, we’re we’re better for sure.” Sure. So, we’re going to get into the Patriots and then we’re going to get into what units for the Dolphins I ended up stacking within the top five of most improved within the AFC East this offseason. That’s next. Stick with us. The New England Patriots offensive line. Michael and Wenu led the team in snaps on the offensive line. And then it was Deantree Jacobs who’s an with all due respect unserious football player, offensive tackle. Fedarian Low who’s a replacement level player. Michael Jordan who’s a replacement level player and Ben Brown. Those were the top five snap taper takers on the Patriots offensive line. David Andrews not in there. Cole Strange, former first round pick, not on there. Um what they had City Sao who looked like he was going to be a thing. He’s wasn’t in the top six snap takers. Leaden Robinson was sixth. We’re kind of a stale athlete. Uh David Andrews and Cole Strange combined played less than 350 snaps. The floor is low. Okay. So you take Will Campbell and I have my questions about Will Campbell playing tackle in the NFL, but relative to Dantree Jacobs, it’s the Jonas Si and I uh Rob Jones/ Lee Mikeberg thing. I know what it looked like with Dantree Jacobs and my questions that I have with Will Campbell still far transcend what it looks like with Dantree Jacobs or Verdarian Low. Um, so I think that’s that spot’s better than you bring in Morgan Moses in free agency as a a shorter term bridge and fix and that allows you to kick in when you in full-time at guard where I think he’s a better player. You signed Garrett Bradberry in free agency and then you use another top 100 draft choice on Jared Wilson the center out of Georgia who wasn’t crazy high on but again it’s you’re talking replacement level players across the board play on the Patriots offensive line last year. So, I think that’s a spot where they are definitively better. Now, they threw the money bags around in the back in the back seven or the front seven on defense. They signed Milton Williams. They signed Harold Landry. They signed Robert Spelain, the linebacker from uh Las Vegas. They signed Jack Gibbons, linebacker from Tennessee when Mike Vel was there. They added Caleb on Chaon as a depth player in the pass rush room. They drafted Josh Farmer and Braden Swinson for the defensive line. Christian Barour’s healthy. Um, the guys who were the leading snap takers on defense besides Keon White last year for New England were Daniel Aqual, Devon Godchow, Jeremiah Farms, Rayquan McMillan, Christian Ellis. You’re a lot better here, I think. And I don’t think it’s particularly close. So, I I think you look at the trenches on both sides of the ball for New England as spots where they are definitely better. And then the coaching staff and and we didn’t really get into coaching staffs with any of these other teams and the Jets are all brand new. New England’s really brand new and kind of flushed the whole thing out. But Miami kept continuity. It’s the first time in the Mike McDaniel era where we had the same defensive coordinator back toback years and obviously there’s offensive coach stability. But New England went from Gerrod Mayo who was very quickly apparent it was out over his skis on what he was doing is taking over for Bill Bich to Mike Rabel. And not only does Rabel come in, but Rael brings in experienced coaches like Josh McDaniels is the offensive coordinator. Doug Marone is a former NFL head coach. He’s the offensive line coach. Thomas Brown was just two years ago one of the hottest assistant names and getting head coaching interviews. He’s the tight end’s coach and the pass game coordinator. Todd Downing took a beating as as far as uh what he did in elevated role under Rael in Tennessee as the offensive coordinator, but he is the wide receivers’s coach. He’s got a good reputation. Terrell Williams, defensive coordinator. I think across the board, New England should feel very excited about their staff. So that’s the Patriots. And spoiler, coaching staff, offensive line, and front seven are three of the top five most improved units uh that I had for this story for a Toz. I I had the uh coaching staff number one in the entire division. I had the offensive line for the Patriots number two, and then I had the Patriots front seven number four. I put the Bills defensive line upgrades as number three and then end up settling on the interior offensive line for the Dolphins as number five. And it’s a little bit less about for me uh player A for player B and player C for player D. And it’s more we all saw what this offense looked like last year. We all understand that. I mean, they they played with training wheels on and it felt like for me a part of this was the apparent realization of just how limited the bets that you placed with guys coming back as like you evaluated the guys who had to play last year and what it looked like and you obviously didn’t get Isaiah Win. you were it would presume if you knew Isaiah Win wasn’t going to be ready before week 15, you wouldn’t have signed him on another one-year deal and you would have gave that investment to somebody else to come in and be that other contender for a starting offensive line spot. So, the win thing blew up in your face two years in a row. You totally whiffed on both the evaluations of your guards and it had to change the way you play because you you played with training wheels on the offense the entire year. So, I think all of that for me adds up to the improvement for the offensive line. You know, maybe there’s a better talent jump on the edge. Maybe there’s a better talent jump at safety with the the depth players and Minka’s maybe incrementally in front of Javon Holland, although that’s a player who seems to be coming back down versus a player who has all the potential to leap if you get the best version of him. Now, the Dolphins unfortunately didn’t get that version of Javon Holl last year, but the trickle up effect for the guards for Miami is what allowed them to get this spot in this list for me as the fifth most improved unit in the AFC East this off season. Now, you’re not better at tackle and anytime you lose Tron Armstead, that that leaves a question. But if you get a healthy James Daniels and Jonah comes in and plays a baseline level of play and Austin Jackson stays healthy, I think Patrick Paul can be a baseline level of play player and across the board, you’re going to have a better overall group of five, which is clearly what this team is banking on. and then the more physical elements of the ancillary players, the offense to open things up and diversify things as far as how you go about your business. Whether or not that comes true is is to be determined, but that’s how how I assess the Dolphins and their improvements and the impact of their improvements on how they play football relative to the entirety of the AFC East. That’s going to do it for us here today on the show. I’m Cockra. You can keep it locked in right here on Locked on Dolphins. It is your team every day. I appreciate you guys as always for checking on the show. Make it a great rest of your day. I’ll talk to you’all again soon.

AFC East shakeup: Miami Dolphins’ roster revamp faces stiff competition. Can the Fins overcome division rivals’ aggressive offseason moves?

Kyle Crabbs dissects the Miami Dolphins’ key improvements, including the pass rush unit and interior offensive line. The analysis extends to the Buffalo Bills’ defensive overhaul, the New York Jets’ reset under new leadership, and the New England Patriots’ significant upgrades. Crabbs ranks the most impactful changes across the division, revealing surprising insights about each team’s potential.

Discover which AFC East team made the biggest leap and how it affects the Dolphins’ playoff odds. Listen now for expert analysis on the division’s evolving landscape.

0:00 Intro: Analyzing Dolphins roster improvements

5:05 Safety upgrades and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s impact

9:42 FanDuel sponsorship and betting odds

14:17 Bills’ defensive line and receiver depth

17:57 Patriots’ offensive line and coaching overhaul

22:32 Dolphins’ interior O-line as 5th most improved

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Where Are The 2025 Miami Dolphins Most Improved & How Do Their Improvements Compare To The AFCE?
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