Episode 549: Season Outlook with Dave Hyde

Episode 549: Season Outlook with Dave Hyde

And we’re off. Look who’s here, gang. Uh, return appearance. Long time no see. Dave Hyde from the South Florida Sun Sentinel. How have you been, my friend? Enjoying reveling in the Florida Panthers second consecutive Stanley Cup title. I I am, you know, uh, you know, it’s the great thing about this job is being around excellence to be honest with you. And when you’re around it like they have and you listen to them and um it’s it’s it’s a real education really on how champions act and why they win and what they need to do and why they’re different and um so um let’s talk about the Dolphins. I was about to say what’s they get to do with the Dolphins and and the jokes the jokes ride themselves gang. This is that was Dave Height by the way. Dave Heights on first send not me who said it. Uh but he’s kind of not wrong. Uh we’re going to talk about the Dolphins as they approach the 2025 season uh on this Friday, August 29th, 2025. The Dolphins are off this weekend before they get back to work on Labor Day Monday. probably figured to be a lighter practice off Tuesday and Wednesday they start off the the major preparations for the week one battle against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Let’s take care of two news items right off the bat. Don’t need to expand on them terribly. We’ll it’s more about the season outlook. The first one is you probably have heard by now. Uh outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow arrested in Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning on battery slashdomestic violence slash there was another one uh anyway charges. The Dolphins released a statement saying he’s been put on administrative leave as they you know gather more information. So that’s basically all there is to say about that. The Dolphins also resigned safety Jordan Colbert to their practice squad. He had been among the players waved on Tuesday. that completes their practice squad. It includes 12 players who were cut, plus four newcomers, kicker Riley Patterson, the two running backs. Um, Jamaich Hasty and Jeff Wilson Jr. plus tight end Greg Doulich. So, you’re kind of caught up on the news here. Let’s talk Miami Dolphins. Let’s talk 2025 season. Let’s also talk Chris Greer press conference after the cuts to 53 where he also looked ahead which kind of touches upon the season outlook. Let me start with this D Chris Greer. Give me what stuck out the most to you about Chris Greer’s press conference. Oh, you know him talking about what a great thing the players stick around afterwards in practice and it’s a very close team and um you know there are variations in every team and and um let’s hope that. So, the question of course I have is um you know, if we’re trumpeting them for staying out late and practicing and being together and you’re the general manager your other six years, why weren’t you fostering this type of a Yeah. Why were you getting players that do this, you know? And and that that’s your job. that that’s the job is is getting quality players who want to play together and can play together and want to build relationships to have a winning team. And so, look, it’s all great and good that um in year seven as GM year 10 as running the draft that that players are staying late and working. But that should be the standard, not the exception. No. And it brings me to mind is like I hear comments like from Jordan Brooks for example who said like this is the hardest training camp I’ve ever had. And I’m like when have you ever heard a professional athlete saying yeah it was okay camp but the camp last year I mean we were at or this is the best I felt in years. Have you ever heard a guy like I me feel like crap last year I felt great right now? Yeah not so much. That’s what they’re going to say. It’s like it’s not doesn’t mean anything. I mean, it’s I understand that that’s what they have to say, but Well, it’s it’s the Bradley Chub line that he was so it was such a good line where he’s saying uh you know, last year when we told you we had a great culture, we really we were lying. But this year, we believe us. So, I I mean, we we’ll see. And and you know what the the other thing was, and I wrote this part of my column on this, uh we talked about the Panthers. They were a very close team and and they they brought in uh Chris Greer smartly. every team should bring in the champions to talk about why they’re champions and um so you brought in Bill Zitto and Matthew Kachchuk and they talked about the close-knit and um no question they and in Stanley Cup finals Kachchuk and uh the Panthers are in a bus going from the airport and they see two Vancouver players walking and they’re going into a restaurant to dinner and they’re alone and the Panthers 40 people went out to dinner together during the playoffs. That’s how they did it. So, um, my my my larger point is for them to think that’s why they won. If you’re the general manager, though, that’s wrong because they won because Bill Zo went out and got a allstar laden roster, three lines deeper than anybody in in hockey. And and then they got a coach who took it from a cutesy offensive team to a hard old school nuts and bolts playoff team. And somewhere down the line in there of learning lessons and and losing and and getting their, you know, getting their butts kicked by the coach um gets into that that these guys really like each other and and they learn to play together. That’s important. But that’s not the most important thing. No. And because you don’t win games just based on that. Here’s the other part of it that I would point out to is hockey is different that way because Yeah. It’s impossible to have team success if you’re playing for yourself. And I give the the the most glaring example is I’ve seen NHL goal scoring stars. They go play in the Olympics and they become defensive grinders because that’s what’s required. I mean it was like I remember when Stan when when the Olympic final I think it was Canada against Sweden whatever they went two nothing and they basically just choked the life out of out of Sweden by having again Jeff Carter who was like who was like a 50 goal scorer just grind it out and I mean again I don’t want to get off in a hockey tangent but it’s kind of different. I do think like maybe Chris Greer expressed a little bit of buyer’s remorse about going out and getting the bigname players. Mhm. And I don’t know, it looks certainly seemed to me like it was a little dart Jaylen Ramsey right there going like this talking about he was getting the good players who may not and I don’t want to put words in his mouth but kind of the the paraphrasing was who were talented players who didn’t necessarily like I don’t know were all in or or were more this then this is me going to say this Jaylen Ramsey is more about Jaylen Ramsey than what’s good and I think at some Well, look, they they they spent upwards of 60 million. Yeah. Um buying out his when you include the buy out of his contract um for two years of Jaylen Ramsey and he was a headache all two years. Um fought with Fangio the first year, fought with McDaniel the second year and I I will say they’re going to miss him on Sunday from a Yeah. That’s right. But but we’re talking team building and and and all that and that was a disaster. That might be the most expensive miss um in Dolphin history. And and it’s the tough balance. Is it are you better off being a little bit less talented but more cohesive anybody and everybody pulling in the same direction as opposed to being more uber because for me the 2023 Dolphins roster like was whoa has a damn good roster. That was a good roster. Yeah. Uh, and the Dolphins are not nearly as talented this year. I don’t care what anybody tells you, it’s not close. Now, they’re going to play with everybody rowing in the same direction a lot more than they did back then. They have more youth, which is good in one sense, better for the future, number one. And number two, they’re more likely to listen and not do things on their own. But there are certain times they may get overwhelmed by certain situations, whereas the veterans who have seen it before can handle it better. Yeah, it’s the blueprint really to me. Imagine if they’d kept they didn’t sign Ramsay and or even trade for Tyreek Hill and Tyreek Hill’s the focal point of the offense the last few years. So, um a little difference there, but the point being if they had stuck with their original plan, which I didn’t like tanking anyways, but once you’re in it, you’re in it. and and they kept the, you know, Andrew Van Gekles and Brandon Jones and and Deshawn Elliots and and guys who they either found or drafted or and and built a team that way rather than spending on a few stars, you know, they went for it. The bottom line is they went for it like in a a two-year window and they didn’t win and, you know, it doesn’t look good. No, but looking back and before we move on to this 2025 season, should they be lamb based, crit criticized, uh, you know, flailed, shame, shame, shame for having gone for it. To me, no, I I don’t think it was it didn’t work. They had a plan and they absolutely went for it. And should they be criticized for it, though? They’re going for it. I I I think they misread a their roster and b who they’re bringing in. And it’s clearly that they misread who they’re bringing in. Um you can’t make Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Ramsay your second and third highest paid players and have Tua who’s let’s face missed a lot of games. Those are your three highest paid players. And you want to understand why you wouldn’t Your second and third highest players are coming into practice late last year. I mean everybody looks at that and says what? And and meanwhile, what’s happened when I got to be careful here, but what what h what’s happened to the assistant coaches at those positions? They got fired. Yep. You know, Wes Welker, Sam Madison got fired. And you can I can only imagine they got fired for saying this isn’t working right. This is not how to be a pro. and and so, you know, there’s a lot when we talk culture and and all that, there’s a lot to it beyond just um showing up on Sunday and playing or or players staying a few minutes after practice. No, without so would the Dolphins have been better off I think we can agree. I don’t know. Can we agree with the Dolphins have been better off not making the trades for Tyreek and John Ram? Yeah. Oh, really? Well, I mean, it didn’t work out. Tyreek was MVP his first two years with the team. Team MVP. Well, the point is if you’re gonna go for it and you not only don’t get it, you get blown out in the playoff game you’re at, right? In Kansas City, excuse me, they were closer with Buffalo. U but you don’t even win a playoff game. Yeah, that that’s a fail. So, um, would they have done better playing their kids go or investing in the guys they drafted? Absolutely they would have. And and and I think it would have been a much better team to coach. Much you talk about close-knit, they’ve been a lot more close-knit. Um, so, but I mean that’s neither here nor there. And now they’re going back now out of necessity, they’re going back to to building with the draft. And Ty still on the roster, Dave. So, for this year. Oh, no. No. I agree. And I mean, the salary cap he’s he’s not he’s not for long here. Um, that’s what the NFL stands for. Did you hear heard that? The NFL, but but it really with his salary cap number is 58 million next year. So, that’s not going to get So, either they completely redo his contract or or or he’s gone. I can’t imagine them redoing his contract. that would be they shouldn’t have done be done his contract last year and then again that was a that was a summer of of joy and contracts all over the place and this year they completely went the opposite way. Um so you like you like the approach they took this year of like yes pulling back on the on the heavy spending. I I think you look if you go for it you and you have the right roster to go for it. I get it. I understand why the Rams went for it. why the uh the 40 or the Buccaneers, why they went for it. I get it. I I I get it. And and they look good because they made it, right? They But now they’re also very smart. They got great front offices that because look at the drafts they get. They’re right back ready, both of them ready to, you know, make some noise in the playoffs again. and they made the playoffs last year and and so um you know it just comes down to being smart with it. But but the bottom line is you’re whether you take that two-year window to win or you go the longer route, you got to draft well. And the Dolphins the last few years have short changed their drafts either because of the trades, because the NFL penalties against them, um, whatever. Um, so you you got to hit on the drafts, though. And then, you know, that’s the hope this year. That’s the hope that that these guys come in and you’ve seen it in preseason. You’ve seen flashes. That’s what you you want to see. Now, you know, there’s going to be learning periods for rookies, but you know, can you get through mid-season and all a sudden you can count on what they’re going to do would be the question. Do they develop? Yeah. No, there’s a lot of promise shown by the rookie class this year, Kenneth Grant, Jonasaya, Jordan Phillips, Jason Marshall Jr., Ali Gordon 2, even Quinn Ears, uh, as a number three quarterback. That’s not to say, and this is where I kind of caution some some Dolphin fans, like let’s go easy on the expectations immediately. They just just love the fact that right now this is looking very very promising. And then last year, Chop Robinson really came out second half of last year. Patrick Paul looked great all summer. Um, and then Malik Washington looks legit as the third wide receiver option. So, it looks really, really good. Now, let’s see what happens in the regular season. Do you overall as the regular season now is what nine days away uh hold a lot of optimism for what this team can do in 2025 or are you thinking that when Chris Greer said it’s kind of a reset year reset means expectations lower results not quite as good? Yeah, I I mean look it’s hard to be it’s hard for me to be overly optimistic when I look and I see glaring problems. I see I see ways they can win, you know, uh you know, the speed on offense, of course, but they’ve also fortified the the starting offensive line. Um the front seven, if everybody’s healthy, that could be very, you know, we know that can be very good. The problem, they just don’t have problems where they have problems. They have glaring problems. The secondary as a whole to me, especially the cornerbacks, but throw in the safeties. Um make Fitzpatrick’s the only one. He’s had a great career, but explain his last two years to me. Um, and and maybe it was the system. I mean, the the role he was in Pittsburgh, but all of a sudden he So, something went wrong there. And was it Pittsburgh or was it MA starting to show some age? We’re going to find out. But, um, but I I just can’t again, it isn’t it isn’t the players. So, who who doesn’t like Storm Duck? who doesn’t uh like um what the rookie shown in the secondary. The question is roles for them. Is Storm Beck a number one defensive back in the NFL? Is he is he who Patrick Certan or or or you know I mean that that’s the point. At some point he’s going to be asked to be that guy in a game. You can throw you can play zones all you want all the time. And so it’ll be the question, can the quarterback, who are they playing that week at quarter quarterback? You know, Daniel Jones might not be able to do it, but they’re going to they go through a stretch where they play um a lot several good quarterbacks. So, um, that that’s that really my problem is is it’s not just the problems, it’s the glaring problems that that are flashing and say, you know, danger that that uh and and I and the other thing is, you know, you know, beyond the quarterback and and all that that that the general manner’s job is to raise the floor of talent every year as best you can. you know, make that if if uh the 49th player to make the team, make that talent level. Now, he that that he wouldn’t be good enough to make the team anymore because, you know, the he you have to keep raising the floor up and you look what they’ve just they’ve been desperate on the waiver wire this week. um signing tight signing guys and positions that should have been taken care of and and I I’d be desperate too if I was them. Um but you it’s it’s not a good sign for the backend depth of the team. No. And the and the other part of it as I cautioned all summer against my fellow many media members who were going nuts over the young edge defenders because they were showing pass rushing potential and I was like simmer or down or down. Yes, they’re showing pass rushing potential in practice. It’s practice and they’re usually doing it against second and third teamers. Let’s calm down. And then we’re like, “Oh, we can trade one of them for a quarterback.” Really? Uh, no. Because they wound up being like the Dolphins kept one of their young edge defenders, and that’s Cameron Good, who was kept mostly for special teams. And spoiler alert, none of the guys that they waved got claimed by anybody. Horris is fine with him. Grayson Murphy, who I know there is there is one South Florida media member who shall remain nameless more than everybody else is absolutely like this with Grayson Murphy. And I’m like, yeah, he’s got really good pass rushing moves and all that. There’s more to playing the edge defender position. And guess what? As we’re taping this in Friday afternoon about 3 p.m. that neighborhood, he’s still looking for a team. And this is not a shot on Grayson Murphy. It’s just to say again perspective. So to me and it’s also an indictment a little bit on the back end of the roster for the Dolphins which is kind of questionable and that includes um you know the offensive line Kendall Lamb they resigned this week and you talked to anybody in Philly or those who who look through every single one of his snaps in the preseason and basically the consensus was not good. Okay, now he’s Yeah. No, I like what they look Matthew Jud on I thought was a nice signing. You know, you get, you know, not only as a you know, adding depth to your pass rushing, but insurance policy, too injuries ahead of him. And so, um, we’ll see what he’s got left at 33. But I I get why they took a chance on him. I see why they they signed Rasul Butler. Douglas, Butler, you got to Yeah. going back to the Miami Heat. Uh Rul Douglas. Um and I would have done it too, but you know, you know, my expectations are are very tempered when you look at his last couple years. He pro football focus rate him 102nd of 116 cornerbacks last year. And so again, where can they put him in a role? Where can they find to make him the most helpful and successful in this secondary will be the first issue. No, I agree. And I’m like you, you’re probably having Jordan Puyer flashbacks, which was a bigname signing, but the guy was really on the back nine of his career and it showed. Now he’s back with the Bills where where he belongs. If we’re going to be honest about it, I mean, he talked about this week uh in a press conference in Buffalo about how his heart has always been in Buffalo last year. He was checking on his former team and get it. Yeah, just like spoiler alert, Tyreek Hill. If if you don’t think that guy’s still pining for his days in Kansas City, you’re not paying attention because men, he loves him some cheese. Well, that’s the ultimate grass is greener, isn’t it? Yep. Kansas City wouldn’t pay him. Had to have the money. Had to have the money. Dolphins not only given him money, they given him more money. And and now and yet he’s, you know, they’re the same as a lot of us. Not no one’s ever completely happy. No. Correct. And money can buy can buy rings. Can’t buy a Super Bowl ring. Uh and with Jordan Porter, basically he was kind of out of options because the Bills caught him last last off season. And it would have helped if he made a play one play for the Dolphins last year. They knew we he was a great interview, great thoughts on football, great um ability to translate what’s going on and what should go on. But you know, he had a great career, but The Dolphins got him at the end of it. Yeah. Correct. No. And great intangibles. And I I know some people were taking shots and because I we wrote about Puyer and his comments about his one year in in Miami on Miami Dolphins on SI.com and some people were taking shots about like yeah, he like he was a bad influence on the No, he was great in the locker room. He was great in terms of all the intangibles. The physical skills have eroded because he’s 33 34 years old for an NFL safety. And he ain’t the first guy that hap that that’s happened to and he’s not going to be the last. And the thing with Russell Douglas as you mentioned is kind of the same. He had a bad year last year at 30 or 29 whatever he is. Oh by the way it’s his birthday today. So happy birthday Russul Douglas. Um you didn’t know that did you? I did not. I knew it was coming up because I saw his birthday. Although I saw his birthday listed two different ages. I’m not really sure, but it was always 30.9 or 29.9 like he’s about to turn. So, very good of you to wish him a happy birthday as your your as we’re as we’re knocking him. No, hope I’m wrong and that last year was an outlier, but generally speaking, quarterbacks who have a bad year in their eighth or ninth NFL season tend to not bounce back with a great year the following year. I don’t know. I could be wrong, but I’m going to guess statistically it doesn’t happen very often. And uh this is why to me I’ve advocated and I’m going to do it for the third time on a podcast that they start Jack Jones Jr. and live with the highs and lows that you’re going to have with him because there’ll be mis assignments whereas Vul Douglas will not miss mis assignments will not miss mis assignments will generally not miss assignments but chances are he’s going to get beat because the physical skills have eroded um up to a point where the Dolphins decide that’s too much with Jack Jones mistakes if that turns out to be the case. Um but we shall see. This wouldn’t be a season outlook if we didn’t talk about Tuatango Valoa because he’s the quarterback and all that. Um, a lot of the rankings have come out with the, you know, whether it be the whatever what tier he’s in, where he ranks in the NFL. I know the athletic, this is a survey of 50 coaches, executives, coordinators, and all that. And he wound up, I believe, in tier three or tier four, 17th overall. um which basically tells you an average he’s an average quarterback by that definition. To me, I’ve always said he’s a good quarterback, but he needs everything around him to be working at peak efficiency to be more than that. Have your thoughts change on Tu or where do you stand? No, I I think we know who he is. I mean, let’s face it, we’re going into year six now. I mean, there’s a Ryan Tanahillish quality to him where we keep saying, is he going to take the next step? Is he going to take the next step? And at some point, so uh, of course, number one question is, is he going to stay healthy? I mean, that’s out of the way. Everybody understands that he’s, uh, 4407. Those are the games he’s missed the last four years. Okay. And, and so, which one of those is the outlier? Which one can they can they with with him when you when you say things have to be right around and I use the line around on Ryan Panahill he’s good enough if everybody around him’s good enough and I’m going to use the same one about Tua because the things he does well he does very well you know getting rid of the ball accuracy vision anticipation um those type of things uh he he does so well that, you know, if that’s what you’re going to concentrate on, the pass percentage and, etc., then then he’s right there with anybody in the league. Um, and Mike McDaniels made an offense, you know, you saw it a year a year ago that that that relies on those things. Now, the things he doesn’t do well, he he he’s off the charts bat, you know, starting with mobility as a quarterback, take being able to take a hit. He can’t he can’t he can’t do quarterback sneaks. Um um he he he can’t go off script. We haven’t seen that very much where um and that’s, you know, that’s what you got to do against good defenses. They’re going to take away so many of them are going to take away what you like to do. You know, McDaniel had a great thought. I don’t know where it was. There was an interview this offseason about Bill Bich and he said that one game Bill Bich all he did was stand players stand defenders right in the area we like to throw. They just stood there and I was like I never seen anything like that. In other words, good defenses come up with stuff and and you got to come up with stuff too as a quarterback that that uh sometimes it’s just on the fly. Um, so you know, to me the the number one question that we aren’t talking about is have they fixed this offense? You know, because you go back to it wasn’t just 2023. They were the number one ranked offense in 2023, but you look at the second half of those numbers, the season, those numbers, they really started a tail off and then they they they stayed that way this year, last year, too. And so have have can they is that fixable and you know that must be why boek the latest brother was brought in here. Um and so I’m curious to see you know two years ago we went into um that the Chargers had cracked the code and he and Mike came out with a little cheat motion and for Tyreek Hill boom that that nobody stop. So, is there something simple like that that they can do? I’m not sure it’s that simple in this case, but we’ll see. Yeah. And I’m not sure exactly how much you can change when again your key players are remain the same, you know, and it’s an offense that’s still built on speed and I know this idea of the Dolphins becoming more physical or tougher on offense. How would that be the case when you know what can make the Dolphin offense special is what is the stupid speed they have Tyreek Jay Wadd and Devon Hen we got we got to with my point I I would say that I do think they want to have a physical component and look what they did in the offseason the two guards the big guys um you know the the the running backs they went out and signed now now Um, one got hurt and and and but the rookie six round look looks like the physical component that so they want to do that that that’s the the co component they want to add now. Will they do it in a game or will they will they actually um that’s what I’m curious to see. No, I’m I’m curious, too. And uh I think until proven otherwise to me, I still think they’re going to default to to trying to throw a quick pass on third and one out of out of the shotgun formation. I don’t know. And the other part we going back to to real quickly, to me, the key was the one year he stayed healthy all 20 all 17 games. 2023, he was bigger. He had taken jiu-jitsu in the offseason. To me, had nothing to do with with that, his ability to stay healthy. It was the one year where he didn’t he didn’t try to take on defenders. He was very quick to go down for a sack. And that’s what needs to happen. It’s just it’s that simple. And then my concern is to was going to say all the right things as he did early in training camp about I know I have to be there for my teammates and not take on defenders. Well, when it’s third and seven and he’s five yards downfield and the adrenaline is rushing, is it really going to start thinking at that point? Is the reflex going to be like, “Okay, let me slide short of the first down or is it going to be like, oh, I can get past that guy?” I mean, I I agree with you. He’s got to be smart, but I I that’s one thing I don’t over criticize him for because it’s some point a violent game, you’re gonna you’re gonna get hit. You’re gonna get hit. Now, now what you’re saying is you got to avoid hits as many hits as you can. I get but but but I mean you know that just gets into when when your quarterback’s fragile like that is is that really a good planning to be to go with a quarterback fragile like that now they’re going with him and they got to so he’s got to be careful and they got to have a good offensive line and pocket and all that stuff. Um they made that decision when they gave him the big contract. I mean, they they knew who he was. And again, it’s not ideal. I could totally get it, but it’s a lesser of two evils. And you’re old enough to go back to Dan Marino who would throw a pick and then basically start walking to the sideline. He would not he would not walk to the he’d walk and he’d go with his like get out of here. You could hear him cussing, you know, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Um yeah and I don’t think anybody the emotion of Marino but nobody ever trided him for like get involved in the tackle here you just threw a pick you know and that’s not it’s what he’s paid for like the worst one to me last year was Tua comes back and like his third game back they’re playing the Ramsay throws a pick and he goes down and load tackle the linebacker at Denise I’m like yeah what no I I I agree with you um but some of that is just I some of that’s just instinctual right I mean And so how do you how do you you know beat that out of a player? I I don’t know. I don’t I don’t know. I I I think it’s uh you know the one thing I hate in this job is is in the last few years so much talk of concussions and and the dangers of concussions among people who don’t really even understand doctors don’t even understand concussions and and the dangers of and and here we are having to write about should he quit his career? you know, I I never say he should quit his career. Um, but there is a an inherent danger in in what’s going on that that we all should recognize. Oh, without question, but again, this is where I would say, I mean, if these guys don’t realize that, you know, banging heads for, you know, 55, 60 plays every Sunday can be hazardous to your health, I mean, they should know what they signed up for. I mean, um, we’re going to wrap it wrap it up with this. I am not a believer in predictions, so I’m not going to ask you. Give me their their record prediction. I I eight and nine. Eight and nine. I’m on I’m on record in the in the in the Sunset. No. I It’s in there, so I might as well just say it, you know. Let’s not let’s not fib. Okay. See, I was going to go a different route. I was going to say, okay, give me your percentage of likelihood the Dolphins make the playoffs. make the playoffs. Um I would say since I picked eight and nine, it it I would say like 30%. Okay. Um so they they probably they might make it at nine wins. Um but certainly at 10 and 10 would be a lot goes right for them. A lot goes healthy. Um and and you know that’s within the realm of the cone of possibility, right? I I mean certainly um u but they have to be one of those teams you look back at the end of the year and you say they were fortunate not a lot of guys get hurt and they have been fortunate in training camp. Um you almost the one guy you say Kater Kohu was their one quarterback and he got hurt and and one of their running backs they they liked he got hurt and a couple backup offensive linemen we’re talking about the line depth in part because some linemen got hurt at camp. Now we might have been talking about it anyway. Yeah, it c it certainly became a a frontline discussion um because even the guys that they were semibanking on got hurt. So I but but to to my point, if they’re going to make the playoffs, we won’t be talking about players getting hurt very much this year. Oh, no. I agree. Uh yeah, they have a smaller margin for error than a lot of the AFC playoff pools, I would say. Uh, see to me as I as I sit, I’m gonna say as I stand right now. I’m not standing. I’m sitting. As I sit right now, I was see Dolphin fans hate on him. Not on me. I’m actually a lot more optimistic. I have him about 45%. Okay, the next one. So, 30% to make the playoffs. Percentage of likelihood they win a playoff game. Well, this is a hard one because if if you went into any season the last 25 years and made a prediction, you were going to be right if you said they weren’t going to win a playoff game. So, I’m going to go in and say they’re not going to win a playoff game. Okay. No percentage. I want I want a number. Percentage. 12%. 12%. Okay. See that one? 15. Yeah. And and this is where actually I have to agree with you because I I have a very hard time even in a best case scenario seeing the Dolphins beating out the Buffalo Bills for the AFC’s title, which means they play on the road in the playoffs. And this is not an offense until I see something to convince me otherwise that’s really going to play well in the cold. So unless they they are lucky enough to play at Houston, then that’s a difficult challenge. and Buffalo’s going to be a problem until until that time when Josh Allen either his ability diminishes or he gets injured. Well, there you go. There’s the issue. And look, I I’ve been around. I do not root for anybody to get hurt. Okay. But it’s it’s a risk. Josh Allen has been hasn’t missed a I don’t think he’s missed a game or maybe missed one in the last five or six years. He has, you know, he’s huge. He’s very durable. Um but at some point he’s gonna miss. And you talk about a team, if you take one player off that team. Yep. They are not a very good team without him. Just like Cincinnati is nothing without Joe Burrow. There those are the two teams. Now you take the quarterback off them and they’re nothing. Um, you could say that about the Dolphins, but to me that was more and maybe it is in those two places too, but it’s more who they had at backup quarterback the last couple years that that there were faulty decisions and and we’ll see if they got it right if if Tua gets hurt this year. I do have to say though that Cincinnati like actually did okay with Jake Browning a few years back, but I think they if I recall they may have already been like kind of out of playoff contention. And I want to speak out of turn. I’m I’m going by memory here, but I I I’m with you with Buffalo. I’ll give you another one. Um I mean, I just forgot. There was another team that jump out that jumped out to me that if they lose a quarterback, good luck. Um but definitely like for example, Kansas City I think can not can survive it. They’re not going to be the same team without Mahomes, but I think they have like a better structure in place with better talent all around the roster. Baltimore is the other one. I I don’t know Baltimore. Baltimore has a lot of talent all over the place, but they had to go to I don’t even know what their backup is in anymore these days. I know they just signed Tyler Hudley to the practice squad. Um, it’s Cooper Rush, I think, is their backup quarterback. I’m sorry. Let’s let’s see Cooper Rush be have to be the starting quarterback in Baltimore and see how that works out for them. So, um, so yeah, that’s a problem that’s inherent to a lot of teams around the NFL. I think there are a couple of teams that are built to handle it better than others, but we shall see. Anyway, that’s going to wrap it up. He is Dave Hyde from the South Florida. SunSentel. Check out his fine work at sunset.com. Dave Hidyports is the social media handle. Check out my work, my written content. Please check it out. Miami Dolphins onsi.com. Please like, subscribe, comment over here. Uh, programming note. There will be no all Dolphins podcast on Saturday unless there’s major breaking news. We’ll be doing a live show Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern time. And Friday night at 7:30 PM will be no at 7 PM, I’m sorry, 7 PM. Friday night will be Dolphins Collective with Dudley Durong, TD Defense Talk, Omar Kelly, and myself. So until we meet again, Dave, thank you very much. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. And to everyone out here, thanks for watching.

Miami Dolphins on SI Publisher Alain Poupart (@PoupartNFL) is joined by Dave Hyde from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to break down the Miami Dolphins outlook as they approach the start of the 2025 season, what stood out from the Chris Grier press conference, and more. Make sure to follow Alain on Twitter at @PoupartNFL and Blusky at @alainpoupart.bsky.social, and read his stories (free content) on Miami Dolphins on SI at si.com/nfl/dolphins.