Episode 601: The State of the Dolphins at the Bye

Episode 601: The State of the Dolphins at the Bye

And we’re off. Hi gang, welcome back. It is, yes, I’m going to date it. Wednesday, November 19th, Dolphins in the middle of their by-week and to discuss the state of the Dolphins uh in the 2025 season and perhaps in the weeks beyond that. I am joined once again by Dave Hyde, columnist for the South Florida Suns Sentinel. How are you, my fine man? I’m doing well. Got a little by-week, a weird weekend now. No, no games, no. Uh, so we’ll have to put things in perspective, I guess, right? Is that the time for that? Exactly. Do a a with an assessment of where things are. Um, I for one personally understand the buy and if they go to 18 games, which they will eventually embrace for the notion that there will be two buys. Um, and history lesson for those not aware, there was one season where the NFL experimented with two buys at a time when the teams were playing 16 games. That was 1993. And I don’t recall exactly the reason, but they scrapped it after one season. Wasn’t that the year Marino got hurt? Was that That would be the year that that that maybe that was the reason we got Marino hurt. So, we cannot do that again. So, see, there you go. We lost one of the faces of the NFL to an injury because of that second damn biso. Scrap it. Um, but brace for it. Personally, yeah, I don’t like it. I understand it, but I don’t like it as somebody who covers a team. I want to see the Dolphins in action each and every single solitary week. The good thing about two buys is it stretches out the season longer. So, you have more football longer, you know. So, I I there there is a there is a silver lining in that. I also remember the days when the NFL actually would kick off the weekend of Labor Day, the weekend, which I personally like better. And I I guess they through some research they found that since the quote unquote official end of summer is Labor Day itself, that the viewership wasn’t quite as good and they decided let’s wait until the weekend afterwards when kids are back in school. I don’t know. Um, well, it also wasn’t long that that long ago when the Super Bowl was in January. So, I mean, they the NFL smartly, very look, they they’re a money-making machine. Very smart. They’re going to take over February. Yep. And here’s one last pet peeve before we get more Dolphin specific. Why would they not play the Super Bowl on a Saturday? Especially, it’s like you have a week off before the Super Bowl and the and the uh between the Super Bowl and the conference title games. Why wouldn’t you do it on a on a Saturday when people aren’t going to work the next day? There you go. That you you put you need to put that in the NFL suggestion box. The only answer is because it’s always been done this way, right? Super Saturday sounds just as good as Super Sunday. I like that. I I think you ought to uh you ought to lobby for to be a commissioner. You can make millions, billions on that move right there. Probably I’ll take I’ll don’t don’t I’m not greedy. I’ll skip the billions. I’ll take millions. That’s fine. Super Saturday, by the way, they couldn’t do it before because for those who are like other sports, Super Saturday used to be the term for the the next to last day of the US Open where you would have men’s semi-final followed by the women’s final followed by the second men’s semi-final. But I don’t remember exactly when, but several years ago, maybe 20 years ago, whatever, they decided to give the women’s their own stage on that Saturday. move the men’s semi-finals to Friday. So, how’s that? This is a tennis history lesson. I did not know that. Okay. See, there you go. Oh, I used to that used to be one of my favorite days of the sports calendar year, that Super Saturday. Um, good stuff. Anyway, good stuff. And this is a segue to the Dolphins. I don’t know if good stuff segus very well to the Dolphins, but here we are. They’re on a twoame winning streak. I actually uh the Dolphins had some media availability on Tuesday before the players went their separate ways for some days of rest, relaxation, recharging the batteries. I asked Jordan Brookke if there was any part of him who would have preferred the buy come at a different time because it’s the Dolphins first winning streak of the season and he was like kind of nah. Uh still dealing with jet lag from the game from the game in Spain. this is a good opportunity to get our, you know, bodies right and all that. So, so much for that idea. Still, they go into the buy feeling better than probably felt the whole year in terms of the morale since they’ve went two in a row. Yeah. I mean, two in a row and what, three or four? Is that how it works? So, so I mean, you know, from that stamp, better late than never. But um at the same time uh you you know they do go into the buy with some some good mojo for them inside the locker room which is something that really has been missing for a while. Then the next question becomes, do you think this team has a little bit of a run in it, maybe beyond the next two games, which are, and I know people don’t want to hear this, they’re easy games relatively speaking to other teams on the schedule when you play New Orleans and the Jets, both of which are two and eight. Well, the book on the Dolphins, as we all know, in the last several years, is they beat the bad teams, they lose the good teams with with an outlier here and there. Buffalo this year, the LA Rams last year. Um, so do they have a run in them? Um, I really don’t think so. Um, and and and look, the defense has played well, but but you know, the last two weeks, uh, Buffalo 376 yards of offense, which would be like second in the league. This past week, Washington 373. um if they might be reversed, but the the numbers hold up and and the difference was that the the defense got some turnovers. The defense got um they were three 0 in turnovers. Uh Buffalo and 20 I believe against Washington. One of them special teams obviously Ethan Bonner recovering that. But um it isn’t like anything fundamental has changed there. They’re still going up a lot of yards on on defense and and they’re going to come up against some offenses that don’t that don’t turn the ball over, I assume. Unless unless that’s unless they can keep that stat going, that that would be the the engine that to keep this going. This Debbie Downer segment brought to you by Dave Hyde from the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Uh would you feel differently had the Dolphins dominated Washington? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. you know, and and in fact, I expected them to come out Yeah. and and and especially the way they started on offense, the first three plays, two big achain runs, a nice pass to to Wad, and I thought, “Okay, they’re going to tear this bad defense apart.” And um then it just turned into a both teams, a lot of some drives, but but they couldn’t finish. and you you you sort of they they both went down in the mud with each other and and so yeah, I I probably would have felt a lot better about them because then they would have had the Atlanta game, you throw out the Thursday night Baltimore game, Buffalo, they played, you know, they beat a good team and convincingly and and and three stack three in a row. I mean, you you can make the case though that look, three out of four in the NFL, no matter who how you play or who you play, is is a good run. Yeah. And the Baltimore game was weird because it was one of those they were down 14 to six at halftime and and I’m looking watching the games like they’ve outplayed that team and not not a little bit either. And it’s just like it was one of those I want to say Murphy’s law is not the right term but it was there were so little things that were just putting him behind. It was like and I would have felt real good. You mentioned it was 48 yards on those first three plays and then the Dolphins had 58 yards the rest of the first half. It was like whoa. And that’s that’s and I know some fans get upset when I do this, but this is a fact. That’s a bad Washington defense. Yeah. That they given a 400 sorry 516 yards or somewhere along those lines to Detroit the week before. And obviously Detroit’s one of the elite offenses in the NFL when things are working right because we saw Sunday night against um the Eagles. And by the way, Jaylen Phillips, I mean, hat off to you. And I understand Dawson Dolphin fans are are going to be like, “A, I’ve seen this is what we always knew he could do.” Well, didn’t wasn’t operating at that level with the Dolphins, if we’re going to be honest about it. And it also helps that the rest of that Eagles defense is pretty crazy. I mean, I mean, he he’s in a in a place where he’s got help up and down the line and behind him to to let him his talent. Look, like I’ve said, I said here, his first couple years, I thought he he was a guy you build around and then he got hurt and all that stuff and and but to me, he was the model. He was the model of how you want someone to act inside the locker room on the field. And it’s just those injuries I they had to trade him. They had to trade him because it’s going to be a tricky contract situation. No, without question. And and for those Dolphin fans who are right now saying, you know, this is the To your point, this is a guy the Dolphins absolutely should have signed. Well, keep that same energy. If the Dolphins and what would have happened if the Dolphins had signed him and then he sustains like a semi-significant injury in the first year of his contract. That was a very very tricky spot. Let me address one thing because I keep hearing he went to Philadelphia and he he was very this this is personal. He’s very positive. Yep. and talk about this great spot for him, how excited he Why, and fans got upset here. And I’m like, why don’t you understand why wouldn’t he be excited? He goes from a team whose season is, you know, running down and, you know, it’s in trouble to to to I don’t even want to say it was over 0 and3. I I’ve said it before, it was over 0 and three as far as Big Hope. Um, then you’re going to the defending Super Bowl champion that needs your talent. to get the next step up. And why wouldn’t he be excited? He should be excited by that. And it’s not a shot at the Dolphins. And even before the before the trading deadline, he said he prefers staying in Miami. This is where he’s made his home. He’s engaged. His fiance is pregnant and all that. And again, then the other part of it too is what else is he going to say? And it’s like for those not familiar what he said, he basically said the trade to the Eagles is the greatest thing that ever happened in his life. Then after the game on uh Sunday night against the Lions, they won 16 to9. Uh thanks in part to brutal DPI at the end of the game. Different different topic. Um maybe even given the circumstances of the game, maybe even more egregious than the call against Jack Jones in Spain, which was brutal in his in its own right. And then he doubled down and they he literally said, um, interviewed on the field after the game, somebody’s like, you know, does that validate your your comment even more? He goes, I’m going to double down on that statement, obviously. Then he prefaced it by saying, you know, other than, you know, my fiance and us expecting a child, this is the greatest thing that’s ever happened in Miami. He got a little trouble at home. Yeah, he’s smart. Um, but it’s like again, it’s not a shot at that. He always represented the Dolphins in Miami in a first class manner and like you said, why wouldn’t he be completely jacked about the situation he’s fallen in he’s fallen into? And this this is the same thing when Tyreek Hill joined the Dolphins. It was like love Miami and all that that the praise for two all over the place. Um with the little difference and after a couple of years he wouldn’t stop like almost sending love letters to the Chiefs like my lord that that that was weird. There was also that element of, you know, singing the praises of your new new situation and that’s just completely normal. By the way, I wrote about that on Miami Dolphins on SI.com where all the content is free. Um, and I had another train of thought here that I we got sidetracked with Jaylen here. Um, so the obligatory question becomes um with the Dolphins at 4 and seven, I’m with you. I don’t I don’t I don’t dismiss the possibility of a run coming. Um they just haven’t shown that they’re that type of team. They do have reinforcements apparently on the way. Whether it be Austin Jackson, maybe Darren Waller, hopefully maybe we see James Daniels at some point down the line. Uh maybe Jason Sanders come back, although kicker has not been a major issue because Riley Patterson has done a very good job. They just have not shown to be that type of team. Do you have do you think there is a number of wins Mike McDaniel has to attain to return in 2026 or do you think there are external factors that will come into play? Well, what I was told when Chris Greer was fired was he was fired for the process and specifically that Chris Greer was fired because he didn’t have a plan in place for the trade deadline. He didn’t know. Steve Ross wanted to know what’s this guy, what what could we get for this guy, this guy’s and and so they want someone in there who start making phone calls. Seems a low bar for a GM, but um kind of and I was told to answer your question, it was the same with Mike McDaniel. It isn’t wins and losses. It’s the process of uh working, you know, improving, all those type of things. Um, you know, I’m not really sure. It’s a little nebulous to me, but that’s what I was told. Um, so I don’t think there is a win number that that you can say if he hits eight wins, he’s back. Um, I mean, my my my gut feel from talking to people and just look surveying the the scene right now is Steve Ross wants him back. um he wants him back in part because of to his contract. Um and they got Champ Kelly to step in and um you know, I’m not saying that’s going to happen because who knows this if the season goes off the rails then he he’ll make a change. But one thing we know about Steve Ross is he likes to stick with people for a long long time. And and uh and and so I I wouldn’t be surprised if what you see in place right now is what will be in place next season, including Champ Kelly. Right. Right. who I don’t know I don’t really know much about other than you know he got some I talked to a couple people uh u knew him at the Raiders and they they thought he was very good. So Dave and I are kind of like this on that. Um I’ve said this if you follow the podcast I my position hasn’t changed. It to me would have to be really really bad down the stretch for there to be a change of course because uh yeah Stephen Ross does like him. Um, so Mike McDaniel to this point as we get to the buy, what if anything has surprised you about this team? What has disappointed you about this team? Well, surpris the defense has surprised me because last year they ranked 10th and I thought they had holes last year and you know they were getting a couple guys back, Chub and Jaylen Phillips and um and their secondary was a a real question and and it’s almost been the other way where they couldn’t stop the run and they weren’t you go through their their schedule they haven’t really come up against major passing offices other than Buffalo and who’s Buffalo have receivers that scare you. Um, but the the the secondary hasn’t really been a significant problem, but the defense overall has been a problem. And I thought I thought um Anthony Weaver somehow would be he’d make chicken salad out of what he was given, which is what he did last year. Um, and I’m not faing him at all because you look at the the parts there and the and the roster and they’re they’re they’re signing quarterbacks in at the end of August who are now starting. Um, that’s not the way you that’s that’s the first indication major decision errors are made in the offseason. Um, so um that surprised me though that that the defense has has been that bad. Um and the other part is um the conclusion with Tua to me I I you know I I always saw the limitations but now it just seems they’re really underlined and and that game most recently in uh in Spain where you’re used to watching NFL games and you see Caleb Williams spin out of a when a guy in space is coming at him one-on-one. on and then and sometimes you don’t, sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t. But rarely do you see Tua be able to move at all. He he got run down by a defensive lineman. Again, that shouldn’t be a surprise because when he got hurt at Alabama, he got run down by a defensive lineman. Um, but it just seems to me that the limitations are becoming more pronounced. Um, and I don’t know if that’s as Tyreek Hill’s gone. Um I I I’m not sure why, but but those would be the two things that stick out to me. Yeah. And yet, I don’t know about you, but if you were to ask me right now who’s the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins on opening day 2026, it’s Tango Valoa because of his contract. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and that is that that’s so dolphin. I mean, I’m sorry that to to be moving to next year because and I get he’s on the roster. I get maybe he’s the starting quarterback, but also the number one priority should be getting a getting an option, getting someone here who can legitim legitimately compete with him. And now we go back to the other scenario which we just talked about. Who’s who’s bringing in that talent? who’s making that decision. And you know, my line is always, it takes talent to find talent. And the Dolphins talent in the front office has not been good. I’m not making any judgment on on Champ Kelly. I have no idea. Um, but you know, Chris Greer’s track record spoke for itself. Mike Tannen Bomb passed on quarterbacks that that are at the top of the league right now. you you can just keep going back and back and back and and they haven’t made the right decision. So, um I would I would hope at the least they’re they’re bringing in a possibility for the future at quarterback and somebody to compete right now with Tua. But what what does that look like? Are we talking a draft pick? Are we talking about event? because I’m looking right now the this these are the uh quarterbacks scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2026. Daniel Jones, uh Aaron Rogers, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Picket, Jimmy Garopppolo, Mitchell Trabinsky, Trabiscy, pardon me, Case Keenum, Trey Lance, Brandon Allen, Josh Johnson, Carson Wentz. Not exactly a who’s who. Uh yeah, but we would always say that every year. remember two years ago to look at the free agent like Sam Darnold, uh, Baker Mayfield. Um, so the the point is you got to have conviction on somebody and you got to be right on them. Okay? Jason Lick was right on Baker Mayfield when nobody in the league wanted him. Minnesota was right on Sam Darnold when nobody in the league wanted him. I and I’m I I’m not saying there’s somebody like that out there, but that’s ultimately, you know, one option what you’re looking for. Uh who else? Let me look at some other names here. Maybe Malik Willis, Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewwater, Tyler Huntley, Garner, Mshu, Skyler Thompson, Tommy Devito, Sam Howell, Jake Browning, Sean Clifford, Emry Jones, Hunter Deckers. Yeah. Um Zach Wilson may bring him in. bring them in and legitimately open it up for for training camp competition. I don’t know. Um yeah, I don’t know what the answer is either. And and but as as I said, 60% of a GM’s job is getting the quarterback. You’re going to have many options at other positions and you can find a way, but it’s that one decision that that uh is is keeps you up at night. Yeah, it’s got to be one of the two. You got to have like a really really really strong supporting cast or you have to have the complete stud quarterback. Obviously have both. It’s perfect. But the Colts right now, the Daniel Jones did not become all of a sudden a Hall of Famer even though he’s playing great. That supporting cast in Indie is pretty damn good. As I said before the start of the regular season when the Dolphins were going up there uh at at Indie to play in that first game where I said that’s a good team. I don’t know about their quarterback, but that’s a good team. And lo and behold, that guy’s picked up his game. Yeah. Indie won eight games last year without a quarterback. Bingo. To your point. And so and and so the question becomes what who who are you looking for a quarterback? And and but there has to be some and the other thing is Champ Kelly and Mike McDaniel. Is this a one-year proposition? Is is Frost going to sign him? I mean, what are we talking here? In other words, in other words, they’re going to pick a quarterback and then someone else, let’s worst case scenario, bad season next year, new regime, they don’t like the, you know, so they’re that that’s that’s the one of the issues of mixing and matching which Ross has done since he’s been here, GMs and coaches. Yeah. Which is why to me I think the most the most likely scenario is the 2025 season ends wherever the Dolphins are seven and 10 8 and nine whatever they can push it to eight and nine and then Stephen Ross tells Mike McDaniel and Champ Kelly you got one year convince me and then then more than likely two is going to be your quarterback that’s your group right there convince convince me you’re playing for your job than 20 and this time I mean And and then and then how many years seven convince me? I mean, come on. Ryan Ryan Tanahill. I mean, it’s we’re past Ryan Tanahill at this point. I did. It is Ryan Tanahill, too. Obviously, different talent, um, different talents, but same idea in that every year. Well, let’s see who he is this year, you know, let’s let’s have him take the next step. I mean, but my my but my point is I I don’t know what you can do at quarterback. Um like you they’re going to wind up picking like 11, 12th or 13th or whatever. Um I don’t know that there’s a Drake even a Drake May by the because New England nailed it because what they hired one of the best coaches around Mike Vrabel and they nailed a quarterback last year in the draft with Drake May who they got was it third or fourth overall? Third. I don’t know that there’s that kind is that third right. I don’t know that there’s that kind of quarterback in in in the draft in 2026 by let let’s let’s not revise history. When Drake May was taken, a lot of people said his mechanics are awful. They’re going to have to do so much work with him. Look at what Bill Bich said about him. He was out he was out of now he might have had some ulterior motive but no on Drake May. I mean you reddraft that who do you take Caleb William? You certainly take Drake May over Jaden Daniels because of the injury factor, right? Yes. I mean, um but um but you’re right. He wasn’t a slam dunk dude, but he still had like a lot of traits. I don’t know that there’s anybody, questions aside, sorry, pardon me. Questions included. I don’t even know that there’s somebody there who would merit a high pick like that, who would seem like a solution like that. and then to acquire him, let’s say top five pick in the draft, would the Dolphins, would it make sense for them to like give up a lot of draft capital? Well, the the other thing is, and I always come back to this line, I didn’t understand it for years, but I certainly do now. Bill Walsh said, “Organizations make quarterbacks.” A solid organization. Look at the Jets. Look at the talent that’s walked out the Jets in Cleveland. a quarterback that’s just walked out the door that they’d like to have back and now they’re gonna they’re probably gonna be they’re gonna have the capital to trade up to number one and take whatever quarterback they want. Um, and here they go again. But are they a good organization? Can they develop a quarterback and help him through all the learning stages that you need? And that and that should be part of the Dolphins process and thinking now what do we need to do to help a young quarterback develop or help Tua um you know get better next year. But this is well that’s the thing though is I would make the argument that Mike McDaniel completely maxed out Tua given so I don’t I don’t know I don’t know that Tua could have been a more ideal situation for him once Mike McDaniel took over as head coach Mike McDaniel his first he had one overriding you know demand his first year find out who Tula was and he did he found out he the anticipation the accuracy he he this is what we have this is what he is. His mistake was falling in love with that and thinking there’s another level that this guy can take and pounding and then getting the big contract signed and now you’re in, you know, you’re in salary cap hell. Yeah. And even at his peak, there was always a ceiling with Tua and there was always a reduction in the margin for error. The Dolphins were like such a precise offense. This is what to us at his even at its best operated with a very small margin for error which kind of disappears when you get to the playoffs and the nature of the game kind of changes. I I remember after the 70point game against Denver, Vic Fangio that week in in there and and he said, “Well, everybody needs to take a step back and and and and let this offense show you who who it is, you know, and he he was what he and he went on, but what he was really saying, let’s see them come up against a good defense and before we go all crazy.” Of course, I was like, “No chance. I’m going crazy. I’ve never seen 70 points before.” So, but but you know the point taken that this offense can do at its best could do things against bad defenses that good defenses would not allow and and it didn’t have the answer again against some of the good defenses as a lot of offenses don’t. No, without question. I want to leave with this thought because this is this has come up after the trade deadline where the Dolphins made the Jon Phillips trade and that was it. Certainly nothing precludes them from revisiting trade options after the season. Obviously they have to be guys who are under contract because you can’t trade a pending free agent at that point. Um or you can but who’s going to want to who’s going to want to make a trade for that guy? So, do you think that there’s a possibility again depending on how the season ends that maybe the Dolphins do revisit the idea of trading Jay and Wadd do revisit the idea certainly a Bradley Chub um that we could not necessarily a fire sale but we could see some big names getting moved. Yeah, I I mean the Waddles market at the trade deadline tells you he’d be the guy. there’ll be more teams interested in and at in the off season. Um, you know, as you’re setting your salary cap and as you’re setting your roster. Um, but this also gets into to what you said. If if Steve Ross says to McDaniel and Champ Kelly, you have one year to prove it, are are do you trade Jaylen Wadd? I mean, you you you you’d have to be really convinced what you’re getting back in return is is uh crucial. Um so I I mean but but yeah, I mean part of a GM’s job is and this this isn’t you’re not going to trade everybody, but you want to know the trade value of everybody. That’s just part of the job, right? No, without question. Okay. Uh Dolphins are at the bot. They’re four and seven. If I’m putting you on the spot right now, their final record is going to be eight nine. That’s what I predicted before the year. And I’m just gonna stick with that. It’s it’s easy. And and and it looks like it’s uh probably if I was picking right now, I’d probably say eight and nine, too, because they have a couple easy games. I can’t play believe four and 17 and and I’m saying they have a couple easy games. Um and they they just played a three and a three and eight team and and now and and they life and death. So, but yeah, I would I would think eight and nine. Okay. So, they beat New Orleans, they beat the Jets. I’m assuming you have them beating the Bengals in the Sunday night game that hopefully maybe will get flexed out. That means they beat either they either win at Pittsburgh, at home against Tampa Bay, or at New England. Right. Right. Yeah, that’s it. That’s uh I would think, you know, and and you know, Pittsburgh plays Baltimore the week before the Dolphins do. And that will be I mean they played twice in the in the final month, but that that that that’s going to be for the division and probably for the playoff spot and and it’ll be interesting to see who Pittsburgh is in that game and if and who Baltimore is, of course, but but where they are a week later after that game, you know, if they get run out of the off the field by Baltimore, um you know, maybe Nine wins, Allan. Maybe nine wins for the Dolphins. Well, because the way you’re presenting it then now, now we’re talking win over New Orleans, the Jets, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, which means the Dolphins and would be eight and seven heading into their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it’s 2021 deja vu all over again. I mean, that that’s that’s the everything goes perfectly right, right? Correct. So, yeah, it can happen. We can dream. Absolutely. It’s again to me it’s better than saying okay season’s over. Let’s talk about the draft and the draft prospects and what position because we’re going to have plenty of time to do that after the season. So that’s going to do it for this Wednesday. He is Dave Hyde of the South Florida SunSentle. Catch his fine work at sunsel.com. Uh he’s also at Dave Hyde sports on social media. As for little old me, catch the written content for free at Miami Dolphins onsi.com. the podcast available wherever you get your audio podcasts if you prefer the audio form. Um, and please like, subscribe, comment, share, all that good stuff. We’ll be back here on probably Friday afternoon with Ken Lava. And early reminder, we have the Dolphins Collective on Friday evening as well. So, in the meantime, thanks everyone. Thanks Dave. Enjoy your by weekend. Thanks everyone.

Miami Dolphins on SI Publisher Alain Poupart (@PoupartNFL) is joined by Dave Hyde from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel to assess where the Dolphins stand at the bye and what might be in store for the rest of the 2025 season and beyond. Make sure to follow Alain on Twitter at @PoupartNFL and Blusky at @alainpoupart.bsky.social, and for more (free) Miami Dolphins content, visit Miami Dolphins on SI at si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi.