MIAMI GARDENS — In what was an underwhelming free agency haul for the Miami Dolphins this offseason, the top addition is largely considered to be guard James Daniels.
The Dolphins signed Daniels after he played the last three of his seven NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers for three years and $24 million.
It strengthened an immense need to improve the team’s guard play on the offensive line, as Miami needed better pass protection and run-blocking from the position, but the Dolphins also got Daniels at a discount because he was returning from a torn Achilles that occurred four weeks into the 2024 season.
Over the first two days of mandatory minicamp, Daniels, 27, took the step of participating in limited individual drills with the rest of the offensive linemen as he continues to ramp up within two months of training camp opening in late July.
“Everything’s going well. It was a good two days of practice,” said Daniels, who noted he had done some individual drills on his own but finally got to get out there with the team. “It’s always nice to be outside and work, like actually working with the guys, work with the tempo practice, speed of practice and all that stuff.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is understandably excited to see the Daniels addition come to fruition on the field, with the hope Daniels can line up in a team setting early in training camp.
“He had a great day on the field (Tuesday) working on individual,” McDaniel said before Wednesday’s drills, “and I could see what he’s done in the last month on the field for the first time with my own eyes.”
McDaniel added his first practice wasn’t perfect, but the session highlighted specifics in Daniels’ blocking style he will need to alter in McDaniel’s offense.
Daniels did not short-change the process to get to this point.
“That’s a guy who has understood what his opportunity is here, understood how much we’re counting on him and understood that he was starting the process recovering from an injury,” McDaniel said. “He has done an absolutely fantastic job in Phase 1 and Phase 2, which we absolutely needed. He couldn’t have just go through the motions when working through the process of offseason program, tape and meetings.”
Adding Daniels to the offensive line on either side of center Aaron Brewer should work wonders in maintaining a clean middle of the pocket for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but maybe just as important as the Dolphins seek to add a greater element of physicality this year, is the effect it could have on the ground game.
“I mean, we run the ball a lot,” Daniels said. “You can’t not be physical and run. You can’t just toss the ball every play and just circle defenses. It’s not college. So, there is a time where we’re going to have to block defensive line. We’re going to have to block linebackers every play.
“That’s why I thought I was brought here. So that’s why it’s something I’m excited for.”
Although the Dolphins aren’t yet fully clashing in the trenches, practicing without pads at this point in the offseason, Daniels can still bring a level of veteran leadership and help others in identifying techniques in practice that won’t be effective once pads do come on.
“I haven’t played in this offense, but I can say like, ‘Hey, this is how I think, how it should be done or this is what we need to do for it to be successful,’ ” he said.
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Daniels will start at one guard spot and fellow veterans in Brewer and right tackle Austin Jackson have their roles. Elsewhere, first-year starters in second-year left tackle Patrick Paul and rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea can stand to learn from Daniels’ presence.
Daniels played right guard rather exclusively with the Steelers, but he has also played some left guard during his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears. Which side he plays in Miami, opposite Savaiinaea, is still not completely solidified.
McDaniel said comfort level in how they use their hands, feet and body mechanics, along with athletic needs the offense requires from one more than the other, factor into a decision.
“With James, he’s very capable of doing either side,” McDaniel said, “but when you have a rookie in the mix, you kind of have to settle that first.”
Daniels has already had some messages for Paul and Savaiinaea in their early interactions.
“You’re really never graded on a curve,” he said, “so it’s like when you’re out there — doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or Year 10 — the defense isn’t (going to let up), like, ‘Oh, it’s just a rookie.’ It’s like, ‘No, you have to make the block.’ Once you’re out there, no one’s going to feel sorry for you if you’re not doing your job.”
Daniels noted opponents will try to attack inexperienced blockers with blitzes.
“When that happens, when the defenses do try to go at them, they block it up,” Daniels said. “And then they try to go after someone like me who has the experience.”
Originally Published: June 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM EDT