Josh Uche grew up a Miami Dolphins fan.
Every Sunday after church, Uche and his father would sit down and watch the Dolphins. The South Florida native’s eyes, however, were on one player: Cameron Wake.
“I would see what he would do, and I’d try to go to practice and do the same thing,” the edge rusher said, specifically pointing to Wake’s “crazy four-point stance.”
For Uche, the opportunity to play for the team that he grew up a fan of was too good to pass up. But more than that, it was the chance for significant playing time.
“I want to play football — bottom line,” Uche said. “There were other teams that were available, but I felt like it was the best of both worlds being here in Florida, getting an opportunity to play football, and this is where I wanted to be all along.”
Oct 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Joshua Uche (0) reacts after a defensive stop against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The same goes for Jalen Tolbert. Having spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, the wide receiver has experienced some success, particularly in the 2024 season when he caught 49 balls for 610 yards and seven touchdowns.
Prior to the 2025 season, however, the Cowboys landed George Pickens whose presence took targets from Tolbert. With the Dolphins, Tolbert sees opportunity.
“All we ever can ask for is opportunity, and so I knew that I had a greater chance at cracking that here,” Tolbert said. “And like I said, obviously the thing is, I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do. Obviously I just came from a squad that we were pretty stacked at on the offensive side of the ball, so it was hard trying to get all the touches that you work for and you want. Just the opportunity to get back to that and get back to the guy that I was coming out of South Alabama.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 17: Jalen Tolbert #1 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Christian Petersen Getty Images
For Tolbert, the targets should come in bunches. The Dolphins traded star receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos ion Tuesday in exchange for a first-round pick, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick swap. Couple that with the release of Tyreek Hill in mid-February and the need for receiver production becomes abundantly clear.
“I was surprised,” Tolbert said of the Waddle trade. “We’re all competitors and honestly, like I said, I’ve been in this league for four years now, I do know that it’s always the next-man-up mentality. And like I said, that’s no knock on anybody or Jaylen [Waddle] at all. It’s just another opportunity for myself and the other guys in the room to get more opportunities, get more touches or whatever it may be, earn more playing time.”
Despite the departure of the wide receiver duo and other big names such as Tua Tagovailoa, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Bradley Chubb, the Dolphins’ front office doesn’t consider the 2026 season a rebuild. At least that’s what was communicated to offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer.
“I was not told that,” Salyer said. “And truth be told, it doesn’t matter to me as a player. I mean, obviously I’m a competitor. I want to be able to go out there, put my all in and the idea would be for it to result in a win. Obviously that takes a team, and I’ve seen teams that have been rebuild teams go out and win.”
Los Angeles Chargers guard Jamaree Salyer (68) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in a 2024 game. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It, however, wouldn’t matter either way to the four-year veteran. Salyer, like many of the Dolphins’ other free agent signees, just wants to play.
“Looking at everything and all the opportunities that I had, this place kind of seemed like a breeding ground for competition and opportunity, so that’s what kind of drew me here,” Salyer said. “I think it’s exciting to have a number of different openings, so I’m excited to just be able to go compete. That’s really what I told my agent, that’s what I told Coach [Jeff Hafley] when I got a chance to talk to him. I’m just excited for the opportunity to do that.”
At the end of the day, nothing will be given. If there’s anything that the new regime has emphasized, it’s exactly what Salyer mentioned: competition. The Dolphins even recently signed a pair of kickers, punters and long snappers to that end.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 06: Tutu Atwell #5 of the Los Angeles Rams returns a punt during the first half of a game against the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) Sean M. Haffey Getty Images
Everyone from the first guy on the roster to the last guy has to be ready to fight for their starting role. Even if you’re a former Super Bowl winner such as TuTu Atwell.
“I’m just coming in to work and do my part and help the Dolphins, and just do what’s best for me,” the receiver said. “When the opportunities come, then I’ll be able to prove it.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 5:10 PM.
Miami Herald
C. Isaiah Smalls II is a sports and culture writer who covers the Miami Dolphins. In his previous capacity at the Miami Herald, he was the race and culture reporter who created The 44 Percent, a newsletter dedicated to the Black men who voted to incorporate the city of Miami. A graduate of both Morehouse College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Smalls previously worked for ESPN’s Andscape.