MIAMI GARDENS — Training camp and preseason games are finished for the Miami Dolphins. The next key date is Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to cut the roster from 90 players to 53 players. And then comes the Sept. 7 season opener at Indianapolis.

Between the time training camp opened on July 22 and now, we learned a lot about this team, which has an over/under win total of 8.5 according to many Las Vegas oddsmakers.

There were injuries, good performances, bad performances, uneven performances, challenges to the Dolphins’ toughness and philosophy.

Here’s a wrap up of what we learned about the Dolphins during training camp.

Top performers of camp: Left tackle Patrick Paul might have been training camp’s Most Outstanding Player, meaning the best performer, as opposed to Most Valuable Player, meaning, for this purpose, the most key/needed performer. Among other top performers were inside linebacker Willie Gay Jr., wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, edge rushers Chop Robinson and Derrick McLendon, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Malik Washington and center Aaron Brewer.

Defensive front seven are monsters: Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has done such a good job with the front seven that they could be a top five crew in the league. They’re playmakers against the run and pass. They make life easier for the offense and the secondary, and it’s tough to say which is the biggest benefactor.

The top players on the front seven are tackles Zach Sieler, Benito Jones and Kenneth Grant, the rookie first-round pick, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson, and inside linebackers Gay, Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, and K.J. Britt.

These guys are difference-makers. General manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel also get credit here.

Coaching/front office are in question: McDaniel and Grier enter their fourth season as a duo with a frustrated but optimistic fanbase. The biggest changes to the roster — Grier famously said they’d “invest” in the offensive line and McDaniel said backup quarterback Zach Wilson was a “direct, calculated target” — are still leaving fans wanting. 

The starting offensive line of center Brewer, left guard Jonah Savaiianea, right guard James Daniels, left tackle Paul and right tackle Austin Jackson seems solid. The backup offensive line is talent deficient.

The backup quarterback position is about the same as the backup offensive line from the standpoint that the starter, Tagovailoa, is good, but the reserves, Wilson and No. 3 Quinn Ewers are, well, less than good.

These were the pet projects of Grier and McDaniel in the offseason. The reserves at offensive line and backup quarterback, keys to the Dolphins’ mediocre performances of the past few years, might not be significantly improved.

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New strategy/philosophy will take time: The Dolphins are flipping their roster as they go from “win now,” which featured a reliance on numerous 30-somethings, to trying to win with youth and draftees, which features a reliance on younger players. This won’t be a one-year fix, which brings into question whether Grier and McDaniel, who have a two-year regular season record of 28-23 (.549), and an 0-2 playoff record, can survive the turnaround.

Special teams are better: Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, in his first season with the Dolphins, tightened up this unit to the point where they were noticeably improved during training camp. It doesn’t matter whether it was kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return, field goals or extra points, these guys were on the job. 

Injuries remain a major concern: This hits both starters and reserves. Training camp saw injuries eliminate or slow key players such as slot/nickel cornerback Kader Kohou (knee), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (right wrist surgery and oblique), right tackle Jackson (left foot/leg), running back De’Von Achane (calf), backup center-guard Liam Eichenberg (leg), backup center Andrew Meyer (unknown) and a few others.   

Aggression/toughness are better but not good: The Dolphins, who relied on speed and finesse in previous years, are a tougher team but no one would consider them a tough team, if that makes sense. This is a process. The Dolphins are taking steps toward having tougher, more aggressive players and playing a tougher, more aggressive style. But such as it is with flipping the roster to younger players, this isn’t a one-year fix. More is needed.

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How the Dolphins will win: Most likely the Dolphins will again rely on a high-scoring offense led by a deep passing game that’s fueled by the trio of Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle. The defensive front seven should play a larger role in winning than in past seasons under McDaniel.

Cornerback is the No. 1 weakness of the team however, and it could cause them to lose games. It’s unclear whether the Dolphins will have a physical run game.

At this point it appears speed and finesse will again be the dominant traits of this team although perhaps not as much as in previous years of the McDaniel era.

Originally Published: August 24, 2025 at 1:30 PM EDT