Set the bar at a responsible level, work to reach it daily and scrutinize the results.

Considering this Miami Dolphins self-help because despite what the fan base thinks, the 2025 season isn’t over before it begins.

It’s May. The team just concluded the first week of on-the-field work where coaches are allowed to be on the field. The offense hasn’t even lined up against the defense. The team hasn’t even put on pads yet.

It’s super early, and the product South Florida’s NFL franchise can put on the field could deliver a winner if….

Team owner Steve Ross holds the football side of the organization to the same standard he holds Tom Garfinkel, the team president and CEO, to. Ross expected growth and shrewd moves from Garfinkel on the business side of his enterprise. Why does the standard change for football operation?

Demand excellence, Steve!

General manager Chris Grier needs to be filling out this roster, strengthening areas of weakness, and there are still plenty areas of concern.

Once Jalen Ramsey is traded away in the Dolphins won’t have a proven, established NFL starting cornerback on the roster, and Liam Eichenberg is the sixth man on a still relatively weak offensive line. That means Eichenberg’s one injury away from being a starter again.

Is this roster really good enough to finish strong, winning at least 10 games, and lock up a playoff spot in December? Grier’s answer to that question will decide this team’s fate, and his fate.

Mike McDaniel’s fate will be determined by whether he loses the locker room.

Simple as that.

I have covered teams that fought for (Tony Sparano and Brian Flores) the head coach they knew was entering the fire zone, and I have covered teams that quit on their head coach (Cam Cameron, Joe Philbin and Adam Gase) during the season.

Will the 2025 team rally behind McDaniel, who owns a 28-23 record? We will soon find out.

The one player McDaniel can’t afford is to lose again is Tua Tagovailoa, who missed six and a half games last year.

That’s why Miami’s franchise quarterback needs to stay healthy for a full NFL season for the second time in his career, and lead the NFL in a fourth statistical category in six seasons.

In 2022 Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating (105.5).

In 2023 he led the NFL in yards thrown for (4,624), and in 2024 he led the NFL in completion percentage (72.9).

Touchdowns thrown for would be an excellent goal for 2025.

But balance is what this offense needs to thrive.

De’Von Achane became Miami’s lead back in 2024, coming 1-yard shy of 1,500 scrimmage yards, and he admitted his goal is to become a 1,000-yard back in 2025.

That’s a solid goal, but his yards-per-carry average (4.5) needs to improve. Achane himself admits he took too many negative plays looking for the home run. Fix that, and if the offensive line is respectable, Miami has a chance to get back to the rushing output it had in 2023, when the offense rushed for 2,308 yards and scored 27 rushing touchdowns.

However, it’s Miami’s passing game that sets the table.

It would be great if Tyreek Hill gave all his focus to football for once, committing himself to proving at 31 he’s still one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL.

Having a healthy Hill, who played through a wrist injury that was surgically repaired this offseason, would drastically improve Miami’s odds to winning every game if he hasn’t lost a step.

And the same goes for Jaylen Waddle, who delivered his most disappointing season in 2024.

The Dolphins signed Waddle to a five-year, $109 million contract last offseason, paying him like he’s an elite NFL receiver. But if we’re being honest Waddle hasn’t proven he can take over a game in his first four seasons.

Waddle needs to produce more than the 66.6 yards per game he has averaged throughout his career and deliver a new career high of nine touchdowns in 2025 to make the money make sense.

At this point, Jonnu Smith is more valuable to the Dolphins offense than Waddle.

And as ridiculous as this might sound, it would be a disappointment if a healthy Smith doesn’t outperform the record-setting performance he delivered for the Dolphins in 2024.

Keep in mind Smith got off to a slow start in the season’s first month because he didn’t fully grasp the Dolphins offense. That shouldn’t be a problem this year, which means the eight-year veteran should be able to produce more than 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns if injuries don’t slow him down.

But he’s not the only tight end clocking significant playing time.

Julian Hill got elevated into a starting role last year because he’s one of the strongest players on the team. But Julian Hill’s consistent screw-ups cost the team momentum in numerous games.

If this third-year player is going to keep his in-line tight end role Julian Hill needs to tighten up and become a more disciplined player, or the Dolphins need to move on.

However, the biggest unit that needs to tighten up — figuratively and literally — is the offensive line.

Patrick Paul might have the toughest challenge on the roster, replacing Terron Armstead as Miami’s starting left tackle.

If Paul struggles the entire offense is doomed because Miami doesn’t have a quality backup on the roster. Grier should probably address that.

Aaron Brewer, Austin Jackson and newcomer James Daniels need to lead this ragtag unit, helping them improve off last year’s lackluster performance.

Daniels, who is coming back from an Achilles tendon injury he sustained last September, needs to serve as a stabilizing presence that helps Miami’s O-line open up more and better running lanes.

At the moment, Jonah Savaiinaea is projected as a starting guard, and the hope is he’s ready to be a rookie contributor. That’s why the Dolphins traded up in the second round to select him. It will be a massive disappointment if he wasn’t because it would mean Eichenberg must remain a starter.

Even if that’s the case Miami needs help Eichenberg polish up his game, getting him to the point he isn’t on the ground much.

However, like everyone on the Dolphins roster, and just about everyone in the organization, Eichenberg isn’t a lost cause.

He just has plenty to prove. But he’s far from alone.