There’s no way to sugarcoat it: this year has been an unmitigated tire fire disaster for Mike McDaniel, Anthony Weaver, and Tua Tagovailoa.
Chris Grier deserves to be on the list, too, but he’s the architect of Miami’s doom because he built this mess by giving his coaches some of the worst talent to work with on either side of the ball. If the other guys are the roaring flames eating the Dolphins’ season, then Grier is the arsonist who lit the fire to begin with.
With the season all but officially over after Sunday’s loss to the Browns, it’s time for the Dolphins to make the necessary changes in their focus for the season and start getting the younger players the starting reps they need.
Dolphins best option is to give younger players some playing time
If the Dolphins truly want to get radical, then Quinn Ewers makes a lot of sense as a replacement for Tua. He needs to practice, and the Dolphins’ winning games only hurts their draft stock at this point. A season that was once bursting with hope is now simply bursting at the seams.
Mike McDaniel would need to sell the idea that now is the time to get others more reps in games, and the draft capital is the only thing to gain. Jaylen Wright needs more playing time, as does Ewers. Defensively, Miami needs to push Kenneth Grant, Chop Robinson, and Jordan Phillips, and if that means fewer reps for Zach Sieler, so be it.
Tahj Washington and Theo Wease, Jr. shouldn’t be inactive or on the practice squad, nor should some of the backup offensive linemen either.
Jason Sanders isn’t a guy who needs to be back, either. If the Dolphins can trade him, they should. This season should be Riley Patterson’s to prove he belongs here next season. There is so much change that should be taking place.
The best the Dolphins can hope for is a top-five draft pick. They also need to start building for the future by giving players the time they need to learn how to play at this level. If it is at the expense of wins and losses, then that should be perfectly fine for everyone.
Unfortunately, that’s what the season has boiled down to. The Dolphins are a disaster, but the franchise will exist long after the current regime is gone. That’s what matters — padding resumes and taking stock of what the team has on its roster now. All signs point toward a total rebuild in the near future and the sooner the Dolphins embrace it the better off everyone will be.
