Want to believe in the Miami Dolphins this year? Here's an optimistic view at the upcoming season

WQAM-AM / AM 560 Sports WQAM

Hoch reads an article written by Joe Schad in the Palm Beach Post outlining five reasons to be optimistic about the Miami Dolphins upcoming season.

Transcript

00:00So Joe Shad wrote this, we have Dolphins training camp opening tomorrow.

00:03Joe Shad wrote in the Palm Beach Post today, five reasons to be optimistic about the Dolphins

00:09this coming season.

00:11Number one, the Miami Dolphins still have Pro Bowl talent.

00:16Let us not forget that.

00:17We talk a lot about who they lost.

00:19Let us not forget they still have Pro Bowl talent.

00:22He writes, the Dolphins have a player on offense and a player on defense with a total of 13

00:27Pro Bowl appearances.

00:28Tyreek Hill, eight Pro Bowls.

00:31Minka Fitzpatrick, five Pro Bowls have been at the top of their craft in the recent past.

00:36Quarterback Tua Tonga-Vailoa, Bradley Chubb, Darren Waller, Alec Ingold have all been Pro

00:43Bowlers.

00:44Potential future Pro Bowlers include Devon Achan, Jalen Waddle, Jalen Phillips, Zach Seeler.

00:51Dolphins are hoping the results are better than the sum of their parts in 2025, but make

00:57no mistake, there is still enough talent to make the playoffs.

01:03Fair.

01:04That's a little yin and yang.

01:05We've talked about who they lost, but they have some talent on this team as well.

01:10Yeah.

01:11And those talented players that have been here up rather than Minka, the Minka edition,

01:15we have to see what it does, but they have not been successful in the postseason.

01:20Over eight and a half, yes, I can see over eight and a half, but the big run that we're

01:25trying to wait for, I've seen it with all the names you just said.

01:29Number two, Tua Tonga-Vailoa's play should be good enough.

01:35Tua Tonga-Vailoa has led the NFL in passing yards, completion percentage, and passer rating.

01:41If Tua stays healthy, he can perform at or close to a level of AFC stars, Patrick Mahomes,

01:50Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert.

01:55Tonga-Vailoa is about to begin his sixth season, but this is also his fourth consecutive season

02:00with coach Mike McDaniel.

02:02So there are no excuses.

02:03I mean, he puts them with lofty company there.

02:06Hawk, Hawk, 100% agree, but you had to put that clause in there that we put the clause

02:12in if he stays healthy.

02:13If he plays 17 games, he's going to have better numbers than Herbert and all those other guys

02:18up there.

02:19He just has to stay healthy.

02:21Number three from Joe Shad, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver returns.

02:27The Dolphins are very fortunate that standout D.C.

02:30Anthony Weaver was not hired away as a head coach this offseason.

02:34Weaver, a rising star, helped the Dolphins to fourth in the NFL in yards and 10th in points

02:41last season.

02:42Weaver had a good plan and has the respect of players.

02:45Did you even know that Dolphins had the NFL's fourth-ranked defense last season?

02:51Yes, they've lost Jalen Ramsey, Javon Holland, Calais Campbell.

02:55Minka Fitzpatrick and Kenneth Grant are a good way to start in filling voids.

03:02There were improvements by Weaver over Vic Fangio and Josh Boyer, each of whom lasted

03:09only one season.

03:11Operating the same defense for a second consecutive season should be a plus.

03:16Sounds good.

03:18First time running it?

03:19Yes.

03:19And I didn't know those numbers.

03:20I didn't know four in scoring.

03:22Continuity.

03:23Continuity and then figuring it out.

03:25But I just, they have to bring in another cornerback.

03:27I do not want Storm Duck and Kater Kohu to start the season on the edges.

03:30But, but, you know, and I'm not saying Joe Shad's wrong from bringing that up.

03:34The stat about the Dolphins being top five defensively.

03:37But I do think, you know, that doesn't paint the whole picture.

03:40You look back at last season and I'm not blaming the defense.

03:43If anything, the defense kept this team in games.

03:45There were a lot of forced turnovers when Tua was out that put the Dolphins in a position

03:49to win and, or at the very least, score.

03:52And Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle just couldn't, but the defense wasn't great last year.

03:57It just wasn't.

03:58And now.

03:58No, it's statistics paint up a part of the picture.

04:02Same thing.

04:02You know, we, we always like open our eyes wide open when we look at Aaron Rodgers numbers

04:06from last season.

04:07We go, hmm, didn't feel like it looked that way on the field.

04:10Same thing with the Dolphins defense.

04:12Statistically, they were a lot better than we feel like they were.

04:15For sure.

04:16And I'm, I'm with him.

04:17Continuity helps.

04:18But at the end of the day, who's out there?

04:21You know, I think that matters.

04:22What's your depth?

04:23How does that look like?

04:25And I don't think the Dolphins are very deep defensively.

04:28And well, Crowder, you know about the cornerback situation.

04:31It's not great in the backfield.

04:34And if, if Bradley Chubb and JP don't look how we're all expecting, um, then, you know,

04:39it's another season of chop Robinson.

04:41And then who else on the outside trying to, to compensate for those losses.

04:47So again, like, I'm not saying they're going to be bad.

04:49Not they were good last year at times, but if the offense is going to struggle, two is

04:54going to miss times.

04:55You need your defense to be elite.

04:56And I don't think the Dolphins are elite on that end.

05:00Number, uh, four from, from Joe Shad dolphins depth, that wide receiver running back and

05:06edge rusher.

05:06The Dolphins have obvious concerns at cornerback defensive line and tight end.

05:11It would appear they've improved at guard and backup quarterback.

05:15That one, I might take issue with the backup quarterback, James Daniels, Jonah Savinia and

05:21Zach Wilson should be positive additions, but in particular Miami's talent and depth that

05:27wide receiver running back and edge rusher are near the top of the league.

05:31Tyree kill and Jalen waddle had setbacks in 2024, but are poised for bounce backs and should

05:37be assisted by Nick Westbrook, a kind Malik, Washington, Taj Washington, and, or D S gridge

05:45and, or Solana's guy, Eric as a comma, Devon H and had a setback in 2024, but should return

05:53to rookie form and be assisted by Jalen, right?

05:56Ollie Gordon and Alexander Mattinson, if healthy, the trio of Bradley Chubb, Jalen Phillips and

06:04chop Robinson could be as dangerous as any in the league and could ease some pressure

06:11on the corners.

06:12And that might be the thought by the way, Hey, we don't have to focus as much on the

06:17corners.

06:18Cause look what we got coming quickly.

06:22I'll say I had to look at the numbers, but the Dolphins gave up 21 points a game last

06:27year.

06:27And this is two in two out.

06:28And they gave up 314 yards had nothing to do with Tua or Tim Boyle or anybody.

06:33You give up 314 yards in NFL and 21 points.

06:37You have to score 22 points.

06:39That's it.

06:40Like score 22 points.

06:42And we win most of these games.

06:43That offense should be able to, and the offense should be able to, I'm with you, but it goes

06:47back to what the arguments Alana made.

06:49The perfect season happens.

06:51Chop Robinson, Jalen Phillips gets back to form.

06:54Bradley Chubb gets back to form where we have 60 sacks as a team.

06:59I just want to see that happen before I say it.

07:04And I actually liked the Westbrook Akine signing because he caught touchdown passes in Tennessee.

07:11You can catch touchdown passes in Tennessee and Tua's throwing the ball.

07:14Like you need a red zone target.

07:15We always joke, we see one more fade to Tyreek Hill in the back of the end zone.

07:20Like we're, we're going to lose it.

07:21Um, like this could be no John who this could be somebody that Tua is going to target in

07:27the end zone.

07:28Um, but again, like last year, uh, you're playing the bills week to remember the first

07:33interception to a throws Tyreek and waddle word on the field to a storing the ball 30

07:39yards deep.

07:39And you're like, what, how does that make sense?

07:42Why is he throwing the ball to Robbie chosen over 30 yards when you're two highest paid

07:47players are on the sideline?

07:48Like to me, fine.

07:49You go get, you go get guys, but the scheme still has to be a smart one.

07:54You know, like you can't make those types of mistakes against a division rival.

07:57That brings me to number five from Joe Shad in the Palm beach post five reasons to be

08:04optimistic about the dolphins.

08:06Number five is Mike McDaniel is still smart and creative and he's pledging adjustments.

08:13He says the dolphins don't have a playoff win in three seasons under Mike McDaniel, but

08:18McDaniel's eight, nine, eight, nine last year setback was mostly result of Tua's injuries

08:24and a bad chemistry mix on the roster.

08:27McDaniel has always been, and will always be transparent.

08:32He knows the dolphins need to run the ball more and run it better.

08:35McDaniel knows he needs players to be more locked in from the first training camp practice

08:41and has pledged to hold the team accountable.

08:44McDaniel didn't become dumb overnight.

08:47McDaniel is still a bright, sharp offensive mind and a high percentage of players appreciate

08:52that he treats them with respect and is determined to find the best ways to help them and the

08:59team succeed.

09:01McDaniel deserves this chance to right the ship with at least one playoff win in the 2025 season.

09:08He will have put things back on course.

09:11Stop treating the players with respect and get respect.

09:17Players tear their knee up and you cannot help the team anymore.

09:20It's how the NFL goes.

09:22I don't know if people want to hear how callous it is.

09:25If Tua breaks his neck, no one cares about Tua tomorrow.

09:29So why, like, this is why I brought up earlier, we were talking, you know, talking, and I brought

09:35up Parcells and I brought up Belichick and I brought up, you know, the, the butt wipe coaches

09:40that are successful.

09:41Who cares?

09:42Your quarterback one, your linebacker one, your DB one.

09:46It sounds good to be a player's coach and all this cute stuff.

09:49I think it's backfired on McDaniels.

09:51The hell with showing players respect and eating, eating Christmas dinner with them, demand greatness

09:58out of them and win games.

09:59That's all people care about.

10:01Cam Cameron was very nice.

10:02Did y'all like Cam Cameron?

10:03He was the ultimate player coach.

10:05He was great.

10:06Did y'all like Cam Cameron?

10:08Oh, he's a top four, uh, Dolphin coaches in my opinion.

10:11Lie.

10:13Like he was a nice person.

10:16Joe Philbin, a very pleasant human.

10:19Nick Saban, butt wipe.

10:21Um, um, Wanstead, I know he didn't do great stuff, but he was a butt wipe.

10:26I met once and my dad knows.

10:28Go to the year one year.

10:29I think he was a butt wipe.

10:31And you've heard Joe and all these dudes tell stories about Shula and Jimmy Johnson.

10:36We hear OG talk about Jimmy Johnson, cussing people out.

10:39You don't need to be friends with these employees.

10:44And it sounds callous.

10:45That's the way it is.

10:47Dan Campbell is nice or he's energetic.

10:52He's not bringing them dudes to his house for the, to eat, to eat chicken wings on Friday

10:57night.

10:57Go do your damn job and get results.

11:00That's what this, it is a result driven league.

11:02Hawk.

11:03The only thing I'd say about Chad's optimistic view of McDaniel.

11:08I'm, I'm with the idea of another season in the league, another opportunity over the

11:12off season for him to grow as a head coach.

11:15Like I'll buy into that.

11:16But at the end of the day, this idea that he's this offensive genius, like I, I'm still

11:23not sold on it.

11:23He was brought here as a run game coordinator and was supposed to be points against Denver

11:28a couple of was supposed to be a run game guru and our run game hasn't been great.

11:33A couple of years, a couple of seasons ago.

11:35And, and the one season that we put up 70 points and our offense looked like the greatest

11:40show on surf.

11:42Was it really just the fact that Tyree kill was the best player in the NFL that year?

11:45Like it was someone to get them the ball.

11:48Yeah.

11:49I don't know.

11:49But last year they took Tyree kill away and McDaniel could not adjust, but I'm just saying

11:55like they took that away.

11:57We know that they took that away.

11:58They played safeties up top.

12:00They didn't let us throw the deep ball.

12:01Even when two was healthy, how did McDaniel adjust?

12:04And I don't think he showed the ability to adjust.

12:07So if he doesn't this year, we'll know, like, is he really an offensive genius or did he just

12:11have one of the best toys in the NFL, a cheat code in Tyree kill?

12:16Well, he's still got them.

12:17All right.

12:17Five o'clock funky Buddha happy hour is coming up.

12:20We'll get you caught up on the headlines.

12:22Continue talking a little bit of NFL because training camp opens tomorrow.

12:28If you're a Miami Dolphin listening right now, dress lightly.

12:33It's hot out.

12:36That's not good advice.

12:38Well, what do you mean?

12:39That's not good advice.

12:42What do you mean?

12:43That's not good advice.

12:44Tighten up.

12:44Do your damn job.

12:45Darren Waller may not know how hot it gets down here, so I don't want him showing up.

12:51He might show up in jeans and a jacket.

12:56I mean, you never know.

12:57No.

12:57Darren Waller is the red zone threat.

12:59So, I don't give a damn about this hyphenated boy's name.

13:01I forget his name, but Darren Waller should be catching the red zone touchdown.

13:06That's who it would be.

13:08Westbrook Akine, and you also botched Savanaya, and you also botched.

13:13You called him Maddinson.

13:15There's no N there.

13:15It's just Madison.

13:16Alexander Madison.

13:18Yeah.

13:18But isn't it Savanaya?

13:20Savanaya.

13:22You sure?

13:23No, but I'm pretty sure.

13:25He better have a nickname.

13:26He better have a nickname.

13:28Big S, big Sav.

13:29Savvy.

13:30Big S?

13:31Savvy.

13:31I like Savvy.

13:33Savvy.

13:34Savvy got to come in.

13:35Savvy got to play.

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