The Miami Dolphins have a number of key areas to retool in what is a crucial offseason for general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel.  

One of those is a secondary who is lacking quality depth behind their starters – and could be soon without one of the latter.  With Jevon Holland a distinct possibility to sign elsewhere in free agency, it's an area that should be high on the list of upgrades for Grier in the coming months.  

That was the primary roster decision for the Dolphins in a recent article by Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, who identified one for all 32 teams.  This is what Locker had to say about Miami: 

Miami’s defense flashed progress in Anthony Weaver’s first year, although the team finished 25th in PFF coverage grade. With several 2024 starters hitting free agency, this offseason feels like a natural transition point for that room.

Among the Dolphins’ leaders in coverage snaps were pending free agents Kader Kohou, Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland, none of whom exceeded a 68.9 PFF coverage grade. Holland, No. 3 in PFF’s free agency rankings, very well could cost more than the Dolphins want to invest. In turn, that could leave only Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller as returners, but both will be 30 or older next year.

Ramsey (71.9 PFF coverage grade) appears to have more left in the tank, but the other four secondary slots could use retooling. Miami drafting a cornerback or safety at Pick 13 shouldn’t be ruled out, and cheaper free agents would make sense amid their difficult cap situation.

To be fair, there's no doubt that the Dolphins have to get better and deeper in the secondary.  Jordan Poyer is surely gone, and Holland may be priced out of their market.  Kader Kohou could also have a decent market himself for teams looking for an experienced slot corner, although the Dolphins ultimately have the final say in bringing him back as a restricted free agent. 

Offensive line must be addressed as the team's priority, and that will involve some key questions being answered

However, there's are area that simply has to be addressed first.  One that could very well cause the entire team to fail if they do not succeed: the offensive line. And there are plenty of question marks to be answered there.  

What are the Dolphins going to do at guard? 

First, is addressing both guard spots.  Neither Robert Jones nor Liam Eichenberg are starting material.  That was made crystal clear in 2024, if it wasn't already before.  The Dolphins simply cannot roll them out in 2025 and expect anything different. 

The question is what do they do about it? Do they have part of those answers in house?  Would Isaiah Wynn – who played capably in 2023 before suffering a debilitating quad injury that cost him about a year and a half – be an option? He's a free agent, but is certainly a short-term possibility on another one-year deal. 

Is Austin Jackson a possibility to slide inside in favor of drafting a tackle?  I'd think this is not an option they would want to go with, all things considered, as Jackson has played his best football on the edge protecting Tua Tagovailoa's blindside.  However, sometimes players fall in teams' laps in the draft, so the ensuing domino effect isn't something that can be totally dismissed if an NFL-ready tackle they like falls to them. 

It seems like at least one pick in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft will have to be spent on a guard, and at least one notable veteran signing to compete for another starting spot is also something that almost surely will happen. 

Are the Dolphins good enough at left tackle moving forward? 

Terron Armstead has been good when he's been on the field, but that hasn't been often enough as he's battled health problems just about every week he's been a Dolphin, it feels like.  We'll see if he comes back for another season this fall, but a contingency plan has to be in the works. 

Is 2024 2nd round pick Patrick Paul ready to be that guy?  Tough to say at this point. His rookie year had some major growing pains.  Per PFF, Paul had a pass blocking grade of 55.8 with 15 pressures and 3 sacks allowed in 229 pass blocking snaps. His run blocking grade was far worse at 41.0, with an overall offensive grade of 44.9.  Grades aren't always indicative or accurate, but the eye test didn't get Paul off the hook that much either.  

If Armstead isn't back – or perhaps even if he is – has Paul shown enough to be the guy – or at minimum the 1B option to Armstead's 1A? 

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These are some questions that Miami will have to answer if they're going to build an offensive line that can help this team not just reach the playoffs, but win against good, physical fronts like Baltimore, Kansas City, and Philadelphia.  

And if Tua misses any more time, well, we've seen how quickly that can derail a season. Nothing else would matter, not even the secondary. 

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