‘Disjointed’ — The latest offseason grade for the 2026 Miami Dolphins’ moves is a harsh critique that ignores months of evidence
“Disjointed” was the word used to describe the Miami Dolphins’ offseason. It was, in reality, anything but.
The Miami Dolphins‘ moves this offseason looks like a CVS receipt.
There’s line after line after line of changes. Things started all the way at the top of the organizational chart and has trickled down through the lowest levels of the roster. But there’s a beauty to Miami’s changes. The Dolphins’ new brass has been very transparent about what they’re trying to achieve. You just have to be willing to listen.
The latest offseason grade for the 2026 Miami Dolphins, courtesy of NFL.com, appears to ignore Miami’s stated objectives. The Dolphins were given a ‘C’ grade for their effort this year. Here’s the justification — and my retort.
NFL.com’s harsh criticism of the Miami Dolphins’ offseason misses the entire point of the rebuild
“Even in the context of a rebuild, Miami’s moves felt a little disjointed: signing Willis to a three-year deal instead of tapping an inexpensive bridge QB; extending Achane for four years while shipping Waddle to Denver; and trading down in the first round, ultimately passing on a potential defensive game-changer like Caleb Downs. We won’t see the whole structure for another couple of years, but so far, I’m not convinced by the foundation.”
— Matt Okada, NFL.com
Everyone’s got a right to take the “wait and see” approach to the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 offseason. But make no mistake about it — nothing about the Dolphins’ offseason was ‘disjointed’. Miami wanted to get younger and cheaper. Trading Waddle but keeping Achane achieves that goal. Waddle, 28 in November, is owed $68 million between now and 2028. Achane, on a $68 million extension, is under contract now until 2030. And he won’t turn 25 until October.
From a big picture perspective, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told us when he was hired that the whole thing starts with a quarterback. Miami believes Willis can be a legitimate answer. Why would they target a bridge and wait a year for an answer if they believe there’s one they could acquire and know intimately, now? If they’re wrong, they’re free to draft one next April. But passing on a perceived answer at quarterback should never be considered the right play.
And the acquisition of Proctor versus Downs comes down, in part, to providing for said quarterback. Because as Sullivan said, it all starts with the quarterback. Feels like a pretty cohesive effort to me.
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