Latest news with #ChrisGrier
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dave Hyde: Will Dolphins' big changes lead to results in regime's fourth year?
Culture is an easy word to talk about. It's not so easy to create, especially when you've flubbed it for three years as coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier did in this Miami Dolphins era. So, they made some change in their fourth season that you typically see in an early-stage rebuild. That's the way to view this offseason's work that ends when training camp starts on Tuesday. You can praise them for making necessary change and hope they got it right this time. You can doubt them after three years of getting too much wrong. Hope and doubt are as inseparable as Grier and McDaniel at this point. They said good-bye to players who didn't buy into the collective culture like Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland and (gasp) Raheem Mostert. They quit writing unnecessary contracts for players just to be nice (though defensive tackle Zach Sieler needs paying). They turned the oldest roster in the league into something younger. All this offseason, Grier and McDaniel followed the first rule when you've dug yourself a hole: They stopped digging. That was important. But now comes the harder part of trying to lead everyone out of that hole. Can they? Will they? And, yes, lead is the operative verb for them here. Everyone around the Dolphins is hung up on which players are leaders, of how they lead, of their lost leaders like Terron Armstead and Calais Campbell. But if there's one thing this organization has lacked since Steve Ross took over it's leadership in the prime leadership positions. Ross wants to win and has spent a lot of money trying. But does he even recognize what leadership looks like inside an NFL team? His hires make you wonder. Joe Philbin was hired, Ross said, because he was organized as a power-point lecture showed in the interview. Mike Tannenbaum was hired, Ross said, because he ran the team's sports science wing so well. Adam Gase was hired due to his creative offensive thinking. Brian Flores was a gifted coach, but had people-management issues. Grier? He's followed whatever coach is in the building. Year 10, and does anyone know what he thinks winning football looks like? McDaniel is back to Ross's idea of a creative thinker and positive influence. Those are good qualities. But McDaniel's idea of a culture the first three years was of a football commune with his players, a kumbaya partnership with players who had done nothing to earn that relationship. Maybe McDaniel changes some in Year 4 after some of the players the organization trusted most like Ramsey and Tyreek Hill turned on the coach last season. The curiosity beginning Tuesday will be in seeing any such change. McDaniel's camp reflected his culture of comfort the past few years. Rotating days off for everyone. Few exhausting workouts. Players warming up without certain pads or helmets. No sprints after practice. One way to see it was progressive thinking in a league trying to reinvent training camp. Another way was the whispered word Armstead heard from players back when he signed with the team: 'Easy,' he said last year. McDaniel can't suddenly become Andy Reid, who takes his Kansas City Chiefs team away for training camp and has purposely tough practices. He can't be Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who begins each training camp with the toughest five practices of the season to set a tone. Something more like what Washington coach Dan Quinn did in his first season last year would fit McDaniel's way. Quinn gave players a blank sheet of paper at the start of training camp and had them write their standards for their team's culture. He posted the results and held players to them. Maybe that helped explain how Washington had a fun playoff run last season. Maybe it was more rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, too. The Dolphins have roster questions at cornerback and the offensive line. Most teams have some issue right now. But if Grier and McDaniel get the culture right this time that goes a long way toward solving problems of the past few years. That's the hope anyway. The intertwined doubt that's part of this training camp says if they can't solve it in three years they won't in the fourth year. That's the tension of this season. Hope and doubt. Now it's time to show how all these decisions work out. ____
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AFC East rival run ‘like a Little League team,' former Patriots star says
Asante Samuel thinks the Miami Dolphins are a mess. In last week's episode of his podcast, 'Say What Needs To Be Said,' the former New England Patriots star blasted Miami for how it handled the trade of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Advertisement 'There's no leadership in the Dolphins organization,' Samuel said. 'Mike McDaniel is a pushover. Chris Grier, the general manager, he has no backbone. These guys over here, the Miami Dolphins, they are running this team like a Little League team. No one can stand up to the players, they are terrified of their own players, and they have no control over their players.' Last week, the Dolphins traded the three-time All-Pro cornerback to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a deal that netted them defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick in return. Samuel, a four-time Pro Bowler at cornerback himself, blasted the decision. 'The Dolphins had no reason to trade Jalen Ramsey other than they're sensitive,' he said. Advertisement Samuel noted that Fitzpatrick represents an upgrade at safety. However, he argued that moving Ramsey there would have been a much better option. Samuel started his career in New England, winning a pair of Super Bowls during his first two seasons. After five years with the Patriots, Samuel left to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, making three Pro Bowls in four seasons. Samuel finished his 11-year NFL career with a pair of seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grier, McDaniel or both? Who's on Dolphins' hot seat entering 2025 season?
With the 2025 NFL season fast approaching, the South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at 10 storylines to watch for in a 10-part series ahead of the Miami Dolphins' first day of training camp, which is set for July 22. It took no more than a couple of hours after the finality of the Miami Dolphins' 2024 season settled in before owner Steve Ross decided on the direction for 2025. Advertisement He retained both general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, announcing as much in a statement released moments after the Dolphins vacated MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey following an embarrassing season-ending loss to the New York Jets that sealed their playoff-less fate last season. But Ross still made it clear that falling short of the postseason and extending the franchise's drought without a playoff win to 24 seasons was not acceptable. 'Continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that the status quo is good enough,' Ross said in his statement. 'We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships. 'As the owner of this team, I am ultimately accountable for our successes and failures. We fell short of our expectations this season, and I understand and share in the frustration in our performance on the field.' Advertisement Many of those words indicate, while the Dolphins are running it back with Grier and McDaniel at the top, the duo enters 2025 on the hot seat before veterans report for training camp. So is it McDaniel whose job could be in danger with another year falling short as he enters his fourth season for a team that was ready to compete at the time he took over? Is it Grier, as he has been a constant through the entire playoff win drought, starting out as a scout in 2000 and having the general manager title since 2016? Related Articles Could it be both for a complete reset if 2025 goes awry? And what qualifies as a season gone wrong? Advertisement Certainly, falling short of the playoffs again could and probably should be grounds for termination. Some may want to set the bar higher and say this combination needs to produce that long-coveted playoff win. That seems like a tougher task in 2025 without the franchise making many significant upgrades to the roster and perceivably operating at a net loss of talent. The recent trade that brought All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami also shipped star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith away to Pittsburgh, with neither willing to stick with the Dolphins this season. Fitzpatrick replaces former safety Jevon Holland, who went to the New York Giants in free agency, and the Dolphins also lost valued veterans in tackle Terron Armstead (retirement) and defensive tackle Calais Campbell (to Arizona in free agency). McDaniel's job could very well come down to shifting the culture for a team that accepted tardiness to meetings last year. Armstead, Campbell and Smith are big losses to the locker room in that regard. Advertisement The Dolphins spent the offseason addressing the physicality of the team, using a first-round pick on defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, trading up in the second round for guard Jonah Savaiinaea, dishing out their largest free agent contract to veteran guard James Daniels, plus adding a pair of physical running backs to complement De'Von Achane in the run game. And it all could very well fall on the shoulders of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his health; 2024 would likely have been much more successful if he didn't miss six games. Tagovailoa must protect himself better, but if backup Zach Wilson is forced into action and fails, Grier and McDaniel have left themselves open to criticism of choosing him over a more experienced backup. For McDaniel's part, he was candid this offseason in welcoming the hot seat pressure, likening it to what Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni faced before winning the Super Bowl last season. Previously addressed Is this Tyreek Hill's final season with the Dolphins? Advertisement Dolphins Deep Dive: Miami's culture; McDaniel on hot seat? | VIDEO
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dolphins' Chris Grier Finally Expected to Be on Hot Seat
Dolphins' Chris Grier Finally Expected to Be on Hot Seat originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Miami Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000, and are the only team to have not won a playoff game in the 21st century. Advertisement Miami has reached the playoffs five times in the last 24 years, but has lost in the first round each time. This season would make it a 25-year drought if the Dolphins fail to win a playoff game, and if that's the case, there could be some major changes in Miami. Head coach Mike McDaniel has been in the hottest seat in Miami, but general manager Chris Grier could be right there with him. Grier has been with the Dolphins since 2000, the last time the team won a playoff game. He started in Miami as a scout, then worked his way from assistant director to director of college scouting from 2003 to 2015, before becoming the general manager in 2016. However, since 2000, Grier has been part of the organization for the entire playoff win drought. Advertisement Despite owner Stephen Ross holding onto both McDaniel and Grier after missing the playoffs in 2024, Ross made it clear that the standard for Dolphins' football was not met, and if it continues, there will be changes. 'Continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that the status quo is good enough,' Ross said in a statement released at the end of the 2024 season (h/t SunSentinel). 'We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships. 'As the owner of this team, I am ultimately accountable for our successes and failures. We fell short of our expectations this season, and I understand and share in the frustration in our performance on the field.' Advertisement The Dolphins' offseason was all about beefing up the offensive and defensive lines with the additions of two offensive linemen and three defensive linemen via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier walks on the field prior to the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Vinlove-Imagn Images However, beyond that, the Dolphins did not do much else. Miami added some depth to the secondary, and swapped cornerback Jalen Ramsey for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and tight end Jonnu Smith for Darren Waller. The Dolphins will start the season with a healthy edge rushing trio of Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Chop Robinson, and a healthy quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, and those players' health could make or break Miami's season. Advertisement However, the Dolphins are still volatile at the cornerback position and could use a talented veteran addition to solidify the unit. The culture question in Miami seemingly will fall on McDaniel's shoulders in 2025, but if the players on the field don't produce a playoff run in 2025, Grier's future with the Dolphins could be coming to an end. Related: Dolphins Blasted for Jalen Ramsey Trade With Steelers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Former NFL star Asante Samuel Sr unleashes on Dolphins, questions team's leadership after Jalen Ramsey trade
Asante Samuel Sr. spent the majority of his NFL career with the New England Patriots. His son, Asante Samuel Jr., spent the first four years of his professional football career with the Los Angeles Chargers. The younger Samuel is currently listed as an NFL free agent. The Miami Dolphins recently sent three-time All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers and could be looking to bolster their cornerback room. But the elder Samuel's recent scathing comments on the state of the Dolphins franchise could put a damper on the possibility of his son landing in South Florida. From Samuel Sr.'s point of view, the Dolphins organization suffers from deficiencies from the top down. He shared his sentiments about the franchise during a recent appearance on his "Say What Needs To Be Said" podcast as he reacted to the trade that sent Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. The Dolphins did acquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for Ramsey and Smith. Both teams also traded draft picks as part of the deal. "The Dolphins had no reason to trade Jalen Ramsey other than they're sensitive. There's no leadership in the Dolphins organization," Samuel asserted. "[Head coach] Mike McDaniel is a pushover. Chris Grier, the general manager — he has no backbone. These guys over here, the Miami Dolphins, they are running this team like a little league team. No one can stand up to the players. They are terrified of their own players, and they have no control over their players." The Sun Sentinel reported that Ramsey was tardy to team meetings and practice sessions on a routine basis during his tenure with the Dolphins. In 2023, the star cornerback also reportedly clashed with Vic Fangio — the Dolphins defensive coordinator at the time. "He became a symbol of the Dolphins just collecting talent rather than building a team," the report from June stated. "Ramsey and Tyreek Hill were constantly late for practices or meetings in a manner that set the culture of last year's Dolphins." While the Dolphins have had some regular-season success under McDaniel, he has yet to guide the team to a postseason victory. The Dolphins' last playoff victory came in 2000. Ramsey is credited with 24 career interceptions. He will join a cornerback room in Pittsburgh that features Darius Slay Jr. and Joey Porter Jr. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
