Latest news with #StephenRoss
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
How are Dolphins in this spot in Year 7? Weren't these supposed to be the glory years?
These were supposed to be the 21st Century halcyon years of Miami Dolphins football, a blissful four- or five-year run of sustained winning that would validate the 2019 semi-tank and restore the franchise to greatness or at least, semi-goodness. That was the plan, at least, when owner Stephen Ross decided to sacrifice the 2019 season and to an extent, 2020, because he had grown weary of 9-7 and 7-9 seasons and prioritized building a foundation for a long-term Super Bowl contender. The 2024 and 2025 seasons were projected to be the culmination of those efforts, with a team constructed around seven years of draft picks and key acquisitions via trade and free agency. Many of these 14 players were supposed to comprise that nucleus: Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Jevon Holland, Andrew Van Ginkel, Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Jaylen Waddle, Connor Williams and Jonnu Smith. Most would still be in their prime. But then a crushing concoction of bad decisions, salary cap problems and bad luck torpedoed Super Bowl dreams: Tagovailoa's concussions; an unwillingness and to a lesser extent, an inability, to pay Wilkins, Holland, Van Ginkel and Hunt; a contract disagreement with Smith, who was jettisoned to Pittsburgh; Ramsey's general surliness and unhappiness, leading to a trade request; Williams' devastating knee injury, ending the Dolphins' best year of center play since the Mike Pouncey era; Armstead's knee problems, prematurely ending his career; a bit of a mystifying regression by Hill and Waddle and devastating longterm injuries to Phillips (two of them) and Chubb. And oh yes, don't forget Pro Bowl cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones teetering out, due to age and injuries. Now let's be clear: The salary cap would not have permitted Miami to keep all 14 of those players. But whether they kept the rights ones is the question; the Dolphins this season are allocating $54 million in cap space to players not the roster, including Ramsey, and $33 million of dead money on next year's cap, per And that speaks to the No. 1 factor that helped ruin another era of Dolphins football: poor decisions — at backup quarterback, the offensive line, the free agents prioritized and now, seemingly, at cornerback, where Miami entered the week woefully short of merely adequate. So instead of constructing a team built to stack up with Baltimore and Buffalo and Kansas City, Miami begins training camp this week with nothing more than a fringe wild card contender, a team with arguably more questions than answers. A panel of ESPN experts ranked every team this week and placed the Dolphins 24th, between Las Vegas and Indianapolis. The team that takes the field on Wednesday features too many potential starters who haven't earned the type of trust than any team that fashions itself a genuine contender should. That's not to suggest that offensive linemen Patrick Paul and Jonah Savaiinea, tight ends Darren Waller and Julian Hill, cornerbacks Cam Smith and Storm Duck and safeties Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis are bad players. There's hope that Paul and Savaiinaea will be above-average linemen, and the two safeties have played generally well for other teams when healthy. Waller — who has a $2 million non-guaranteed base salary — has much to prove after a year in retirement. But none of those eight — five of whom might start — have yet earned trust (though Waller was a very good player five years ago). With Melifonwu and Davis, the lack of complete trust stems from a history of injuries and the lack of a track record as starters. They're missed 47 games over seven combined seasons — 31 for Melifonwu and 16 for Davis. For Smith and Duck (who are competing for a starting cornerback job), it's shaky production at the core of the distrust. Smith had a 122.4 passer rating in his coverage area last season and hasn't been able to stay healthy. Duck flashed early as an undrafted rookie but closed with a bloated 104.5 passer rating in his coverage area. The salary cap makes it impossible for any team to field sure things at every position. But the Dolphins could have easily created the cap space to sign above average starters at safety (Jeremy Chinn) and cornerback (Byron Murphy).. They could have prioritized Wilkins (who is now out for Oakland with a foot injury) and Van Ginkel instead of, say, Waddle and giving an extension to a player who had a history of being a malcontent (Ramsey). Remember, the Vikings gave Van Ginkel only $2 million more guaranteed than Miami gave Shaq Barrett, who retired before training camp last season while Van Ginkel had 11.5 sacks in a Pro Bowl season for Minnesota. They could have found a better third defensive lineman than Benito Jones. With an unproven starter in Paul, they could have signed a better left tackle than Larry Borom, who allowed seven sacks in just 237 pass blocking snaps last season. They could have waited out the backup quarterback market instead of immediately giving $6 million guaranteed (and up to $10 million) for underachieving Zach Wilson, who has the third-worst career passer rating among active quarterbacks. They could have spent to the cap or higher instead of spending well under the cap this season, which is unusual for them. Instead, they're left with a roster that Pro Football Focus and ESPN both say is the 24th best (or ninth worst) in football. FanDuel has the Dolphins over/under for wins at a sad 8.5. So this is we are in Year 7 of this overhaul? There's still a chance the Dolphins can beat out the Chargers, Denver, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New England and maybe the Colts for one of three wild card spots. But it would take a laundry list of ifs to fall their way — if all of the aforementioned players (and first-round pick Kenneth Grant) play well; if Chubb and Phillips and Jackson — who have all had multiple major injuries — stay healthy; if James Daniels comes back seamlessly from a torn Achilles; if Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II or Alexander Mattison emerges as a very good No. 2 back behind De'Von Achane; if Kader Kohou plays like he did in years one and years three and not like he did in year two; if Hill and Waddle return to their vintage forms and eliminate the drops… and most importantly: 4). If Mike McDaniel can find an answer to combat defenses that took away the big play last season, especially against good teams and on the road… 3). Cornerback can somehow be augmented in seven weeks before the season starts. (The Dolphins on Monday remained in negotiations with free agent and former Bills starter Rasul Douglas.) 2). If this offensive line suddenly becomes a strength after (as analytics guru Warren Sharp noted) two years of finishing in the bottom-10 of pass block win rate and second in holding penalties and after a 2024 season in which they had the highest rate of negative runs and the worst short yardage conversion rate in football. 1). If Tagovailoa can finally thrive against good defense and stay healthy, something he has done only once in his football life and yet something the team overlooked in giving him a $212 million extension, including $167.2 million guaranteed. 'They have a quarterback that's a starting level quarterback, but they play in the division with a league MVP and play in a conference with quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes,' ESPN's Tim Hasselbeck lamented on air a week ago. 'That's what they're dealing with as much as anything else.' The rebuild hasn't been an unmitigated disaster, because there were two playoff appearances and nothing worse than 8-9. But it has been a disappointment and it will be a failure unless there's a playoff win this season. Perhaps a 21st century of low achievement finds a bolt of serendipity in year 7 of whatever this rebuild was and produces the single playoff win that should be the bare minimum of what's acceptable for all the hundreds of millions of dollars spent and draft resources allocated to this overhaul. For now, that's wishful thinking, with giving the Dolphins the 13th-longest odds to make the playoffs and a cornerback group that ESPN's Mina Kimes justifiably calls the worst in football. Give the Dolphins another quarter century and maybe they will get it right.
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.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins Owner Closing in on Purchase for Major Tennis Tournament
Miami Dolphins Owner Closing in on Purchase for Major Tennis Tournament originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Stephen Ross, the billionaire owner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, is closing in on a deal to acquire a massive stake in a major tennis tournament. Advertisement According to Gillian Tan of Front Office Sports, it is a roughly 45% stake in the Miami Open. Tan reported that the move is part of a bigger deal led by entertainment mogul Ari Emanuel and his group of investors, which is purchasing both the Miami and Madrid Opens from Endeavor. Ross bought the 95% ownership stake in the Dolphins back in 2009 for $1 billion when he was 69 years old. The other five percent is owned by the family of Wayne Huizenga, who passed away in 2018. Ross, who just turned 85 in May, is now making another massive deal. "Ross, the founder and non-executive chairman of real estate firm Related Companies, last year sold 13% in the Dolphins and South Florida-based sports and entertainment assets—including the Hard Rock Stadium," Tan said. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reacts after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Navarro-Imagn Images Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Dolphins, has also hosted the Miami Open since 2019. Additionally, it has hosted the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix since it began in 2022. According to Tan's sources, the tennis tournament has been extremely popular and setting records in this year's event. Advertisement "The 2025 Miami Open, held in March, drew more than 405,000 attendees, a tournament record, and revenue from ticketing, sponsorships, and hospitality also set records, a person with knowledge of the matter told FOS," Tan said. It is safe to say that Ross, who also has a massive footprint at his alma mater (the University of Michigan), is making his mark on the city of Miami and its surrounding areas. Related: Dolphins' 2025 First-Round Pick Predicted To Be a Bust This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
30-06-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Report: Stephen Ross is close to buying 45 percent of the Miami Open
85-year-old Dolphins owner Stephen Ross isn't slowing down. Gillian Tan of reports that Ross is closing in on a deal to buy 45 percent of the Miami Open, a premier, non-Grand Slam tennis event. The transaction will be part of the event's sales by Endeavor to a group led by Ari Emanuel. The Miami Open is played at Ross's Hard Rock Stadium. This year's event drew over 405,000 attendees, a record. Last year, Ross sold 13 percent of the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. While the price he'll pay for the 45-percent stake in the Miami Open wasn't disclosed, it's surely less than the money he made by selling a piece of his NFL teams. Ross, a real-estate mogul, became the principal owner of the Dolphins in 2009. The team has not yet won a playoff game under his stewardship.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Miami Dolphins' billionaire owner Stephen Ross closes in on shock deal to expand his sports portfolio
Miami Dolphins majority owner Stephen Ross is digging into his pockets for a new venture as he reportedly is closing in on a roughly 45% stake of the Miami Open. Ross, who is 85 and has a reported net worth of over $10billion, will secure the huge new venture as part of the tournament's ownership being up for sale by Silver Lake-owned WME Group. The majority sale is going to a group led by Ari Emanuel, who is also the CEO of TKO, the parent company of combat-sports federations UFC and WWE. Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins home venue, is also owned by Ross and has hosted the Miami Open since 2019, giving him the inside connection to the deal, per Front Office Sports. The Miami Open is viewed as an important stop on tennis' calendar, as one of the elite tournaments outside of the Grand Slam quartet, due to the prize money and standings points given out from the event. Jakub Mensik and Aryna Sabalenka won the individual titles of this year's Miami Open back in March. He will gain roughly 45% of the Miami Open, one of tennis' biggest tournaments outside of the Grand Slam quartet (Pictured is tennis star Mirra Andreeva at this year's event) Ross holds heavy control of the Dolphins despite selling 13% of his sports assets last year to funds overseen by Ares Management, as well as Brooklyn Nets owners Joe Tsai and Oliver Weisberg. Ross also is the owner of the Miami International Autodrome, which holds Formula One's Miami Grand Prix. The race is slated to be held annually through 2041 and has attracted plenty of A-list attention over the last few years. Despite his age, Ross has not discussed any sort of succession plans for his sports portfolio publicly. Ross' business moves have not slowed in 2025, with Relevent Sports, which Ross owns with CEO Danny Sillman, garnering global commercial rights for UEFA's men's club competitions, including the Champions League, per FOS.
