Miami’s Foundation Is Being Tested
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A building is only as strong as its foundation. Cornerstones are set and once they are, for better or worse, they’ll determine how sturdy any structure is. In a figurative sense, the same goes for any organization, and since 2019, the foundation of the Miami Dolphins has been general manager Chris Grier.
While on the work site for over 20 seasons and technically holding the general manager title since 2016, Grier got a roundabout promotion following the 2018 season. Miami firing then-VP of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum made Grier the organization’s top decision-maker without actually changing his title. It’s a bit ambiguous when this current regime “officially” started, it’s generally considered to be when Brandon Shore, now Grier’s right-hand man, was promoted to Senior VP of Football Operations in 2019. That’s their foundation.
Both executives rose through the Dolphins ranks over the course of several years, and when Tannenbaum left, the duo sought to make their mark on the team by imploding the former regime’s foundation and redesigning blueprints on their own.
There’s a fine line between making your mark on an organization and making changes for the sake of making changes, though. And some of these moves cost the Dolphins some foundational pieces that would still be paying off today.
After lucking out with a top-5 talent falling to 13th overall in the 2016 Draft after offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a meaningless blow to his draft stock, the Dolphins had arguably the best player in his class at a premium position. Tunsil would up being a Pro Bowler at one of the most important spots on the field. Just not for Miami.
The Grier/Shore regime traded Tunsil to the Houston Texans weeks before the 2019 season, where he immediately made the Pro Bowl. A similar fate befell 2018 first-rounder Minkah Fitzpatrick, who went to the Pittsburgh Steelers and finished the year as an All-Pro. Just like that, a foundation was gone. Like Leo and Max from The Producers, the new-look front office went into purge mode in order to get the capital to start up a new era.
And they got the capital. The three extra first-rounders gave Miami five to play with in the 2020 and 2021 Draft. Additionally, they traded Houston’s No. 3 overall pick in 2021 for firsts in 2022 and 2023. On one hand, that’s enough to build a foundation.
On the other, though, that’s trading two perennial all-stars entering their primes for a bunch of lottery tickets. While the deals were understood by the fanbase then, the explanations become harder today after seeing what happened with those supposedly foundational 2020 and 2021 Drafts.
Miami got their foundational quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, though they chose him with their own pick at fifth overall. The fruit of the Fitzpatrick trade became tackle Austin Jackson at 18th overall, and he remains on the team. The same can not be said of second-rounders Robert Hunt and Raekwon Davis, or third-round pick Brandon Jones. Despite those being solid picks, they’ve moved onto different squads after their rookie deals expired.
Thanks to the Dolphins whiffing on their third 2020 first-rounder with the infamous Noah Igbinoghene pick, the only 2020 draftees still on the roster are Tagovailoa, Jackson, and long-snapper Blake Ferguson.
Snagging Jaylen Waddle with (in a roundabout way) Houston’s first, and Jaelan Phillips with their own pick softens the blow. But it’s not even just the Tannenbaum draftees that are out in Miami. Grier’s first draft sans-Tannenbaum began with 2019 first-rounder defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The fifth round saw Grier finding Andrew Van Ginkel, who became a big-time piece for the club, as well. Those should’ve been part of Grier’s foundation, as well.
Fast forward to 2024, and Grier’s first draft is gone, Tunsil and Fitzpatrick are a memory, and many of those players from those 2019 and 2020 Drafts are thriving outside of Miami. You’d have to call the Texans the winners of the Tunsil trade, as they have rebuilt quicker and better than Miami. Fitzpatrick’s Steelers are perennially in the mix, as well. It makes a Dolphins’ fan wonder why these cornerstones were removed, and what this new foundation led the organization to.
Grier’s and Shore’s plan may not be finished in their minds. Yet, should Miami not rebound from their 1-2 start and salvage this season, there could be a new superintendent and project manager on-site in South Florida.
The structural integrity of this build is being tested. Like a real estate developer not worrying about fixing certain cracks or leaks, Grier and Shore have done comparable negligence with the offensive line, backup quarterback, and depth of multiple position groups. Ironically, for a team owned by one of the most successful real estate moguls on the planet in Stephen Ross, there may just have to be another demolition if Grier and Shore can’t get to the penthouse this year.
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