The Dolphins’ offseason reset has left the offense looking younger, cheaper, and built around players who need to grow up fast. With the front office stripping out expensive veteran contracts and leaning into youth and scheme fit, the path forward is clear enough: the long-term cap picture is cleaner, but the roster only works if the young core starts turning promise into production.
That makes 2026 a big year for a handful of offensive players who are being asked to take the next step. Some are looking to establish themselves.
Others are trying to prove they belong. All of them are tied to the same idea - if Miami’s new approach is going to pay off, these are the kinds of seasons that have to happen.
Greg Dulcich is at the top of that list at tight end. The expectation is that he becomes a primary offensive weapon this season after showing flashes last year. He is set to move into the starter’s role by default, and the hope is that he can build on his 2025 work and become a dependable presence over the middle and in the red zone.
Patrick Paul is in a different spot, but the pressure is just as real. The offensive tackle had a rough rookie season, even with a year to learn behind Terron Armstead, the player he was drafted to eventually replace.
Paul did improve last year, especially in pass protection, and that progress has him projected to keep developing in 2026. That growth matters because he needs to hold onto his starting job - or even his roster spot - before his rookie contract runs out after the 2027 season.
At receiver, Theo Wease, Jr. is still trying to turn camp buzz into something more permanent. He entered last season as a possible breakout name after a strong training camp and some chemistry with backup quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Once Ewers became the starter, Wease got more chances and flashed enough to keep the conversation going. He’s back in the mix again this offseason, making a strong push for the opening-day roster and trying to show he can become a steady long-term piece.
Jonah Savaiinaea also finds himself on the breakout watch list, though his case starts from a rough place. His rookie year fell short of expectations, and there’s no way to spin that away.
Even with Butch Barry, one of the league’s most respected offensive line coaches, he didn’t deliver. Now the hope is that a new coach and a system built around physical play at the line of scrimmage - rather than the finesse-heavy blocking required by McDaniels - can unlock the player Miami thought it was getting with a second-round pick.
Then there’s Malik Washington, who looks positioned for a larger role after the organization’s wide receiver shakeup. With the team moving on from major contracts like Tyreek Hill’s and Jaylen Waddle’s, Washington enters 2026 in a much better spot to matter. In his third year, he is expected to see a significant jump in slot targets, and that expanded usage gives him a real chance to break out.
In Other News...
Dolphins Could Have A Quarterback Fight Nobody Saw Coming
The Dolphins have spent the offseason talking about competition everywhere, with Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan making it clear that the best players will play. Quarterback has been the one obvious exception so far, but the position is starting to look less settled than it did when camp opened, especially with a young challenger pushing to make the decision harder than expected.
Malik Willis enters the summer with the job, and Quinn Ewers is the name to watch as training camp unfolds. If Ewers keeps building on the flashes he showed in OTAs and minicamp, Miami could find itself with a real conversation on its hands, one complicated by the kind of contract and expectations that make every rough stretch feel bigger than it should. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have Real Hope At Their Biggest Camp Concern
The Dolphins came into the spring with one of their biggest question marks sitting in the secondary, a group that looked thin on paper and easy to worry about heading toward training camp. But OTAs and minicamps have offered a different picture under defensive coordinator Sean Duggan and coach Jeff Hafley, with the young defensive backs showing enough progress to make the position feel less like a liability and more like a work in progress with real upside.
Rookie Chris Johnson has helped change the tone, and Jason Marshall has done enough to put himself in position to matter right away. Miami still appears committed to building this out from within rather than chasing outside help, which makes the next few weeks important for a unit trying to grow together before the pads come on and the depth chart gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Why This Dolphins Rebuild Feels Different Heading Into Camp
Training camp arrives with the Dolphins in a familiar place on the calendar but a different place in spirit. This rebuild has a cleaner organizational feel, with head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan aligned on the same vision for the culture and identity they want to build. After years of turnover and mixed messages, that kind of unity matters as much as any depth chart battle when a team is trying to reset itself.
The contrast with the last reboot in 2019 is hard to miss, especially for a franchise that knows how quickly a promising plan can unravel when the people in charge are not pulling the same way. Miami is also preparing to spend the season developing young players and living with the reality that it will be an underdog in nearly every game, which makes the long view even more important. The bigger question now is whether this version of the rebuild can stay coordinated once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]