The Miami Dolphins are coming off a disappointing 2024 season that resulted in an 8-9 record and no playoff appearance.
After an offseason of big changes — including a trade that sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith elsewhere — several Dolphins players find themselves on shaky ground heading into training camp. Some are hoping to earn a starting role, and others are just trying to get a spot on the roster.
Here is a list of six players who have to prove themselves in training camp:
WR Tyreek Hill
Hill has his role as the top wideout locked in, but he still has to prove he is committed to this Dolphins team. Hill received significant backlash for saying “I’m out bro” at the end of the regular season which suggested a potential trade request. This came after Hill pulled himself from the Dolphins’ Week 18 loss to the Jets. Ultimately, the trade rumors cooled during free agency and OTAs.
The biggest hurdle for Hill during this training camp is rebuilding trust with the team. He’s been a captain for the past three years but acknowledged he doesn’t feel he deserves that honor again. “I’ve got to prove myself,” Hill said back in May. “This OTAs, training camp, I’ve got to prove myself. I’ve got to show up different. The mind set has got to be different. I don’t feel like I deserve [to be captain], and if I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t dwell on it. I wouldn’t sweat it because I put myself in that position.”
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said that rebuilding his relationship with Hill has been a “work in progress.”
“You don’t just come back from that and with ‘hey my bad,'” said Tagovailoa. “You got to work that relationship up, you got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody.”
Hill recorded 959 receiving yards last season with six touchdowns. While those are pretty impressive numbers for most, it’s a major step back from his 2023 campaign where he totaled 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns. He should still be considered one of the most dangerous wideouts in football, but that narrative might change if he isn’t able to get back to the level he was at before.
Nevertheless, Hill is still a major key in the Dolphins getting back into playoff contention. This training camp and preseason will be a crucial part of Hill proving he is committed to the Dolphins as a star player and leader on the team. His play on the field and comments made to the media and on social media platforms will likely be watched more closely during this season.
CB Cam Smith
The Dolphins are going to be seeing two new starting cornerbacks in 2025, making it an ideal time for Cam Smith to show why Chris Grier used a second-round draft pick to select him in 2023. Back in April, Grier said “Cam Smith needs to come through at the end of the day. He’s got to stay healthy and be on the field. He has shown some flashes, but this is a very big year. He knows what’s expected because we can’t hold his hand and wait for him anymore.”
With Kader Kohou likely staying put in his position of nickel corner, the outside corner positions are up for grabs after a trade sent Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh, and the prior release of Kendall Fuller. For now, those two spots will be competed for by Smith, Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, and rookie Jason Marshall Jr.
Smith has yet to start a game for the Dolphins. Last year, he appeared in six games and allowed 15 receptions out of the 20 times he was targeted. Through Smith’s first two years, quarterbacks have produced a 101.6 passer rating targeting him. That production is not going to cut it and must improve at some point this season.
“I feel like (Smith’s) way more focused,” said teammate Kader Kohou of Smith earlier this week.
This is a make-or-break year for Smith, and Dolphin fans should be eager to see what impact he can have in 2025.
EDGE Mohamed Kamara
Mohamed Kamara enters his second season in the NFL in a loaded Dolphins edge rusher group. Kamara was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft to add some much-needed depth to a position that was plagued with injuries. Kamara showed flashes of elite capability in training camp and preseason; however, the momentum didn’t carry into the regular season where he appeared in five games and recorded just one tackle. He ultimately had a tough time getting on the field during the regular season, even with the season-ending injury to Jaelan Phillips.
This season might present an even tough challenge for Kamara to see the field considering the edge rusher group of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson, and Quinton Bell is back and healthy. If Kamara wants a chance to move up in the depth chart, he will have to show more flashes of his potential in training camp.
S Patrick McMorris
Patrick McMorris enters his second year in the NFL while the Dolphins will be looking at two new starting safeties. The big news for the safety group is the acquisition of Minkah Fitzpatrick in the blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers. Prior to the trade for Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins pair of safeties was looking like a mystery.
The starting safety alongside Fitzpatrick is a question the Dolphins will have to sort out over the next month. Ashtyn Davis, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Elijah Campbell, and rookie Dante Trader Jr. all have a chance.
McMorris appeared in six games a season ago and recorded just one tackle. If he wants snaps in 2025, he’s going to have to earn it by showing progression in his game from a season ago and outperform the other safeties in practices and preseason.
RB Alexander Mattison
The Dolphins added former Raiders and Vikings running back Alexander Mattison earlier this year, maintaining a veteran presence in the running backs group. Mattison totaled 420 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the Raiders in 2024. The year prior, he started in 13 games for the Vikings and recorded a career-best 700 rushing yards.
Both the Raiders and Vikings moved on to different running backs after a year with Mattison as the primary back. Mattison now finds himself projected third on the depth chart behind De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright. He also will have to compete with rookie Ollie Gordon who the Dolphins selected in the sixth round.
Achane is undoubtedly the clear-cut number one, but there’s a chance for Mattison to earn snaps if he performs well. Mike McDaniel has shown a tendency to use multiple running backs in a game and oftentimes feeds the hot hand if one player is running the ball particularly well. That could be just what Mattison needs to earn a solid role, he just has to go out and earn it.
P Jake Bailey
Dolphins’ punter Jake Bailey’s job security is in jeopardy after the team brought in former Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse to compete with him for the starting job.
The Dolphins are one of six teams with more than one punter, and that will certainly change before the regular season. The goal of this training camp is simple for Bailey: beat out Stonehouse for the job.
The Dolphins signed Bailey in 2023. He previously spent four seasons with the division rival New England Patriots, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins training camp: 6 players with something to prove