Former Dolphins Star Says Team Doesn’t Respect McDaniel

There have been whispers of culture issues within the Miami Dolphins this offseason. Some wonder if head coach Mike McDaniel’s style is too lax. It wouldn’t be tough to imagine that, given his dry sense of humor in press conferences.

Jalen Ramsey clearly had issues with management to some degree since he and the team decided to mutually part ways this offseason before he was sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins also jettisoned tight end Jonnu Smith in that deal that yielded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in return.

So, now Ramsey is in Pittsburgh and recently talked to former running back Fred Taylor on “The Pivot” podcast. He didn’t have the nicest things to say about McDaniel.

“I do appreciate the Dolphins and them working with me,” Ramsey said. “Not just, ‘hey, this team called and, you know, we’re going to send you here.’ … Let’s go to a team that’s going to be able to compete. Let’s go to a team where there’s a lot of respect for the head coach.”

That last sentence says it all and he’s not just speaking for himself. The way he worded that strongly implies that no one on the team has respect for McDaniel.

So, what do the other Dolphins players have to say about Mike McDaniel?

As for Ramsey, Armando Selguero of Outkick said this offseason that the relationship with McDaniel was “irreparably broken.” But, do other Dolphins’ players feel similarly?

“Mike [McDaniel] hasn’t changed at all,” Dolphins fourth-year tight end Tanner Conner said a couple of weeks ago. “I think maybe the emphasis around him and respecting him more as players has changed as we’ve gotten some players out who might have not been as respectful…. The team is very bought in. They believe in Mike and what he wants to do.”

Based on that comment it sounds like Ramsey might have been the problem. Fullback Alec Ingold said recently that the team’s culture really comes down to the players.

“I feel like culture really comes down to the shared character of when things are going wrong,” Ingold said. “What we can do right now during camp is manufacture that as best we can, by competing, by bringing great energy and truly pushing yourselves through that discomfort early on.”

Bradley Chubb admits team wasn’t bought in

It’s tough to gauge the players’ sentiment on McDaniel. On one hand, there is probably some truth to what Ramsey said. On the other, not every player feels a sort of way towards the head coach.

Defensive end Bradley Chubb admitted back in June that the team wasn’t really all in on McDaniel and the team culture last year.

“We were lying, honestly,” Chubb said. “We didn’t dive all the way in. We didn’t get all the way there with each other. … This year, I feel like everybody has the right mindset and moving forward, so if it works out, it’s going to work out. If it doesn’t, we’re going to get back to the drawing board and make sure it works out.”

According to the edge rusher, some things needed to change this season.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out for us, but we are putting forth that foot to change it because last year, like I said, we said we wanted to change, yeah, we’re doing this, we’re doing that; but it’s not going exactly how we want to,” Chubb said. “But this year, I feel like everybody has the right mindset and moving forward, so if it works out, it’s going to work out. If it doesn’t, we’re going to get back to the drawing board and make sure it works out.”

So, does Ramsey have a point? Do the Dolphins not respect Mike McDaniel?