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Halloween marked not only a festive occasion but also the one-year anniversary of Chris Grier's termination as general manager of the Miami Dolphins—a decision that drew near-unanimous support from the team's disgruntled fan base.
His successor, Jon-Eric Sullivan, has conversely impressed many with his initial moves in what is a substantial rebuilding effort, one that was arguably inevitable due to missteps by previous decision-makers within the organization.
While Sullivan's first draft class appears to be a resounding success given the early contributions of Kadyn Proctor, Chris Johnson, Jacob Rodriguez, Caleb Douglas, and Michael Taaffe, a definitive evaluation will require more time. The same caution applies to veteran acquisitions.
Under Grier, the Dolphins also executed several high-profile trades in an all-in push for a deep playoff run that ultimately fell short. In most of those deals, Miami received fair value, and it's hard to fault Grier if the directive was to aggressively contend.
In hindsight, surrendering a first-round pick for Bradley Chubb raises questions, as the edge rusher delivered impact for only one season—and that 2023 campaign ended abruptly with a Week 17 knee injury.
The Tyreek Hill trade may fuel debate for years, but it cannot be labeled an outright failure for Miami. Similarly, criticism of the Jalen Ramsey deal is difficult after acquiring him for a third-round pick and a backup tight end, though one might wonder whether Grier should have anticipated potential personality clashes.
The reality is that Grier typically secured solid value in his trades, with the caveat that it helps when a team is willing to make a financial commitment that the player's former team avoids.
His best trade in terms of value was likely the blockbuster Laremy Tunsil deal with the Houston Texans during the 2019 rebuild, which netted Miami a slew of high draft picks. The Dolphins also gained excellent value in a 2021 draft trade, acquiring two future first-round picks to move down from No. 3 to No. 12—but that win was somewhat offset when they later traded one of those future firsts to move back up to No. 6.
Furthermore, the decision to draft Jaylen Waddle—a very good wide receiver—over Penei Sewell, who has developed into an elite tackle and potential Hall of Famer, is viewed by some as a mistake.
Grier did have draft successes, none more notable than his first draft when Miami landed Tunsil in the first round and Xavien Howard in the second. Christian Wilkins was a solid first-round pick in 2019, and other hits include Robert Hunt in Round 2 in 2020, De'Von Achane in Round 3 in 2023, Malik Washington in Round 6 in 2024, and Patrick Paul in Round 2 in 2024.
Ultimately, however, the misses outweighed the hits, and a year later it's hard to argue with the Dolphins' decision, as the organization appears to be on the right track—even if it takes time to fully get there.
While Grier often shouldered more blame than he deserved, assigning him a high grade as Dolphins GM is difficult. His tenure was uninspiring, though not nearly as dire as many fans suggest.
Meanwhile, Sullivan can do no wrong in the eyes of many fans right now due to the massive contributions of the rookie class, though it must be noted that the stripped-down roster provided ample immediate opportunities for those young players.
One standout decision was bypassing the popular choice of Rueben Bain Jr. with the Dolphins' first of two first-round picks. While the rookie season is not yet halfway through, Kadyn Proctor already looks like a future star on the offensive line—wherever he lines up—while Bain has done little to dispel concerns raised by draft analysts and media members about his shorter arms being a major detriment as an NFL pass rusher.
The Dolphins have regularly started six or seven rookies this season, a testament both to the rebuild and to Sullivan's work. Again, Sullivan is off to a great start.
And for some Dolphins fans, the best part is that he's not Chris Grier.
Originally reported by headtopics.