The Miami Dolphins made a discovery last year when they signed free agent tight end Greg Dulcich, first to the practice squad, then to the active roster. In 10 games played, including three starts, he caught 26 passes for 335 yards with one touchdown. He played well enough to earn a new contract with the team this offseason, even with the franchise’s changes to the front office and coaching staff.
Which brings us to today’s discussion. Is Greg Dulcich a Hall of Fame tight end?
Of course not. But, since
it was (sarcastically) suggested as a slow news period headline for the site, I thought it would be funny to make it show up today.
Dulcich may not be a future Hall of Fame selection, but he does have a great opportunity this year to move from being a fringe player in the league to a solid contributor as a starter for the Dolphins this year.
“Yeah, I want to play as much football as I can,” Dulcich explained earlier this month when asked about the potential for an expanded role this year. “I think that’s kind of the team we have. Everyone wants to contribute as much as possible and yeah, everyone’s hungry so it’s a cool group to be a part of.”
Dulcich discussed the addition of quarterback Malik Willis this year, and how he can build chemistry with the free agent addition. “Yeah, that’s kind of what OTAs and everything is about, just kind of building that trust, that chemistry,” he stated. “It’s just reps. The more reps you get, the more comfortable you get with each other and you kind of see the field in a similar way.”
Asked about the skill set Willis brings to the Dolphins, Dulcich got excited as he replied, “Oh, man. He’s a stud. He can rip the ball. Sees the field great. Obviously, he’s mobile, but he’s got great pocket presence as well. Our quarterback room is awesome. We got a lot of good dudes in there so I’m excited about it.”
He added, speaking of the velocity Willis puts on this throws, “Yeah, I mean, dude, he gets it out there. Like I said, he can definitely rip it.”
Dulcich has always been a player who had to work his way up. He was a walk-on at UCLA in 2019, earning a scholarship in 2020 and leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns that season. After the 2021 season, he declared for the NFL Draft and was selected in the third round by the Denver Broncos.
Injuries shortened his first two seasons, then he only played in four games in 2024 before the Broncos waived him. He was claimed by the New York Giants, but he did not record a reception in five games for the Giants. He was waived by the Giants at the end of the 2025 preseason, signing to Miami’s practice squad after clearing waivers.
“Yeah, something like that kind of helped out, especially last year starting on practice squad,” Dulcich explained about continuing to battle in the NFL and the comparison to his growth from walkon to starter at UCLA. “You got to know the player that you are. You got to keep that confidence, and when you get your opportunities you just got to take them. So been very fortunate and certainly grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had.
Asked about how he feels being the veteran in the tight end group this year, Dulcich replied, “Yeah, well, I think Cole (Turner) might be a little older than me age wise, but yeah, it’s a great room and the rookies – Will (Kacmarek) and Seydou (Traore) – they’re doing a great job, excited about them. Ben (Sims) showed up today, did a great job and Cole has been doing awesome. So it’s a really cool room, I’m excited about it.”
As his role in the Dolphins grows, Dulcich continues to work to grow his game as well. He explained, when asked about improving as a blocker last year, “Yeah, that’s always something to try and improve on – run game, pass game, everything – you want to try to be as complete of a tight end as you can and Coach Middleton, our tight end coach, he does a great job with that.”
When turning to what part of his game he is working on this year, Dulcich said there is not just one thing he is focused on improving. “Everything,” he stated. “You want to be as athletic and explosive as you can, great with the ball in your hands. Like I said before, Coach Middleton does a good job of making sure we’re complete tight ends; so that’s run blocking, that’s pass blocking and doing all that we can to help this team win.”
Dulcich may not be a future Hall of Fame tight end, but he does recognize the opportunity he has in Miami this year, and he knows he can continue to improve his game. That seems like exactly the kind of player the Dolphins need at the top of their tight end depth chart.
