Kelly: Things we learned about the Dolphins new look, and feel | Opinion
The best lesson I ever learned from the NFL was provided by Reggie Bush.
Bush had just been traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Miami Dolphins, which signed the NFL superstar to an extension before the 2011 season kicked off on the eve of an NFL lockout.
Bush had a “Hollywood” reputation accompanying him from his time at USC, and his multiyear relationship with Kim Karshadian, which had recently ended. But Bush taught me not to judge people based on the words of others, perception.
Let an individual’s actions, words, daily behavior tell you he is, and what he is about.
For two seasons Bush’s daily behavior put him in my Dolphins’ Mount Rushmore for players I have covered in my two decades because of his talent, humility, communication skills, and the leadership he exhibited set him above the rest.
I’m bringing this up because I’m watching and learning about this new Dolphins regime, the new circle of trust.
Here are the things I think we have learned since the franchise went in a new direction.
Jon-Eric Sullivan, the Dolphins’ newly hired general manager, is very respected amongst his peers for how he labored up the NFL ranks.
This is his first shot at power, so everyone is watching, and evaluating how he handles himself.
Jeff Hafley has been on NFL team’s radars for some time, and would have indeed gotten a head coaching job if Miami hadn’t hidden him on his second interview until a deal got done.
Hafley’s greatest strength is that he seems to be an effective and efficient communicator. It takes him 30 seconds to say clearly what would take Mike McDaniel three minutes.
Let’s hope he’s as creative as McDaniel, and manages people better.
The Dolphins are embarking on a three-year rebuild, and that is how they sold this roster purge, tight budget, franchise rebuild to owner Steve Ross, who turns 86 on Sunday, and is seemingly running out of patience with the Dolphins, according to people in the know.
That means Sullivan and Hafley’s team better be turning the corner — putting Miami in a position to win a playoff game in 2028 — or else we will be finding new leadership again.
Three-year tenures have become the new NFL norm.
Sullivan and Hafley have a very clear understanding of their timetable, and what’s required of them in an era where franchises like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and New England Patriots are rebuilding quickly.
Sullivan and Hafley intend to be frugal with the Dolphins’ payroll for now, setting the franchise up for a more fiscally responsible approach than they have practiced the last few seasons.
However, there is an awareness that Ross likes to spend money to improve his product. So this is the time to lay a solid foundation before adding the finishing pieces.
From a talent procurement standpoint, this past draft proves that the new Dolphins don’t care about what consensus boards say about draft prospects. The Dolphins made draft-day decisions based on their evaluations, going off how they stacked the draft board.
That explains why offensive lineman Kaydn Proctor, one of the 2026 draft’s biggest risk-reward talents, was taken earlier than most draftniks projected. And the same can be said about all five of Miami’s Day 1 and Day 2 draftees.
The Dolphins seemingly covet intelligent players, and value those who got it out the mud, like linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and safety Michael Taaffe, two former walk-ons.
Miami varied four times in 13 picks from prototypical size, taking Trey Moore (undersized for an edge rusher), Kyle Louis (undersized for a linebacker), Taaffe (undersized for a safety) and Kevin Coleman Jr. (a talented slot receiver drafted in the fifth round), and those were all unique instances where the Dolphins were seemingly addressing Best Player Available (BPA), making the best of each draft pick.
Jordyn Brooks is seemingly part of this franchise’s future, for now. That was clear from him being in the facility on draft night. Also, because Brooks doesn’t like being the green dot player, expect Jacob Rodriguez to be put on the fast track to start. However, don’t think Tyrel Dodson is going down easily because he’s well-respected and has a history of being a playmaker.
I can’t give a legitimate reason why Brooks, Rodriguez and Dodson can’t be on the field at the same time in Miami’s base defense. Exactly who is challenging the third linebacker for playing time?
The weakest areas on the team are defensive end and safety.
This team has no proven edge-setting defensive lineman on the roster, which makes me suspect Zach Sieler will be filling in there, on the edge of the defensive line on early downs unless someone is signed.
Chop Robinson will be given every opportunity to prove he was worth the 2024 first-round pick used, and for him to succeed and become an NFL starter he needs to improve his edge setting. This is a non-negotiable.
Just like Miami’s hopeful that Robinson will become an every-down defensive end, the franchise is hopeful that a lack of leadership on the team won’t be an issue that handcuffs the youngsters.
Miami’s going to need veterans to step forward and lead the way like Bush did in his two seasons with the Dolphins.
That’s the only thing that will give this team, which is filled with players Sullivan described as “minimum [salary] guys” a chance at becoming competitive, an opportunity to sneak up on the NFL.
