The Miami Dolphins are trying to change the conversation around their team, and it starts with the one that’s followed them for years: soft.
Under former head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have been viewed as a team that struggles when the game turns physical. Against bigger, more punishing opponents, the results haven’t been pretty. Now Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley are aiming to flip that script and become the bully instead of the bullied.
That mindset showed up immediately in their first draft pick, Kadyn Proctor. He’s a massive presence who can move, the kind of player that fits the new tone the front office wants to establish. It may not all show up this season, but the idea is clear: give this group time to bring in its own players, then decide whether this team still deserves that label.
There’s also reason to believe the message is landing inside the building. One of Miami’s young talents says the mentality there lines up with what fans have been hoping to see.
And one of the franchise’s all-time greats seems to be on board, too. Jason Taylor, who knows exactly what it takes to succeed in the NFL, appears to believe in the direction this new regime is taking.
Elsewhere, there’s also a look at how the 2026 Dolphins roster stacks up against the 2019 version, with Miami now deep into what’s being described as a full-blown rebuilding project, much like the one it launched seven years ago.
In Other News...
Dolphins Training Camp Could Wipe Out Chris Griers Draft Legacy
Austin Jackson is the last Miami draft pick from 2020 still standing as training camp opens, and even his place has come with some offseason reshuffling. The Dolphins reworked his contract to create cap room, and while health and durability have been part of the conversation, Jackson is still expected to be part of the plan as the team sorts through a roster that looks very different from the one Chris Grier kept building over the past several years.
What makes this camp so telling is how many of those earlier draft classes are already hanging by a thread. Miamis 2021 group is gone, the 2022 class could be wiped out if Cameron Goode loses his linebacker battle, and even younger names like Malik and Tahj Washington, plus Jaylen Wright, are not locked in despite their pedigree. The 2025 class appears safer for now, but the bigger question is whether this summer becomes the point where Griers draft history is trimmed down to almost nothing before the final roster is even set. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Offense Enters Camp With One Massive Question Hanging Over It
The Dolphins are heading into camp with an offense that looks nothing like the one fans watched a year ago, a reflection of how much turnover has hit the unit in a short span. With Mike McDaniel gone and Bobby Slowik taking over as offensive coordinator, Miami is trying to rebuild its identity while blending in a new quarterback and several fresh faces before the 2026 season.
Slowiks arrival gives the Dolphins a clear direction, but it also puts the spotlight on how quickly the group can come together after so much change around the quarterback room and the skill positions. Camp will now be less about refining an established system and more about figuring out what this version of the offense can actually become, which is exactly why the biggest question still hangs over the whole operation. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Just Got A Brutal Reality Check On This Rebuild
The early read on Miamis rebuild is not as bleak as some fans might fear, even if the ceiling still looks limited. With a revamped coaching staff and roster in transition, the Dolphins are being sized up against a schedule that will ask plenty of them right away, and the betting market is already hinting that this team may still scrape together enough to avoid the bottom of the league.
There is at least some cautious optimism baked into the projection, from young offensive pieces to a few structural reasons the offense could be steadier than expected. Still, the bigger question is whether that is enough in a division and matchup slate that leaves little margin for error, and whether Miami can turn a reset year into something more than a long grind toward respectability. [Read more 🡒]