The Dolphins are in the middle of a cultural reset, but Jon-Eric Sullivan made it clear that not everything is being torn down.
Miami’s new general manager said three players already on the roster - De’Von Achane, Jordyn Brooks and Aaron Brewer - fit the standard the organization wants to build around, which is why all three received new contracts this year.
Speaking with Joe Rose of WQAM, Sullivan explained that the team’s decisions were tied directly to what those players have shown on the field and in the building.
“When you get paid around here, it’s gonna be based on performance,” Sullivan said. “And it goes without saying, when you turn the tape on, Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, and Achane, they’re making a ton of plays. And then when I got here, and I watched ‘Brew’ and Jordyn, how they worked, and how guys followed them, and just how they practiced day in and day out, it quite frankly was an easy decision.
“De’Von was working through an injury in the spring, as we well know, but when I watched him, and I said this last week, you know, when I turn the tape on, he’s arguably the best player on the field every week. And so, you know, those were the things that made it, quite frankly, an easy decision for me. And those guys will be the pillars that we build around moving forward.”
Sullivan’s comments come at a time when the Dolphins are trying to move past recent struggles and major roster change. The temptation is to dismiss them entirely for 2026, but the franchise clearly believes the overhaul had to happen.
With Sullivan and new coach Jeff Hafley aligned on how the team should be built, Miami is trying to leave dysfunction behind and replace it with something sturdier.
In Other News...
Dolphins Depth Chart Just Put Several Early Jobs On Notice
The first depth chart of the Jeff Hafley era is already sending a message in Miami, and it is not a subtle one. With the Dolphins laying out their initial 2026 pecking order, Jaylen Wright is slotted in as the second-string running back, while Hafleys broader point has been clear from the start: jobs and snaps are going to be earned, not handed out.
Two rookie names stand out because they are suddenly part of the conversation at key spots. Trey Moore appears in the starting linebacker mix, and Chris Johnson is listed with the first-team nickel cornerbacks, a sign that the competition in front of them is very much alive as the roster settles into the new staffs standard. The chart is only a snapshot, but it is the kind that can make a few veterans take notice before camp even really gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
DeVon Achane Is Suddenly At The Center Of Miamis 2026 Plan
DeVon Achane is already the kind of player who can change the feel of an offense with one burst, and now he is being spoken about as the engine for Miamis future plans. Head coach Jeff Hafley said in an interview that Achane is expected to be the focal point of the offense in 2026, a sign the Dolphins are clearly preparing to lean on his speed, versatility and playmaking in a much bigger way.
The bigger question is what that workload will actually look like once the season arrives. Hafley suggested Achane could approach or even top 40 touches in some games, which is a striking level of responsibility for any back, and Miami is still sorting through the options behind him during training camp. For a team trying to build a reliable offensive identity, the depth chart behind Achane may end up mattering almost as much as the plan for him. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookies Are Making Miamis Receiver Future Hard To Ignore
Miamis receiver room already had a youth movement going, and the 2023 draft class only sharpened it. Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. all arrived with a chance to grow alongside younger veterans like Tutu Atwell, Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert, giving the Dolphins a group that feels more like a long-term build than a one-off add-on. Early camp buzz around Douglas has only added to the sense that this part of the roster may start to look very different before long.
Bells injury recovery remains part of the equation, but the organization still expects him to factor in down the road, which keeps the ceiling on this group interesting. Add in the teams willingness to keep using draft capital, and potentially free agency, to fortify the position over the next few years, and it is not hard to see why the receiver pipeline is becoming one of the more quietly important storylines in Miami. [Read more 🡒]