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The Miami Dolphins seem to be heading for a seismic switch of culture and identity. Based on their free agent and draft approach the last few months, the Dolphins are preparing to shatter the stigma. 2025 could be the start of a “culture change” which was a hot topic of conversation this past week at press conferences.
Head coach Mike McDaniel told media on Wednesday that “I think first and foremost, things that we collectively established as non-negotiables to improve from one season to another, we attacked, and I think communicating that in a fashion that’s very direct.”
The fourth-year head coach specified what those ‘non-negotiables’ are, and he told reporters, “I think some of the non-negotiables were the football program has to focus on football. For that to happen, there’s a lot of things that can’t dominate people’s time, which is like, first and foremost, being on time.
He continued, “Being accountable to each other and staying to the rules or feeling very open as a team that, hey, it’s OK to call someone out when they deserve to be called out, and for those people, it’s OK to be called out as long as you change your (expletive) behavior.”
McDaniel isn’t shocked this is a popular subject as he added, “It wasn’t a surprise to me that this is a question of this press conference or it’s been talked about this offseason, considering that I did have a team meeting that was very pointed at the subject right before guys had media and the point is you can’t run away from things that need to be fixed.”
He then added, “Ultimately, cultures are people, a collection of people, and each person has a role in the culture. So having the right mindset with the right people and doing that from not a place of hope but a place of evaluation, with a lot of these players we have all the information on, considering we’ve lived with them for years; that collectively you can decide as a team what do you want and then follow through.”
Heading into the selection process with essentially one proven defensive tackle in captain Zach Sieler, and a young Benito Jones with upside, the Dolphins not only double-down on the defensive trench, they went for three of a kind. Miami selected Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with their 13th overall pick, as well as Jordan Phillips from Maryland in the fifth round and Zeek Biggers in the seventh round. All three could be thrown into the spotlight early, especially with a rotation up front that defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver deploys.
McDaniel spoke highly of Grant and his development thus far saying, “First and foremost out the gate, it was early on, I could tell he had the respect and regard of his of veteran teammates by the little things that he does understanding the importance of his role on the team. He came in with a veteran-like understanding of needing to be 100 percent on what he’s asked to do – his technique and fundamentals – and he works endlessly.”
Grant seems to have the attention and respect of his teammates early on as McDaniel stated, “So you’re hitting a home run with the team when a first-round draft pick comes in with that mindset so we can work with that and veterans know you can count on that.”
The Dolphins also traded up in the second round for offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona, in hopes of solidifying a group that will see three new starters. Patrick Paul will replace the retired Terron Armstead at left tackle and free agent guard James Daniels will join Savaiinaea on the interior. Center Aaron Brewer and right tackle Austin Jackson return, so Miami clearly had a set five heading into training camp on a line that has been questioned the past few seasons.
McDaniel praised both new additions to the line telling media regarding Daniels, “That’s a guy that has understood what his opportunity is here, understood how much we’re counting on him and understood that he was starting the process recovering from an injury. So he has done an absolutely fantastic job in Phase 1 and Phase 2, which we absolutely needed.”
As for as where Daniels and Savaiinaea will line up McDaniel said, “Right now for James (Daniels), he’s very capable of doing either side, but when you have a rookie in the mix, you kind of have to settle at first, settle down the rotation and movement of people all over the place so you can get a realistic evaluation and relative to all the players on the team and allow a football player to play football and slow the game down.
McDaniel added, “So stick Jonah at one position; OK, that kind of tempers down some of the multiplicity, and then once you feel comfortable with the people competing for jobs, you start rotating them more. You’re really looking for a reason to keep someone exactly one place.” He then elaborated a bit more on the Savaiinaea saying, “Otherwise, it’s always better to have them versatile for any sort of scenario that you can’t really forecast. But with rookies, we like to start in a spot and get them to grow from there.”
The dedication to adding offensive and defensive linemen will hopefully pay dividends in the late games of the season where cold road games and a toughness up front could be the difference between a win, lose, and eventually a potential playoff appearance. The Dolphins need to establish a tougher mindset and seeing the personnel they are bringing in through the draft and free agency, general manager Chris Grier is attempting to cement a ground floor that can be built upon.
It’s one of the oldest adages in football; you build from the trenches and defense wins championships. While not necessarily a Super Bowl contender, the Dolphins are adding power and toughness to go along with speed and finesse.
There seems to be a heavy call for leadership on a younger team looking for a transition. The terms ‘rebuild’ is not something most close to team want to say or hear, but at the very least, the “retooling” or “resetting” of this team’s identity began in March and will continue through the summer. Will these new pieces help create a new brand of football in South Florida? That remains to be seen, but the effort and attempt to do so is clear as can be.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins counting on youth, veteran mix embracing culture shift
Continue reading...
Head coach Mike McDaniel told media on Wednesday that “I think first and foremost, things that we collectively established as non-negotiables to improve from one season to another, we attacked, and I think communicating that in a fashion that’s very direct.”
The fourth-year head coach specified what those ‘non-negotiables’ are, and he told reporters, “I think some of the non-negotiables were the football program has to focus on football. For that to happen, there’s a lot of things that can’t dominate people’s time, which is like, first and foremost, being on time.
He continued, “Being accountable to each other and staying to the rules or feeling very open as a team that, hey, it’s OK to call someone out when they deserve to be called out, and for those people, it’s OK to be called out as long as you change your (expletive) behavior.”
McDaniel isn’t shocked this is a popular subject as he added, “It wasn’t a surprise to me that this is a question of this press conference or it’s been talked about this offseason, considering that I did have a team meeting that was very pointed at the subject right before guys had media and the point is you can’t run away from things that need to be fixed.”
He then added, “Ultimately, cultures are people, a collection of people, and each person has a role in the culture. So having the right mindset with the right people and doing that from not a place of hope but a place of evaluation, with a lot of these players we have all the information on, considering we’ve lived with them for years; that collectively you can decide as a team what do you want and then follow through.”
Heading into the selection process with essentially one proven defensive tackle in captain Zach Sieler, and a young Benito Jones with upside, the Dolphins not only double-down on the defensive trench, they went for three of a kind. Miami selected Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with their 13th overall pick, as well as Jordan Phillips from Maryland in the fifth round and Zeek Biggers in the seventh round. All three could be thrown into the spotlight early, especially with a rotation up front that defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver deploys.
McDaniel spoke highly of Grant and his development thus far saying, “First and foremost out the gate, it was early on, I could tell he had the respect and regard of his of veteran teammates by the little things that he does understanding the importance of his role on the team. He came in with a veteran-like understanding of needing to be 100 percent on what he’s asked to do – his technique and fundamentals – and he works endlessly.”
Grant seems to have the attention and respect of his teammates early on as McDaniel stated, “So you’re hitting a home run with the team when a first-round draft pick comes in with that mindset so we can work with that and veterans know you can count on that.”
The Dolphins also traded up in the second round for offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona, in hopes of solidifying a group that will see three new starters. Patrick Paul will replace the retired Terron Armstead at left tackle and free agent guard James Daniels will join Savaiinaea on the interior. Center Aaron Brewer and right tackle Austin Jackson return, so Miami clearly had a set five heading into training camp on a line that has been questioned the past few seasons.
McDaniel praised both new additions to the line telling media regarding Daniels, “That’s a guy that has understood what his opportunity is here, understood how much we’re counting on him and understood that he was starting the process recovering from an injury. So he has done an absolutely fantastic job in Phase 1 and Phase 2, which we absolutely needed.”
As for as where Daniels and Savaiinaea will line up McDaniel said, “Right now for James (Daniels), he’s very capable of doing either side, but when you have a rookie in the mix, you kind of have to settle at first, settle down the rotation and movement of people all over the place so you can get a realistic evaluation and relative to all the players on the team and allow a football player to play football and slow the game down.
McDaniel added, “So stick Jonah at one position; OK, that kind of tempers down some of the multiplicity, and then once you feel comfortable with the people competing for jobs, you start rotating them more. You’re really looking for a reason to keep someone exactly one place.” He then elaborated a bit more on the Savaiinaea saying, “Otherwise, it’s always better to have them versatile for any sort of scenario that you can’t really forecast. But with rookies, we like to start in a spot and get them to grow from there.”
The dedication to adding offensive and defensive linemen will hopefully pay dividends in the late games of the season where cold road games and a toughness up front could be the difference between a win, lose, and eventually a potential playoff appearance. The Dolphins need to establish a tougher mindset and seeing the personnel they are bringing in through the draft and free agency, general manager Chris Grier is attempting to cement a ground floor that can be built upon.
It’s one of the oldest adages in football; you build from the trenches and defense wins championships. While not necessarily a Super Bowl contender, the Dolphins are adding power and toughness to go along with speed and finesse.
There seems to be a heavy call for leadership on a younger team looking for a transition. The terms ‘rebuild’ is not something most close to team want to say or hear, but at the very least, the “retooling” or “resetting” of this team’s identity began in March and will continue through the summer. Will these new pieces help create a new brand of football in South Florida? That remains to be seen, but the effort and attempt to do so is clear as can be.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins counting on youth, veteran mix embracing culture shift
Continue reading...
