NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
There’s a long list of duties newly hired HC Jeff Hafley will take on within the organization. Miami Dolphins fans have long been patient with new coaches. However, with the team failing to win even a wild-card matchup in the postseason, it’s no longer just about a playoff win. So what does “Haf” need to tackle in year one, assuming this is a true rebuild?
No Tank Mentality
With the lack of cap space and desperate need for a good draft, the Miami Dolphins need a rebuild. One that works quickly. Next season, they’re projected to be in the top 3-5 teams in terms of cap space. It’s a good position to really build. Assuming they use all 11 of their picks and find equally promising “diamonds in the rough” of undrafted free agents, the team could have upwards of 10-15 rookies who could make this team.
If Miami decided to “tank” this season, it would be a colossal letdown to fans. 1. They don’t need to tank if they believe in Malik Willis. 2. A strong draft/UDFA class could shape both immediate impact players and round out the back of the roster. 3. With that said, two great drafts and UDFA, and Miami could have upwards of 30-40 new players on this roster by the end of the draft next year.
Of course, not every one of those players will be an instant hit; some won’t even pan out. However, if the bulk of your talent is coming out of this year’s draft/UDFAs, you’d better prove you made the right decisions and try to win games with what you have. Tanking in your first year when new HC coaches only last 2.5 years is a good way to inch closer to that statistic.
Bring Excitement to Miami Again
Miami Dolphins fans are desperate for something real to hold onto again. It’s been so long that the team has consistently dominated on one side of the football or the other. Glimpses of hope appeared when the Dolphins came back and won with Tua against the Ravens. The 2023 season was the best this offense has looked in years. Still, it didn’t last long and quickly petered out by the end of those seasons.
That’s going to be the biggest hurdle for Hafley and company. No Dolphins fan is expecting a Super Bowl run in year 1. However, the Dolphins need to be competitive and look competent. They need to show that the once proud organization can actually be worth watching on game days again, something rarely seen in this new millennium. Don’t just trot out there with the “we tried our best” apathy that previous regimes have rolled out.
Develop Lifers
Of course, there are die-hard fans out there who treat themselves to a new Dolphins jersey every year. Yet, have there been any worth buying lately? When a staple of the Miami Dolphins excitement was Jaylen Waddle, who is now gone, who was the last player Dolphins fans could say felt like they’d be a Dolphin for life? Maybe it’s a dying breed in today’s NFL, but guys like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes have established themselves as lifers with their teams.
As a Dolphins fan, if you were to buy a jersey right now, which would you pick? More than likely, Marino, Williams, Thomas, or Taylor. That’s honestly the last time the Miami Dolphins have felt like they had a future Hall of Fame player on their roster who, even if they went to a different team, would spend their best years as a Dolphin. Miami needs those players back.
It’ll be an ugly road for Jeff Hafley and his coaching staff. Fans will turn quickly if they don’t put a good product on the field. Can this regime finally get it right for the Miami Dolphins?
