Draft picks, signings and coaching that could send the Dolphins to the Super Bowl

Create a culture

The Dolphins had a bit of an identity crisis last season after Tua Tagovailoa went down with injury. Sometimes, the offense played well but the defense let them down. Other times, the defense kept getting off the field but the offense could not do anything with the ball. Mike McDaniel made some head-scratching decisions that left us wondering what was really going on.

What needs to happen in 2023 is the Dolphins need to find their identity and build a culture. They need their “Patriot Way”, as gross as that is. You can’t just bring in a group of All-Pro talent and just expect to win. Sure, the stars on the roster help tremendously, but if they expect them to gel instantaneously without building a rapport and presenting a culture around the team, you may not find the success you’re looking for.

Mike McDaniel has the respect of his offense, by all indications, but there is a new leader on defense, Vic Fangio. If Fangio can integrate his 3-4 defense, which includes a lot of zones in disguise, the players must buy into it. Jalen Ramsey, Christian Wilkins, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Jevon Holland — they all have to buy into it and believe in that defensive scheme.

It’s an interesting dynamic between Mike McDaniel, who will likely continue running the offense, and Vic Fangio. McDaniel is the young, next big thing as a nerdy offensive genius while Fangio is the older, seasoned gritty defensive coordinator. If the synergy is off between the two, it will show on the field. However, if they both remain on the same wavelength, the team will gel as one unit and they will be able to get the best out of every star player, like a Super Bowl team.

Will there be times where one side of the ball does its job and the other side struggles? Of course, but a team with a great culture won’t get discouraged and won’t resent the other side.

Look at the Denver Broncos last season, who had a dreadful season after trading for Russell Wilson, who struggled a lot. The defense was dominant and the offense couldn’t move the ball at all. The defense ended up lashing out at Wilson and the offense because there was zero culture under Nathaniel Hackett, who was jettisoned after a year. Denver lost the game and ended up 5-12.

Then you look at the Seahawks, who had just traded away Russell Wilson, but has an excellent culture under Pete Carroll. When receiver Tyler Lockett dropped a wide open touchdown, right through his hands, nobody got in his face to voice their anger. They instead lifted their teammate up, told him he’ll get it next time, and Lockett proceeded to score a touchdown on the next possession and Seattle won the game and ended up making the playoffs.

The bottom line is the Dolphins must create a winning culture, one where the players all buy in to one resonating message. The team, as a whole, has to be one unit. This falls on both the coaches and players to create a culture, buy into it, and play for each other for one common goal: a Super Bowl.