If there were a list of narratives Miami Dolphins fans have grown sick and tired of hearing, the quarter century without a playoff victory would likely take the cake. A close second, though, would be the concept that Miami has fielded a "soft" and "small" roster that just can't keep up with the physicality of some of their cold-weather foes.
In recent years, folks pointed to the offense predicated around Tua Tagovailoa, De'Von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle — each of whom is considered undersized for their respective positions. Well, three of the four are no longer in Miami. What's more, the coach and front office that brought them all together to begin with have also been shown the door.
The new man in charge, former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan, has displayed a keen awareness of where his predecessors erred. He has spent his first five months masterfully pressing all the right buttons when it comes to the issues fans care most about. This includes the size dilemma and the cold-weather conundrum. Sullivan told the media:
"Our division runs through Buffalo and New England and New York — cold-weather places. There's a saying in our business: fast gets slow, but big doesn't get small. So understand, we're not going to sacrifice speed and explosion and skill for a bunch of big, stiff guys, but we are going to have substance at all levels of our team."
Has Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan stayed true to his word as it relates to fielding a bigger and more physical team?
Here at the Phin Phanatic, we conducted a little research project to see how Sullivan has done so far in molding the team to his preferred image. We compared the Dolphins' 90-man roster from June 1, 2025, to their June 1, 2026, roster, measuring height and weight for each player organized by position group. The results paint a clear picture of what Sullivan is trying to build — even if it's not entirely encapsulated by his comments.
There are 12 position groups in total: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive tackles, offensive guards, centers, interior defensive linemen, EDGE rushers, linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties. Of these groups, 10 of 12 saw the average height increase.
The leaders in this area are the tight ends, whose average height jumped a full inch from 6'4" to 6'5", as well as the cornerbacks, whose average height jumped more than three-quarters of an inch from a tick over 6'0" to a shade under 6'1". As for the two groups that saw a decrease, those were offensive guards whose average height dropped nearly half an inch to 6'4 1/3" and the safeties, who saw a roughly 0.4" drop to 6'0 1/3".
Where things get interesting is when it comes to weight. Due to the decision to nab the humongous Kadyn Proctor in the first round, many might've suspected that the team prioritized beef indiscriminately across the roster. The data paints a different picture on that front. Eight of the 12 position groups saw a decrease in average weight.
The greatest increases came predictably along the offensive line, particularly at guard and center. The Dolphins' current centers weigh an average of a little more than 4 pounds more than last year's batch at nearly 303 pounds, though that is largely due to the only newcomer, Iowa State undrafted free agent Jim Bonifas. At guard, the group enlarged by 3.3 pounds on average, now tipping the scales at 319.5 pounds.
As for the biggest losers (of weight), that would be the EDGE rushers. This year's group weighs an average of about 249 pounds, a nearly seven-pound drop from 2025. They're followed closely by the defensive tackles, who are lighter than the 2025 group by an average of nearly six-and-a-half pounds at just about 302 pounds apiece.
The takeaway from this data is clear — and Dolphins fans should love it
Was Jon-Eric Sullivan lying when he said the team would get bigger? That depends on how you look at it. Adding players like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Kader Kohou to the discard pile had at least a little bit to do with size. That was only part of the equation, clearly, as some other diminutive players have inked hard-earned extensions with the new regime, size notwithstanding.
The reality seems to be that Sullivan values length tremendously on his teams. He wants tall guys with long arms who will place themselves in advantageous situations simply because of their anatomy. At the same time, he evidently values the right weight, not just mass for its own sake. There's a reason NFL teams aren't sourcing the heaviest people around the country to play for them. Perhaps Sullivan viewed part of his job as trimming some fat, both metaphorically and literally, from the Dolphins' past roster.
If you've been paying attention to some player media availabilities, you'll notice a few more breadcrumbs that attest to this reality. The Dolphins' biggest running back at 225 pounds, Ollie Gordon II, was asked what he's worked on this offseason.
"Honestly, I would just say my speed, trying to drop a couple pounds [and] get a little faster."
Then there's fellow second-year man defensive tackle Zeek Biggers, who was singing a similar tune. Reporters cut right to the chase about his weight, and Biggers had positive news.
"Right now, I'm probably like 313. When I first came here, I was probably like 325 — pushing 330. So, big transformation in my body ... The new strength staff and then coach [Austin Clark] and all of them pushing, keep getting our weight down, and kind of just help us play."
In short, yes — Jon-Eric Sullivan arrived in Miami with big ideas, and Dolphins fans can rest assured the team is following through on his promises. We'll have to wait and see whether there are changes on the field, but it's hard to argue with the logic. Give fans the biggest, baddest group of ballers who take it personally when the team falls short, and the city will shower them with love and gratitude.
Sullivan talked a big game and backed it up. Now it's up to the players on the field to make him right.
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