The Miami Dolphins underwent critical changes this offseason, including the hiring of a new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and a new head coach, Jeff Hafley. There was bound to be changes on the roster.
Sullivan and his head coach didn't just make subtle changes to the roster; they gutted it from top to bottom. Hafley spoke with Richard Sherman on the former players' podcast and revealed some of what went into those decisions.
Jeff Hafley confirms what every Miami Dolphins fan knew about top two offensive players' future
It didn't take long for the Dolphins to make the changes many had expected the day they arrived. Sullivan talked about building blocks and players that were pillars for a rebuild. Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill were never mentioned.
Throughout the early days in their new jobs, both the head coach and GM spoke highly of Tagovailoa, but their comments were more past tense than about the future. Now, both are gone, and it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
"It was the situation we walked into. We had 33 free agents when we got here, the cap situation was difficult, we had to get to healthier spot with the cap and had to make some really tough decisions."
Hafley and Sullivan talked through it, but it was clear from the start that they had no intentions of keeping either player. Hill continues to rehab his knee, and Tagovailoa had been benched for the final three games of last year. Neither was looking at a fresh start with the Dolphins.
"We weren't in a situation where we could keep them, and really good players had to leave the team."
Hafley immediately turned the conversation to the draft, and his entire demeanor shifted from sullen to excited. The Dolphins drafted 13 players, and Hafley is thrilled about where the team is heading.
He should be thrilled. The fact that the Dolphins are rebuilding their roster with players who fit the ideals they are trying to instill will eventually lead to a shift in the team's mentality. The Dolphins don't want their team to be just a warm-weather team; they want to handle all the elements they face.
That starts with physicality, something that both Hafley and Sullivan have been pounding the table about since they arrived, and was a vital part of every draft pick's pre-draft profile.
Hafley acknowledged that the team is going to be young, but he believes it will be good to have that type of fresh start by molding and shaping the roster the way they want.
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