The Miami Dolphins have a head coach prepared to set high expectations for his players, but while he understands there is a learning curve, there is also a limit to his patience and tolerance.
Jeff Hafley spoke with the media on Tuesday morning and was asked about his cornerback coaching. Hafley is a secondary coach by nature and has strong convictions about how he measures those players, but when asked about there being a non-negotiable, Hafley didn't hesitate for a second.
"I don't ever want to stay blocked," Hafley explained. "If you ever show me a corner who's engaged with the receiver and he's letting that receiver block him and he stays blocked, that's not okay with me."
Jeff Hafley's message to his cornerbacks is something every Miami Dolphins player should take notice of
It's becoming clear that Hafley likes toughness and that the offseason rhetoric about becoming a physical football team wasn't just talk. Hafley calling out what he won't tolerate in the CB room can just as easily be bulletin board material in every other room. Hafley wants you to be tough.
The Dolphins have a long way to go before they shed the soft persona that they had during Mike McDaniel's years as the head coach. To a similar degree, the Dolphins' offense looked soft under Brian Flores' coaching tenure as well. Hafley wants a physical mindset on both sides of the ball.
Fans have been waiting to see what changes were going to actually show up on the field. Fans have listened to coaches talk about being physical and laughed when it came out of Chris Grier's mouth. Miami hasn't been tough in decades; that's plural. The last time Miami was all-around tough was back in the days of Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor. Let that sink in.
That's not to say that players are not physical. I wouldn't say that to Cameron Wake on a good day, but overall, the team has lacked that fiery punch consistently.
It has been said many times before, but it is becoming more and more evident that this team is going to be shaped into a team that will look more like the NFC North division than the AFC East. It could be the biggest change in philosophy since Dave Wannstedt took over for Jimmy Johnson.
First, Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan have to succeed. They can't just preach toughness; they have to instill it into the players like IV fluid. Get it into their veins. The Dolphins have to become mean. It's in Hafley's court now. If a player isn't playing tough, how long will they stick around?
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