The Miami Dolphins' new regime is still in the honeymoon phase, but that could be short-lived if there isn't a more proactive effort to assemble an acceptable roster for the 2026 season and beyond.
Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley hail from Green Bay, where drafting and player development are at a premium. However, there's a fine line to walk between a franchise-catalyzing youth movement and bottoming out akin to Moneyball Cleveland Browns status.
Based on the last word out of Miami, Sullivan is skewing far toward the latter than the former, all the while muddying whatever big plans he has for the impending NFL Draft.
Mimai Dolphins are sabotaging themselves with lax contract negotiations before the NFL Draft
Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reported the following nugget on contract extension talks with superstar playmaker De'Von Achane, All-Pro center Aaron Brewer, and the team's starting linebacker duo:
"Tailback De’Von Achane, inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, and center Aaron Brewer are all entering the final season of their contract, and therefore seek extensions. The Dolphins are aware, and have discussed it with each. But no deals are close, sources say.”
Brewer recently spoke out about how put-off he was by the Jaylen Waddle trade. He's since come around to embrace the opportunities that await other players in the wake of Miami's mass gutting of the roster, but Brewer could very well be on his way out of town soon as well.
At a certain point, the foundation of an NFL roster has to be built on something. The Dolphins' apparent approach is to enter the draft with zero clarity on whether they'll keep Achane, Brewer, Brooks, or Dodson for the long haul. They'll just see how their no-doubt pristine board falls, draft the best players available on a roster full of holes, and figure out the rest later.
Why not at least show some good faith toward Achane and Brewer by moving those contract talks further along? New quarterback Malik Willis would appreciate it. If he doesn't have an elite center or running back to hand the ball to, what does Willis have to look forward to in his first real crack at a starting job?
Look, I get the argument that none of these core players will be around by the time the Fins are ready to win. But should that premise be taken as fact? Not necessarily.
Things can change very quickly in the NFL. If the Dolphins were to commit to the likes of at least Achane, Brewer, and Brooks, they could enter this draft unconcerned about finding a succession plan at three different positions. Imagine how that could open up the rest of the board for them to fill other needs.
Say the Fins follow something close to my seven-round mock draft blueprint, wherein they trade up for a freaky wideout in Bryce Lance and give Willis a matchup nightmare at tight end in Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq. That type of explosive weaponry in the passing game, combined with Achane in the backfield and Willis looming as a legitimate dual-threat, could result in a rather productive offensive unit as soon as 2026.
Take away a top-flight center like Brewer, though, and all of a sudden that rosy outlook takes a huge hit. Subtract one of the biggest home run scoring threats in the league in Achane, and Willis' ability to make plays with his arms and legs suddenly has a much lower ceiling.
Until the Dolphins do get this thing turned around, they need to put something resembling an acceptable product on the field. Otherwise, they'll just be demoralized in perpetuity and completely lapped by the AFC East competition.
The Josh Allen-led Bills, the reigning AFC champion Patriots, and even the Jets, with five first-round picks in the next two drafts, will pummel Miami into submission if there's no effort to retain the current core. Doesn't matter how good Willis is on his own. He can't overcome such glaring deficiencies.
Also on Willis: When it comes to this "trade our best players away since they won't be around when we win" discourse, what was the point of signing him to a three-year contract? To just be a perennially losing, extended-bridge quarterback?
I doubt Willis would've signed on the dotted line if there wasn't some plan to be somewhat competitive, somewhat soon. Acquiring, say, multiple pass-catchers early in the draft jells with that. Trading legit studs like Achane and/or Brewer offsets that prospective progress and then some.
It shouldn't take more than one full season for Miami to turn things around. Sullivan's projected salary cap room for 2027 is $148.2 million, and $283 million the following year. More than enough to extend Achane, Brewer, and Brooks, build quality depth with this draft's seven top-94 picks, and spend untold amounts of free-agent money next offseason.
Instead, Sullivan and the new brain trust seem content to just keep their best players at arm's length, treating them like numbers on a spreadsheet while they concern themselves with maximizing value in the draft. That's cool and all. Just not the way I would personally kick off a new era in trying to establish a winning culture.
The notion that the Dolphins can find comparable players to Achane, Brewer, or Brooks in the draft is downright laughable, too.
Yeah. Good luck finding another running back with Achane's burst and pass-catching chops who averages 5.7 yards per carry in a full NFL season. Good luck finding a center with Brewer's surreal movement skills who matches Miami's foundational outside zone running scheme better than him. Good luck finding a first-team All-Pro, two-time solo tackles-leading linebacker like Brooks.
Hopefully, Sullivan will realize what needs done and get these guys under new deals sooner rather than later.
Add us as a preferred source on Google