The Miami Dolphins have a new head coach who has yet to interact with his players on the practice field. That is all about to change.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Hafley will be changing the culture that has taken root in Miami. He will mold, shape, and develop young talent, and everything he does from the first practice will be the groundwork for that change.
The Dolphins' offseason workouts will begin soon, and with it, the start of the Hafley era in South Florida. Miami's sessions have been publicly released, and the first practice is just days away.
Miami Dolphins players will get their first chance to see how Jeff Hafley operates soon
The Dolphins will begin this new era just two days after Easter Sunday on April 7th. The NFL announced the dates league-wide. Teams with new head coaches get a jump-start ahead of those who retained their coaches from last season.
Miami will hold a voluntary session on the 7th. They will meet again just before the NFL Draft. Miami will hold a voluntary minicamp from April 21st to the 23rd. They will hold a rookie camp after the draft.
Organized team activities (OTAs) will begin on May 18th and run for two days. They will also have sessions on May 21st, 26th, 27th, and 29th. June will see the Dolphins meet for voluntary work on the 8th, 9th, and 11th, but will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 2nd to the 4th.
Following the practice on the 11th, the players will have more than a month off until training camp starts in late July.
Miami will hold three more OTA practice sessions under Hafley. Mike McDaniel held just six. The CBA allows for 10. The Dolphins will also hold veteran practices during draft week, ending on Thursday, April 23rd, the start of the first round.
It will be interesting to see which players show up for the voluntary work. Hafley and new general Jon-Eric Sullivan have repeatedly said that competition is a priority. They are determined to bring a new mentality and focus to the organization.
Benefiting them is the youth that they have already inherited. Those younger players will get the opportunity to show they are buying into the season. Attending practice may not be mandatory, but they can't pass up on the opportunity to give the coaching staff an idea of whether they want to be here or not.