One of the attributes that every player, coach and team in the National Football League chases is to be consistent. And if there were one word to describe the Dolphins message, both verbally and through action, over the last seven months is consistency.
During his media availability at the NFL owners’ meetings in March, Head Coach Mike McDaniel expressed his desire to set the culture of the team through the draft.
“Your draft classes are also your four- to five-year commitments that you have the ability to set the tonality of how your team is or the culture that it has,” McDaniel said. “I was very happy with last year’s draft class.”
The ensuing action was bringing in young, driven players with a singular focus and exposing them to veteran leaders who set the standard through their learned professionalism. The players aren’t just saying all the right things, they’re living it, too.
“My mindset was no vacation for me until this is all over,” rookie offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea said. “I wanted to stay here, get acclimated to this weather …. Having Pat (Paul) here all summer, we’ve got to build that chemistry, especially now playing next to him. Just building chemistry not only on the field, but off the field and just being able to trust each other.”
Thursday, left tackle Patrick Paul told the media that he and Savaiinaea were together in the building every day this offseason watching film and working out. Savaiinaea took it one step further, issuing a challenge to defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, Miami’s 2025 first-round pick, to see who could be the first one to arrive each morning and the last one to leave.
“It’s a battle every day to be honest,” Grant said of his matchups against Savaiinaea. “First in the building, last in the building. We’re challenging each other on the field and off the field.”
The message starts at the top and trickles down. McDaniel expressed Friday how direct intentionality leads to deliberate action.
“What I found out with this team from coming back (from) the summer is it’s the most in-shape they’ve been,” McDaniel said. “They were ready to practice… It’s about having the right intent and shooting your shot and I think players and teams respond to that.”
The message has been consistent throughout the first three days of practice, and the team has followed through with actions, holding each other accountable.
Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips’ practice plan called for a reduced number of reps, but that didn’t mean it had to be a light day.
“That’s just a little extra reps,” said Phillips when asked about running sprints off to the side with fellow linebacker Bradley Chubb during practice. “Bradley has been really critical for me and for everybody in the room and defense of holding us to a really high standard. Today, took a little less reps and to make up for that we’re running sprints on the sideline.”
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