MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — If you want to see passion, conviction and excitement from the Miami Dolphins’ new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley, include the term “roster construction” or something similar in conversation or a question.
Sullivan and Hafley will light up like a Christmas tree while getting as intense as a hurricane, and it gives me reassurance in the rebuild to see them react in such a way.
They love this topic. They love sharing their vision of how they want to build this Dolphins team.
“The great part about our conversations,” Hafley said, including Sullivan in his remark, “is if you find a really good football player, and I mean smart guy, tough guy, a productive player that jumps out on tape, I think it’s our job as coaches to have a vision for him. Then I think it’s our job schematically to figure out how to make it work for him.”
This is the plan for players such as edge rusher-linebacker Trey Moore, the fourth-round pick from Texas, and safety-linebacker Kyle Louis, the fourth-round pick from Pitt.
The vision, who, as members of the the Dolphins, are better described as football players rather than, say, a linebacker or a safety, is to figure out how Moore and Louis can be most effective. They might end up in a hybrid role, a safety-linebacker or an edge rusher-linebacker, or they might end up in a traditional role.
“I played defensive end in the 4-2 scheme at Texas my first year,” said Moore, who played two seasons at Texas after playing his first three seasons at Texas-San Antonio. “And then I played inside linebacker in that same scheme. I played Sam ’backer (strongside linebacker) in the 4-3 scheme. And I’ve played Will (weakside linebacker), outside ’backer/boundary ’backer in the 3-4 scheme. So I’ve done a bunch of different things and I know I can be used in a multitude of different ways.”
You hear about the same type of versatility from Louis, who played safety in high school, linebacker in college and could play both in some form with the Dolphins. But at his heart, he’s a linebacker.
“I feel the most at home at linebacker,” Louis said. “I feel the most at home going against tight ends at linebacker, going against running backs at linebacker, beating a lineman at linebacker. And then on passing downs, packages, or heavy run downs, I could definitely play the nickel role when needed.”
The versatility objective even includes players such as tackle-guard Kadyn Proctor, the first-round pick from Alabama, and outside cornerback/slot cornerback Chris Johnson, the first-round pick from San Diego State.
I covered something similar with the Miami Heat in 2011, when coach Erik Spoelstra, after losing to Dallas in the NBA Finals first year of the Big 3 (Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh).
Spoelstra traveled out west and talked to then-Oregon football coach Chip Kelly, an offensive innovator, before introducing position-less basketball to the Miami Heat. They won the title in that 2011-12 season, the second year of the Big 3. And they repeated in 2013.
You get the feeling the Dolphins are moving toward position-less football, so to speak.
“The theme,” Sullivan said, “is good football players (that) can do different things.”
For example, the Dolphins claim Proctor can play tackle or guard.
It’s important to note, however, at 6 foot 7, 365 pounds, he’d be one of the biggest guards in NFL history along with the Philadelphia Eagles’ Mekhi Becton (6-7, 363) or Daniel Faalele (6-8, 370) of the New York Giants.
“I think what should excite people,” Hafley began, “and what’s exciting to us as coaches as I look at these names, these are not only good football players but they’re smart football players. They’re tough football players.
“It’s going to be cool to see this group mix together because I think they all have a very similar mindset, and I think they all have a little bit of edge to them. That excites me to start coaching them.”
I like the traits the Dolphins are seeking in players. I’m encouraged.
I’ve said this before, but listening to Sullivan and Hafley, I get the feeling that real tackle football is returning to South Florida. Some genuine hardhat-lunch pail, hand-in-the-dirt stuff with foundation anchored in cement, not sand.