INDIANAPOLIS ― Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley spoke to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Here are five things of note Hafley said:
Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan on same page
Jeff Hafley has said repeatedly that he and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan are on the same wavelength.
“The whole goal is to build a really strong foundation,” Hafley said.
Hafley said it’s not just about playing hard. He wants to win.
But Hafley has not been blindsided by this massive rebuild job … and Year 1 losses that may come with it.
Sullivan says decisions are going to made through the prism of longer-term vision.
Hafley knows what he signed up for.
“I always said to myself, if I ever get the opportunity to do this in a perfect world, you want to really be in alignment with the GM,” Hafley said.
Dolphins patience will be required
Hafley wants to win — just like Brian Flores did in 2019 — but it’s more about establishing the right culture.
Flores had flaws. But he did establish a culture of discipline, toughness and structure in 2019.
And Flores established that culture even though he sure as heck knew almost all of those players would be gone if and when the team were to turn a corner.
Hafley understands he has a barebones roster and it’s going to get even younger.
“I think there’s a lot of roster questions right now, and we’ve got work to do,” Hafley said.
Hafley wants to use 4-3 and 3-4 looks
The Dolphins are going to transition from a base 3-4 to base 4-3 defense.
But Hafley, as you would expect, says not to get too worried about it.
He wants to use formations with both three and four defensive linemen.
“I mean, you might say we’re going to be a 4-3 defense, which we’ll base out of 4-3, but I’d like to get in the 4-3 structures and 3-4 structures all out of the same personnel grouping,” Hafley said. “So I’m not subbing and you’re saying, no, now he’s in 3-4, subbing back, now they’re in 4-3. I think front variation is huge and having the ability to be multiple.”
Hafley has said he adjusted his defense when Green Bay added Micah Parsons last season. He’ll try to find the best ways to utilize, for example, third-year edge rusher Chop Robinson.
Why Sullivan hired former Eagles OC Kevin Patullo
Kevin Patullo was demoted by the Eagles after last season.
Hafley hired him as Dolphins’ passing game coordinator.
Why?
“When I interviewed him, I was blown away,” Hafley said. “The knowledge that he has, the football experience that he has, what he did for that entire organization. Don’t forget, he won a Super Bowl. And behind the scenes what he did with that offense and with that whole team and listening to him talk and his football knowledge.
“And not just about offense, but about game management, about situational football. I got off to Zoom and I said to Bobby (Slowik), I said, we gotta try to hire this guy. And he had other opportunities and other options. I think he’s gonna be a huge asset to what we do. And I think often it’s unfair to judge anybody off of one single year.”
Everyone respects Tua, but…
There have been times where folks sort of caught themselves slipping into past tense on Tua talk.
And that’s understandable. The team is moving on, even if not explicitely expressed.
Asked to evaluate Tua’s career, Hafley said: “Well, just obviously playing against him when I was at Green Bay a year ago on Thanksgiving, and I thought he was talented. Distributed the ball. He was kind of like a point guard. Got the ball out quick. Made plays with his feet. Had a good two-minute drive. Hit Tyreek (Hill) for a touchdown late. But always been a fan. He’s done a lot of really good things in this league. Yeah, he’s had a really good career.”
Adding Malik Willis does not seem very likely, because of Miami’s salary cap situation.
But Hafley reiterated he’s a fan from their time in Green Bay.
“Obviously he was our scout team quarterback, so a lot of times he really couldn’t do what he does best,” Hafley said. “Cuz I was sitting there telling him, if we were playing a drop back guy and he started scrambling, I’d tell him, ‘Hey, you gotta stay in the pocket, man. Stop scrambling, that’s not what we’re doing today.’ And then if we were playing a scrambler, he could kinda play his game and do his thing. Obviously, him and I have a really good relationship, and he always did a really good job and gave us everything that he had.”
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jeff Hafley talks Dolphins’ rebuild, defense, Tua at NFL combine
Reporting by Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
