The Miami Dolphins have a tough season ahead of them, as they have one of the thinnest rosters in the league and will take on the second-hardest schedule of all 32 teams this year, based on 2025 records.
While Miami is projected to win somewhere between 3-5 games this year, depending on who you ask, there's still a chance for the team to surprise some people throughout Jeff Hafley's first season as head coach.
If the Dolphins want to find any success in 2026, these are four players that they can't afford to go down with injuries.
Achane, Miami's third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been phenomenal in his three seasons with the Dolphins, rushing for 3,057 yards and 22 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per attempt while catching 172 passes for an additional 1,277 yards and 13 scores.
Heading into 2026, the 24-year-old will likely be the focal point of the offense, and after watching Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II in the preseason, there's not much hope for the ground game if Achane is out.

#yards #jeff

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley met with reporters Thursday (Sept. 3), the last day before everyone takes a three-day break to refresh from training camp and focus on the opener Sept. 11 in Las Vegas.
Highlights:
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On D.J. Herman making the transition from linebacker to fullback, and making the team. "He's a smart football player and he was able to pick up the offense fairly quickly." Hafley said Herman is a physical player who can move laterally. "I give him a lot of credit. He worked really hard."
Regarding injuries, Hafley is required to file an injury report to the league on Wednesdays most weeks. The league injury report is then updated on Thursdays and Fridays. "If I don't have to reveal anything, I will wait till the deadline to reveal it."

#hafley #dolphins #herman #injury

MIAMI GARDENS — With his 24th birthday around the corner, Jacob Rodriguez was presented with something he'd longed for.
Don't think of it as a gift. It is, after all, something Rodriguez earned. Besides, when was the last time anyone had work piled on their shoulders and considered that a gift?
When the Miami Dolphins released veteran Tyrel Dodson, it cleared the way for Rodriguez to start at inside linebacker and serve as a quarterback of the defense, receiving play calls from coach Jeff Hafley, relaying it in the huddle and making necessary adjustments on the fly.
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All for a guy whose first NFL snap is still more than a week away.

#Miami #rodriguez #dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS — Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan are saying the right things. They're putting the best face on what they admit is a difficult situation. When they say they expect the Miami Dolphins to play hard and go out to win every Sunday, you can believe them.
You also can believe what their actions are telling you.
And those actions are saying that when training camp began with low expectations, maybe they weren't low enough.
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The Dolphins tore it all down right after last season. The draft was supposed to signal a change — that it was time to begin building it back up.

#believe #jeff

Kyle McCord's dazzling preseason with the Green Bay Packers is ending with a trade to South Florida. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Packers are trading the second-year quarterback to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2028 NFL draft.
In Miami, McCord will slot in as the backup quarterback behind former Packers backup Malik Willis.
The Packers, meanwhile, will need to find a third quarterback to develop behind Jordan Love and Tyrod Taylor, the only two quarterbacks left on the roster.
The Packers signed McCord, a 2025 draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, to a futures deal in January. He emerged as the third quarterback in training camp and was excellent during the preseason, throwing four touchdown passes without an interception or turnover. He played the entire preseason finale, and he led the Packers back from an 11-point deficit late in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdown passes to Kisean Johnson.
The trade solves a problem for both the Packers and Dolphins. McCord proved he could play this summer but was stuck behind Taylor, a veteran who was brought in as the top backup. Instead of keeping a third quarterback on the 53-man roster, the Packers are getting a draft pick back for a player in demand. The Dolphins, meanwhile, get to skip the waivers claim process while adding a young developmental quarterback to a young, developing roster under former Packers coach Jeff Hafley.

#packers #dolphins #preseason #behind

Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley spoke with reporters on Saturday, Aug. 29, one day after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons brought the team to 0-3 in the preseason.
Miami must get down from 90 players to 53 by 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30 and cuts have already begun.
Miami Dolphins cut tracker: Who's in, who's out at roster deadline
Here is what Jeff Hafley said the day after the game:
We are going through the process right now. Jeff will defer roster cut questions to Jon-Eric Sullivan, who will speak with reporters in the next few days.

#saturday #atlanta

The Miami Dolphins are trying to build a new identity under Jeff Hafley; however, the first-year head coach knows one thing that cannot get lost along the way: his attention. Hafley is a defensive coach by nature, and he wants his fingerprints all over that side of the ball. Still, he understands the danger of letting that responsibility swallow his head-coaching duties.
So the Dolphins' new boss is taking a different route. Hafley plans to keep calling the defense while creating enough support around himself to stay involved with the offense, special teams, and the rest of the roster. The structure is designed to keep him from becoming too consumed by the unit he knows best.
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Hafley laid out the plan on August 28, in comments shared by "The List Fins Podcast". He said calling the defense remains important to him, particularly early in his tenure; however, he will lean on offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor so he can remain involved across the team. Hafley had already made clear when he was hired that he intended to call defensive plays.
"I want to call the defense, it's really important to me.

#dolphins #coach #jeff

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley met with reporters Tuesday (Aug. 25) in advance of one of their final practices of the 2026 training camp.
Highlights:
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LB Tyrel Dodson will practice today barring a setback.
LB Jordyn Brooks should be able to get in some work before the opener Sept. 13 vs. Las Vegas.

#Miami #stubhub

After finishing with a 7-10 record in 2025 and making several changes to their front office and coaching staff, the Miami Dolphins made their first pick in the 2026 NFL draft at No. 12 overall, where they took Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.
While Proctor played left tackle for the Crimson Tide, the Dolphins are moving him to left guard because they already have Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson playing left and right tackle, respectively.
The Dolphins have only been working on the practice field at training camp for a few weeks and have only played in one preseason game, but Proctor has already thoroughly impressed new head coach Jeff Hafley.
"Proctor's been outstanding," Hafley told reporters on Thursday. "I mean, I just, I can't say enough about him. The guy loves ball. The guy is tough; he's physical. The buy-in has been outstanding. He's fun to be around. He loves coming to work every single day. He's a rookie, right? So he's gonna see some stuff he's never seen before. He's gonna see stuff at practice he's never seen before because it's not our defense, and we didn't game plan against them. So there's gonna be moments where maybe he's late coming back on a game, or maybe they stem any combos to the wrong guy, and you gotta take a deep breath and really watch him grow, and that's what I'm excited most about him."
Proctor's success in 2026 will be a key indicator for the team this season. If the rookie and the rest of the offensive line group can hold up, there's a chance that Malik Willis and co. will surpass expectations. If Proctor struggles, things could get ugly quickly in South Florida.

#dolphins #gonna

The Miami Dolphins will take on the New York Giants on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium for their second matchup of the preseason, but before that game kicks off, the two teams met at the Baptist Health Training Complex for a joint practice.
According to those on scene, Jeff Hafley's team struggled throughout the session, as New York, who also has a new head coach in 2026, dominated on the defensive side of things.
For those who weren't in attendance for this practice, here are some clips from fans, media members and the team.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Highlights from Miami Dolphins joint practice with New York Giants

#saturday

The Miami Dolphins could be looking to make a move to bolster their defensive secondary. According to Easton Butler, the Dolphins have been in contact with the Green Bay Packers about the availability of cornerback Carrington Valentine. Given Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley moved to Miami this offseason after having been the Packers' defenisve coordinator, there is a familiarity with Valentine built into the Dolphins' decision makers.
Valentine was a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2023. Since being selected, he has appeared in 49 games, including 30 starts, and recorded 107 tackles, 18 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
According to Butler, the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have also reached out to Green Bay about Valentine's availability. The Packers have Valentine listed as a starter on their unofficial depth chart, and they could be looking to keep him in that role heading into the season – making a trade unlikely unless some team is willing to overpay in the deal. Green Bay already has question marks at depth for their cornerbacks and is dealing with injuries, including a hamstring issue for Valentine, and it would again seem to make a trade unlikely.
Would you make a trade for Valentine? What would you offer the Packers to add the former seventh-round pick? Head to the comments to let us know.

#valentine #packers #Miami #butler

The Miami Dolphins have had some key players on the defensive side of the ball battling injuries through the first weeks of training camp, and now one of their most important members of their front seven will miss some time.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley revealed that defensive lineman Kenneth Grant is "week-to-week" after missing Monday's practice session. It's unclear exactly what the injury is that's keeping him from the field.
Grant, 22, was Miami's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft after he spent three seasons at Michigan, earning All-Big Ten honors twice and All-American honors once. He also won a national championship in his second year with the Wolverines.
As a rookie, Grant appeared in 17 games and played 52% of their defensive snaps. He finished with 33 tackles, five quarterback hits, two sacks and a pass defensed.
With Zach Sieler also week-to-week with an injury, Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers, Matthew Butler, Alex Huntley, Fatorma Mulbah, Keith Cooper Jr. and Cam Rice will all have a chance to prove themselves with more opportunities.

#dolphins

A "Monday Night Football" mainstay is going to have to change up his routine this season. Former Dallas Cowboys great Troy Aikman will be subject to the "Tom Brady rules" this season, per Front Office Sports.
The Brady rules were put into place following Brady's rise as a broadcaster with Fox. After it was noted that Brady was also a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, a possible conflict of interest, the NFL put restrictions on Brady's access to other teams.
In addition to serving as a broadcaster on "Monday Night Football," Aikman also consults for the Miami Dolphins. He reportedly played a role in the team hiring general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley this offseason.
As part of the Brady rules, Brady — and now Aikman — will not have "access to practice facilities or practices," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told Front Office Sports.
"Both may attend production meetings virtually but will have no access to practice facilities or practices. They may conduct interviews outside team facilities with football personnel and players. They could conduct the interview at the team hotel in an area separate from other football personnel. They could broadcast games involving their own club."

#access #Monday

The Miami Dolphins may have left their visit with the Washington Commanders officially carrying a loss from their preseason meeting and unofficially from their joint practice, but an early preseason meeting isn't all about the overall stats. The Dolphins, the youngest team in the NFL, including 13 drafted rookies this year, are trying to establish a new identity under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley. After years of focusing on speed, finesse, and mismatches, Miami is now trying to bring back physicality.
According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's David Furones, they showed it against the Commanders. When providing a review of the team's weekend in Maryland and Virginia, Furones highlighted Miami's improved physical play:
Blocking and physicality
The Dolphins' first-team offensive line kept a clean pocket for Willis. That unit also got a push up front in the run game.
The two young guards, Kadyn Proctor and Jonah Savaiinaea, looked good in their first in-game action this season, so that's a plus. New reserve lineman Caedan Wallace had a nice day in his Dolphins debut after being picked up in a trade with the New England Patriots.
Physicality is one of the keys Hafley is trying to instill early on, and it's working.

#hafley #meeting

The Miami Dolphins drafted 13 rookies from this past April's NFL Draft. Hitting nearly every area of need, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had a clear vision of adding certain types of players both offensively and defensively. While many judge performance on the almighty stat, one rookie could become an extremely valuable player immediately for Miami and showed why on Friday night against the Washington Commanders.
Third-round pick (No. 87 overall) tight end Will Kacmarek, from Ohio State, was met with certain shock by many within the Dolphins community. However, when looking at the trend of NFL teams selecting blocking tight ends lately, Kacmarek is arguably one of the best in the 2026 class.
That blocking ability was on display Friday, as Kacmarek did his job very effectively against the Commanders. In a great breakdown on social media, Kacmarek showed why he was selected as a top-90 player.
As Sullivan indicated when becoming Miami's general manager, his goal was to add a tough and physical identity to the Dolphins. He told South Florida reporters his job is to give head coach Jeff Hafley, "the kind of guys that want to chase championships, that are selfless, that are mentally and physically tough, who have a burning desire to be the best football players that they can be."
Sullivan hit the nail on the head here, and after he drafted Kacmarek, he told the media, "His teammates are going to follow him, and he brings a physicality and a toughness to his craft that I think is unmatched."

#Miami #drafted #general #certain

Dolphins backup quarterback Quinn Ewers didn't have a good game in Friday's 20-7 loss at Washington in the preseason opener. He was 1 for 8 for 27 yards and one interception. But coach Jeff Hafley said Saturday afternoon that he's not thinking about bringing in competition for Ewers' No. 2 job behind starter Malik Willis.
Hafley, however, had a caveat in his answer about Ewers, the 2025 seventh-round pick who started the final games of last season. Hafley said he'd just finished team meetings and hadn't yet gone over the film with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
The problem is Ewers' misfortunes continued a pattern of ineffective play that took shape at the start of training camp three weeks ago. But Ewers might get some grace considering he looked good last season and in the offseason program.
"I think if you just watch the game and you're just watching as a fan or watching in general, certainly there were some missed throws, some missed opportunities," Hafley said. "The interception that he threw clearly wasn't a great decision, especially in that point of the field."
But Hafley said he showed the team two examples Saturday of situations where a receiver should have helped Ewers, one of which Hafley said would have been a 25- or 30-yard gain.

#hafley #game #last #season

It's a new era for the Miami Dolphins under the leadership of Jeff Hafley. And the man they've tapped to lead the charge at quarterback during the Hafley experiment, former Green Bay backup Malik Willis, looked every bit an NFL starter during his debut with the franchise on Friday.
The Dolphins battled the Washington Commanders on Friday to open their preseason slate, and while Miami lost, Willis looked ready to take on the starting role in his limited action. He led the Dolphins on a 93-yard scoring drive, went 4-of-5 passing for 43 yards, and added two carries for nine yards.
While you never want to take too much away from the limited snaps in the preseason, it's encouraging to see Willis step up and look the part of a starting quarterback. After earning three starts as a rookie and going 0-3 in those efforts as a rookie in Tennessee, he went 2-1 in three starts over the past two seasons in Green Bay, but mostly served as a backup. It appears that his time as a second-string quarterback may have served him well.
And the Dolphins are probably going to need Willis to keep up his strong performances, because a big part of the reason why the Dolphins lost on Friday was due to the rest of the team's quarterback play during the game. Preseason games are primarily a time to get inexperienced players and backups action to help develop them and determine which players are good enough to make the final roster.
That meant a lot of playing time for Cam Miller and Quinn Ewers, and neither looked great. Ewers was a dismal 1-of-8 passing for 27 yards, also tossing one interception. Meanwhile, Miller managed just a couple more completions, going 3-of-11 for 39 yards. But he also tossed two interceptions. So Dolphins fans will want to cross their fingers that Willis's strong first impression is not an anomaly.

#dolphins #Friday

LANDOVER, MARYLAND ― Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis made his debut in a preseason game at the Washington Commanders on Friday night, Aug. 14.
Willis, 27, is in his fifth NFL season and has only six regular-season starts for the Packers and ******* ans.
Willis is succeeding Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Tannehill as the next Dolphins franchise hope at quarterback.
First-year head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan are banking on the talents of a quarterback who they worked with in Green Bay.
Here is a report card on Willis' debut:

#dolphins

The Miami Dolphins open their preseason schedule Friday night against the Washington Commanders at 7:00 p.m. ET, and this will be the first professional head coaching appearance for Jeff Hafley. Although just an exhibition, it'll be a great opportunity for him and his young team to start a new direction for a franchise rebuilding, yet again.
Hafley will lead a roster in which 63.7% are entering their third NFL season or less, which accounts for 58 out of 91 players. The average age of this roster is 25 years old, which is the youngest of any Dolphins' team entering the preseason in the last five years.
Part of that youth will be several undrafted rookie free agents who could see plenty of action against the Commanders, and here are four to keep an eye on in their quest to battle and make the 53-man roster.
Perhaps the leading UDFA at the moment with a legitimate shot at making the team is Louis Moore, the safety from the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers National Championship team. Moore has versatility in his field alignment, which is very valuable and coveted by Hafley. He can play deep at free safety, up in the box, and in the slot. He also played wide receiver in junior college prior to transferring to Indiana, as he has great ball-tracking skills, evident by his six interceptions in 2025.
With second-year safety Dante Trader Jr. not playing this week during joint practice, Moore should see plenty of snaps Friday night. On Miami's initial depth chart, Moore is listed behind Trader and veteran journeyman Lonnie Johnson Jr. In a safety room that could be anyone's guess as to who will see the most seasonal snaps beyond Trader, Moore is making a push and has already been praised by veteran free agent safety addition Zayne Anderson.

#moore #team #trader #Commanders

The Washington Commanders had their first true test of training camp on Wednesday, as the Miami Dolphins came to Ashburn for a joint practice. It was the first-ever joint practice held at Washington's Ashburn facility.
Head coach Dan Quinn spoke with the media ahead of practice, outlining the rules of the joint practice, what he was looking for, what Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley was looking for, and how he instructed NFL officials to enforce penalties as if it were a game.
The joint practice, in many ways, was more important than Friday's preseason opener. Each team's healthy starters participated in the practice, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll play in Friday's game.
What happened during Wednesday practice? Here are some highlights and updates from the joint practice in Ashburn, courtesy of those in attendance.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Highlights, updates from Commanders joint practice vs Dolphins

#first

The Miami Dolphins will be playing their first preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Friday night. In anticipation of that contest, the two squads are conducting a joint practice against each other in Miami Gardens on Wednesday. However, one of Miami's most productive veterans is not on the field today — and we may not be seeing him in action for awhile, according to head coach Jeff Hafley.
Dolphins' 30-year old defensive tackle, Zach Sieler, is dealing with an undisclosed injury and, as a result, is "week-to-week" according to Hafley. Sieler was missing from the team's drills on Monday, and Miami's coach was asked about his status on Wednesday before practice. This new regime is pretty tight-lipped with specifics regarding injuries to their players, so the exact nature of Sieler's ailment is unknown at this time, but it doesn't sound like we'll be seeing him suit up for the squad this Friday night when Miami's preseason schedule kicks off.
Without Sieler, Miami's young interior defensive linemen will need to step up. A trio of second-year players — Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers — will receive increased reps in the meantime. Their continued development will be vital if the Dolphins hope to achieve success in 2026.
We will continue to keep you updated on all things Miami Dolphins as the team prepares for their first preseason contest two days from now.

#Miami #wednesday #first #contest

The Dolphins have an injury concern with one of their veteran defenders.
Head coach Jeff Hafley told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that defensive lineman Zach Sieler is considered week-to-week.
Hafley did not disclose the nature of Sieler's injury.
Sieler, 30, started all 17 games for the Dolphins last year, recording 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits.
A seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft, Sieler has appeared in 108 games with 82 starts for Miami and Baltimore in his career.

#hafley

The Miami Dolphins have left South Florida for a joint practice with the Washington Commanders on Wednesday before the two teams meet on Friday at FedEx Field for their first of three preseason games.
Ahead of the practice session, which will take place at the Commanders' BigBear.ai Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley addressed the media and revealed defensive lineman Zach Sieler is dealing with an injury, which kept him out of practice on Monday.
It's unclear what the injury is, but Hafley did reveal that Sieler is week-to-week.
The 30-year-old is entering his eighth season with the Dolphins and has the biggest cap hit of any player on the team for 2026 ($11.42 million). Hopefully, this injury isn't too serious, and he can return to the practice field soon.
If this injury is more of a long-term issue, Miami will have to rely on Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers at defensive tackle. However, it will give them a better look at Matthew Butler, Alex Huntley, Fatorma Mulbah and Keith Cooper Jr.

#practice #Miami #Commanders #defensive

Most NFL head coaches spend August talking down workloads and hyping committee backfields. The training camp stories are about guys who put on 10 pounds of muscle or are in the best shape of their lives. The coachspeak is always there, and fantasy football managers can't help but roll their eyes with every headline.
However, one first-year NFL coach did the opposite this week. He went live on a national sports talk show and promised to run his best player into the ground, quite literally, and fantasy football managers should be thrilled.
Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley appeared on the Rich Eisen Show and laid out a plan for De'Von Achane that sounds built for fantasy lineups. He said the running back got a warning that morning. "I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and told him he better be in good shape. Because I told him there might be some games where I might have to pick him up and carry him back into the locker room because he's going to be so tired."
Then Hafley went further, adding that he doesn't want Achane asking for a breather by tapping on his helmet. "And I told him, I don't ever want to see one of these head taps all year. And he looked me right in the eye and said, 'You'll never get that head tap from me.' I said, 'Don't worry, buddy. After you touch the ball 40, 45 times, I might have to pick you up, and I'll carry you back in the locker room.'"
Hafley, who's definitely just having fun in the moment and not talking about a serious strategy, also praised the 24-year-old back as a leader and a smart player. "I love the guy. I mean, you want to talk about a guy with some juice and a guy with personality starting to come out. A guy who's starting to become a leader." He added, "He's one of the smarter players."

#show

The Miami Dolphins have the day off on Tuesday, as they travel up the East Coast ahead of their joint practice session and preseason meeting with the Washington Commanders later in the week.
With that, the Dolphins released their first unofficial depth chart since Jeff Hafley took over for Mike McDaniel as the team's head coach earlier this offseason.
There are several interesting points about this first depth chart, even though it's unofficial.
Tight end Ben Sims is listed a hybric fullback, which would make it less likely that DJ Herman cracks the 53-man roster if they can have one player fill multiple spots.
Third-round pick Caleb Douglas is listed with the starters. He's earned it through the first two weeks of camp, but it's good to see him get that recognition.

#unofficial #Miami

During his Pro Bowl campaign last season, Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane maxed out with 28 touches in a Week 10 win over the Buffalo Bills. His new head coach, Jeff Hafley, said Monday on "The Rich Eisen Show" that the 24-year-old back could have 40-plus touches in games this time around.
"I just gave Achane a heads up this morning and told him he better be in good shape," a charismatic Hafley told Eisen on Monday with a smile, "because I told him there might be some games where I have to pick him up and carry him back into the locker room because he's going to be so tired.
"And I told him I don't ever want to see one of these head taps all year. He looked at me right in the eye and said, 'You'll never get that head tap from me.' I said, 'Don't worry, buddy. After you touch the ball 40, 45 times, I might have to pick you up, and I'll carry you back into the locker room.'"
This offseason, Hafley's first at the helm alongside general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan after their stay in Green Bay as Packers defensive coordinator and vice president of player personnel, respectively, the Dolphins signed Achane to a four-year extension reportedly worth up to $68 million. The deal comes with $32 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.
While Miami parted ways with a slew of contributors at the beginning of its rebuild, it re-upped its commitment to Achane. The 2023 third-round pick out of Texas A&M is coming off his best season yet — he piled up a career-high 1,838 scrimmage yards and once again logged 12 total touchdowns — and now he's set to feature in offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik's unit.

#achane #told

No NFL player has had 40 touches in a game since Derrick Henry had 41 in a game in 2021. But Dolphins running back De'Von Achane may need to be ready for that kind of workload.
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley told Rich Eisen that Achane is going to have some games when he'll be such a workhorse that he'll hardly be able to walk back to the locker room when it's over.
"I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and I told him you better be in good shape," Hafley said. "I told him there might be some games when I have to pick him up and carry him back to the locker room because he's going to be so tired. I told him I don't ever want to see one of these head taps all year, and he looked me right in the eye and he said, 'You'll never get that head tap from me.' I said, 'Don't worry buddy. After you touch the ball 40-45 times, I might have to pick you up and carry you back into the locker room.' I love the guy. You want to talk about a guy with some juice, a guy whose personality is starting to come out, a guy who's starting to become a leader. I like those guys."
Everyone knows Achane is fast, but Hafley said he's been thrilled with Achane's mental approach.
"He's one of the smarter players when you talk to him," Hafley said. "He's really a smart football player and it's fun to go back and forth with him and he's got this fun energy about him. I think he's a stud."

#achane #told #locker

In just one week, the Miami Dolphins will have a joint practice with the Washington Commanders leading into their August 14th preseason game. On Friday, Jeff Hafley addressed South Florida reporters and said the day's session would be "a hard practice."
Before the team hit the field, he previewed the agenda by saying, "Today's going to be a lot of unscripted, move the ball, see where it lands, coaches call it, players respond without having the script because sometimes when you go into practice, the offensive or defensive coaches can hand them the script."
With the team practicing on Saturday within Hard Rock Stadium, Hafley added, "Today is going to be a long, hard practice, and I'm looking forward to see how they respond to that. And then it will be fun to get into the stadium. Really it will be my first time in there in really any mode on the field, so I'm excited for that."
After over a week's worth of evaluation, Hafley gave his **** sment of the team so far. He told media, "There's a lot of aspects I'm really happy with, and I am very satisfied with, and there's others where we have a ways to go, if I'm going to be honest with you. I think the buy-in, the attitude, the effort, the strain, the how hard they're trying to do all the little things that we ask to do."
Added Hafley, "Guys are showing up on time. They're where they're supposed to be. I think they're connecting. I think we're building the foundation as far as our culture goes and what it wants to be, but we've got work to do. We've got work to do as coaches. We've got work to do as players: scheme details, consistency. Just like everyone else around the league, there are injuries where you're trying to find out your depth."

#they 're #really

The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of their training camp, where the players are learning the techniques that the team's new coaching staff would like them to use when they take the field for the first time in Week 1.
With Jeff Hafley taking over, the Dolphins secondary, which is almost completely new, will likely get some extra coaching points, as that's where Hafley worked before rising up to defensive coordinator and now head coach.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Hafley actually revealed one trait of defensive backs that he hates to see.
"Yeah, I don't ever want to stay blocked," Hafley said. "If you ever show me a corner who's engaged with the receiver and he's letting that receiver block him and he stays blocked, that's not okay with me. Like that drives me absolutely crazy because all that is, is toughness and a mentality that there's no way a receiver is going to stay on me and block me. So you need to learn how to block release and leverage the ball and get to the ball.
"I think when you look at a football team in general, the way I view a defense is when I turn on the tape, whether it's our team or another team, if the corners are physical and they're tackling, it's usually a pretty tough team. It's like when I watch wide receivers, if I'm watching a tape and wide receivers are blocking down the field and they're getting after DBs and linebackers and defensive ends, it's usually a sign that's a pretty tough team. So corners who stay on blocks, that's not okay with me"

#defensive

The Miami Dolphins are working on a three-day practice rotation throughout the early days of training camp, according to new head coach Jeff Hafley. They'll practice for three days and get a day off to mimic how they'll do things during the season.
On Tuesday, Miami wrapped up their third session in a row, which means they'll get to rest on Wednesday. Their sixth practice of camp included some special teams work, one-on-ones and team periods.
Before we turn the page on Day 6, let's watch some of the highlights from the session.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Miami Dolphins training camp: Highlights from Day 6

#camp