Sustained success in the NFL doesn’t happen by accident. A 53-man roster is a carefully curated group of individuals with vastly different paths to their position on the team. Managing that roster in a salary capped sport, with the resources allocated to each of the 32 clubs around the league, creates parity. That parity is the enemy of consistency. It’s the teams that can utilize each avenue of roster-building successfully who tend to stand out above the rest.
The Dolphins, over the last four years, have seen their approach to team-building adapt. Yet, the results have been much of the same – four winning seasons and on the periphery of the breakthrough.
The core of the team that achieved four consecutive seasons over .500 began with a youth infusion. It then pivoted to aggressive veteran acquisitions the last two years. Remaining flexible is always at the forefront, so what’s next is anybody’s guess. What we know for sure is this: The Dolphins will expect another step from their current crop of youngsters.
“We’re going to have some guys that are going to be in Year 3, some guys in Year 2 and some new guys,” Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. “Ultimately, what’s the best thing to serve them? And that’s naturally evolving. There will be exciting things that we do different. There’s going to be exciting things that we will evolve from, and there’s exciting things that we will build upon on the success of the first two years.”
Over the last half-decade, player development has been at the core of Miami’s success. It starts at the top with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who’s seen steady progress each of his first four years. Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Durham Smythe – players with similar linear progress have seen their game go to another level at various stages of their careers.
For the Dolphins in 2024, there are a handful of extremely talented players hoping to enjoy the same trajectory, like 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith.