
Spoelstra: No need to penalize Ball any further
Erik Spoelstra supports no further penalties for LaMelo Ball after flagrant foul.
The Miami Dolphins are in a rebuild phase, but players are unconcerned about the label. They focus on seizing playing time and the chance to win.
(Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS)
MIAMI â The Miami Dolphins are undergoing a rebuild. Letâs call it what it is. Itâs not a good thing or a bad thing, itâs a necessary thing.
The question is whether Dolphins players care about being part of a rebuild.
The answer? No, they donât care. They embrace the opportunity for playing time, and, yes, the opportunity to win.
Now, to be totally accurate, the reality is that no Dolphins players have been told this is a rebuild.
âI was not told that,â said newly-acquired guard Jamaree Salyer, a four-year veteran. âAnd truth be told, it doesnât matter to me as a player. I mean, obviously Iâm a competitor. I want to be able to go out there, put my all in, and the idea would be for it to result in a win.â
I love that mentality from the Dolphins. Play to win the game. Donât relent, donât give in. Fight the good fight.
But this is a rebuild.
Dolphins advisor Troy Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst who was on the selection committees for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new coach Jeff Hafley, left no room for ambiguity in a recent podcast from the NFL annual meetings in Phoenix.
âIâm remodeling a house in California so I know all about stripping it down to the studs,â he said, âand thatâs what theyâre doing in Miami.â
However, even if this were to be called a rebuild, it might not matter. Most NFL players just want two things: they want an opportunity to play, and they want to win.
âI donât view any situation as a rebuild,â said newly-acquired safety Lonnie Johnson, an eight-year veteran during a Zoom call with the media on Tuesday, later adding, âIf itâs a rebuild in their eyes then itâs a rebuild. But weâre going to go out there and do our job, and thatâs to win football games. No matter how the outcome is, weâre going out there trying to win.â
Dolphins players, most of whom are unproven and on one-year contracts, know the deal for the coming season.
âI guess Iâll say we know weâre a young team,â said returning tight end Greg Dulcich, a four-year veteran, âand I think that is an exciting thing about what weâve got going on here because everyone is coming into the building with the intent to learn, the intent to improve, and I think everyoneâs kind of checked the ego at the door.â
So, Dolphins players are humble. Thatâs great that no one thinks heâs too good to be here. But why would a player want to be part of this rebuild?
There are numerous reasons.
As stated, itâs an opportunity for playing time. Itâs also a chance to show you can contribute to a winning program, a trait thatâs always valued across the league.
Some young players need to prove themselves.
Some veterans need to re-establish themselves.
And there are other reasons to look forward to being part of this rebuild.
Center Aaron Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who are both 28-year-old, six-year veterans, are prime examples of veterans who might embrace being part of a rebuild.
They both have the opportunity to be pillars of a franchise instead of small cogs in a big wheel. They could be cemented into Dolphins history at some level if this rebuild works. Perhaps they become local legends/well-known former players, earning the privilege of wearing one of those coveted aqua sports coats that Dolphins alums wear at franchise gatherings.
Perhaps they reach even higher heights.
On top of that, Brewer and Brooks have the opportunity to get the security of a multi-year contract ahead of turning 30 years old, which is often the line of delineation for a NFL career.
Granted, some players have lots of individual honors and they might be at a stage in their career where getting a Super Bowl ring is all that matters. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson come immediately to mind. Perhaps San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams or Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons are in that category, too.
But that probably doesnât apply to Brewer or Brooks.
Beyond those two, are older and younger players who have something to prove, we know that foundational rebuild players such as running back DeâVon Achane and quarterback Malik Willis have huge opportunities ahead by being with the Dolphins.
Rebuilds arenât always bad things.
In the Dolphinsâ case, every player on the roster should have a specific reason why itâs a good thing that heâs a part of this particular rebuild.
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The Miami Dolphins are officially undergoing a rebuild, which players acknowledge but do not seem to mind.
Dolphins players do not care about being labeled as part of a rebuild; they are focused on gaining playing time and winning.
Players see the rebuild as an opportunity for increased playing time and the chance to compete for wins.
The rebuild is viewed as a necessary phase, not inherently good or bad, according to the team's perspective.

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