Chris Perkins: Dolphins players don’t call this a rebuild, and apparently wouldn’t care if it was

(Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS)

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins are undergoing a rebuild. Let’s call it what it is. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing, it’s a necessary thing.

The question is whether Dolphins players care about being part of a rebuild.

The answer? No, they don’t 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.

“I was not told that,” said newly-acquired guard Jamaree Salyer, a four-year veteran. “And truth be told, it doesn’t matter to me as a player. I mean, obviously I’m 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.”

I love that mentality from the Dolphins. Play to win the game. Don’t relent, don’t 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.

“I’m remodeling a house in California so I know all about stripping it down to the studs,” he said, “and that’s what they’re doing in Miami.”

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.

“I don’t view any situation as a rebuild,” said newly-acquired safety Lonnie Johnson, an eight-year veteran during a Zoom call with the media on Tuesday, later adding, “If it’s a rebuild in their eyes then it’s a rebuild. But we’re going to go out there and do our job, and that’s to win football games. No matter how the outcome is, we’re going out there trying to win.”

Dolphins players, most of whom are unproven and on one-year contracts, know the deal for the coming season.

“I guess I’ll say we know we’re a young team,” said returning tight end Greg Dulcich, a four-year veteran, “and I think that is an exciting thing about what we’ve got going on here because everyone is coming into the building with the intent to learn, the intent to improve, and I think everyone’s kind of checked the ego at the door.”

So, Dolphins players are humble. That’s great that no one thinks he’s too good to be here. But why would a player want to be part of this rebuild?

There are numerous reasons.

As stated, it’s an opportunity for playing time. It’s also a chance to show you can contribute to a winning program, a trait that’s 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 doesn’t 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 De’Von Achane and quarterback Malik Willis have huge opportunities ahead by being with the Dolphins.

Rebuilds aren’t always bad things.

In the Dolphins’ case, every player on the roster should have a specific reason why it’s a good thing that he’s a part of this particular rebuild.

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