In addition to his enthusiasm and knowledge, it also helped that Hafley had spent some time at the winningest organization in the NFL<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe comes from a winning culture in Green Bay, but we\u2019re trying to find our own identity here with the Miami Dolphins,\u201d defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to say it\u2019s going to be the same, but we\u2019re going to go out there and do what we have to do and try to find our standard.\u201d<\/p>\n Added Johnson: \u201cHe knows what it takes to win. He got the formula that he\u2019s presenting for us to win. We just got to go out there and execute.\u201d<\/p>\n That the word standard was consistently brought up in discussion should come as no surprise. Hafley emphasized as much for the majority of the offseason.<\/p>\n \u201cYou set a standard, which I\u2019ve talked to you guys about as a shared vision that we agree upon, and then it\u2019s our job as coaches and my job as head coach to make sure that everybody is doing everything they can and being held accountable as they try to strive towards that standard that were setting,\u201d Hafley said on the opening day of the offseason program, later identifying accountability as a \u201creally important\u201d core belief. \u201dI think over time and experience, you\u2019re in hopes that the players start holding each other accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n That accountability piece will be critical as Hafley starts to establish his culture. With the amount of young players \u2013 the Dolphins have 11 round picks in the upcoming draft \u2013 that will don the aqua and orange in 2026, it will be up to the veterans to set an example. And while the past regime did have good leadership at times, it can also be argued that the wrong players were empowered in 2024, the season that everything began to fall apart for then-coach Mike McDaniel and staff.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are guys that I have in my head that I\u2019m hopeful, and there are guys that I think in time we can guide to be there, but you\u2019d love to see that organically happen and not be forced upon, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m excited to see as well,\u201d Hafley said when asked about team leaders. \u201cA lot of times I\u2019ve heard in the past in my coaching experiences, \u2018We don\u2019t have any leaders around here. We don\u2019t have any leadership,\u2019 I don\u2019t buy that. I think you can help develop guys into becoming leaders and show them the right way, in their own way, how to become good leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n Guys such as Johnson, who has seven years and six teams of NFL experience under his belt, then become key.<\/p>\n \u201cSetting the standard,\u201d Johnson said when asked about his role around the rookies. Letting the guys know that this is the way the new Miami Dolphins are going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n As general manger Jon-Eric Sullivan said at the annual NFL Owner\u2019s League Meeting, nobody\u2019s spot \u2014 especially in the secondary and on the edge \u2014 is guaranteed. It\u2019s a message that prioritizes the opportunity<\/a> that guys such as Johnson and David Ojabo have before them, something that has been communicated within the organization from the top down. \u201cHe\u2019s about his business,\u201d Ojabo said. \u201cHe says you show me better than you can tell me. He even came in and said, for him, he\u2019s not about to tell us what he\u2019s about; he\u2019s about to show us.\u201d<\/p>\n And while Hafley already gave a guide as to how a player can make a strong impression on him<\/a>, there\u2019s also another way: the ability to balance a strong handle of the details with fast-paced play.<\/p>\n \u201cSo far it\u2019s been about detail,\u201d Dulcich said, encapsulating one of Hafley\u2019s messages as \u201cdetailed speed.\u201d \u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re a detailed team, and we\u2019re doing all the little things right. It\u2019s not a matter of only being detailed because you can go through things really slowly and be very meticulous, but we got to play football fast.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, it would appear that the players like their new coach. Ojabo even called him a \u201ccool guy.\u201c Whether they can keep the same high-level of engagement through the NFL season, however, will be the ultimate hallmark of Hafley\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to do the first week,\u201d Dulcich continued. \u201cHe\u2019s always going to bring the juice. I can already tell. So it\u2019s on us to feed off of that.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 2:51 PM.<\/p>\n
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