The process of remaking the entire front office and finding a new Head Coach is over. Just a couple of weeks ago it appeared as if the Dolphins were going to once again not finish cleaning house and keep Head Coach Mike McDaniel, but finally Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross succumbed to the reality that all these half measures taken over the last 17 years with him as the owner haven’t worked. Stephen Ross fired Mike McDaniel January 8th which finally purged the team of former GM Chris Grier’s staff. It was crushing to me that they were once again going to half ass the process, but thankfully Ross finally did what had to be done. He didn’t do it quite right, it seemed as if he misled Mike McDaniel, but I believe that the move was necessary.
After hiring our new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan who was VP of Player Personnel with the Green Bay Packers, Sully conducted a thorough Head Coach search interviewing more than 10 Head Coach candidates. One long tenured veteran Head Coach, John Harbaugh was not one of them, Harbaugh had no interest in coming here. One very recently fired candidate, Sean McDermott who was just fired yesterday by the Buffalo Bills was also not interviewed. It became clear that Sully had his man a couple of days ago as Jeff Hafley was coming back for a 2nd interview and the reports were coming in that this was going to be it.
So, without further a do, Welcome to Miami new Head Coach Jeff Hafley!
From the very beginning of the process of finding our next Head Coach, I was fine with once again hiring a coordinator who was going to be a first time NFL Head Coach. Hafley spent 11 years as an assistant coach in College Football for 4 different, beginning with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Albany, Pittsburgh and then finally Rutgers University. In 2012, Hafley made the jump to the NFL as an Assistand Defensive Backs Coach with the Tamp Bay Buccaneers and then became their Defensive Back Coach in 2013. Hafley then went to the Cleveland Browns for 2 years in 2014 in the same capacity. He then spent the next 3 tears once again in the same capacity for the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2019, Hafley returned to the college ranks as an assistant Defensive Coordinator for Ohio State. In 2020, he was hired as Head Coach of Boston College and remained there until 2023 where he compiled a 22-26 record with one Bowl Game Victory in the Fenway Bowl. Hafley then once again returned to the NFL as Defensive Coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, where he worked with GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who was VP of Player Personnel with the Packers.
That’s how it all went down, and now we once again start anew, but really, completely anew. This is the first full reset since Stephen Ross has been here, but I’m sure he’s acutely aware of the unrest and dissatisfaction of Miami Dolphins after failing to win a playoff game in over 25 years, the longest such streak in the NFL. I also believe that very late in the process, while Mike McDaniel was still here something clicked during the GM search, perhaps candidates were intimating that they would prefer to hire their own Head Coach, whatever it was that spurred the move, it was the right one. I’ll admit I felt bad for Mike McDaniel because he was kind of hung out to dry, despite the fact that I thought he should have been fired weeks ago.
So, here we are, everything is new and for the moment, happy and serene. Sully and Hafley have an awful lot of work to do. Jeff Hafley has to assemble his coaching staff, his coordinators and assistant coaches. Then together with Sully, they have to evaluate the roster, the cap situation and figure out how they want to make funds available as we are currently over the cap. As Sully mentioned in his interview, he will be making these decisions unilaterally, he will accept input from his staff, but he will ultimately be making all decisions, as he should, and as I have been saying. The GM must have total autonomy to make things work correctly and so there is no ambiguity as to who is responsible for everything. Now that Sully has chosen his Head Coach, Jeff Hafley is now his responsibility.
Not once did I say here that Jeff Hafley was my choice, and if you have a sharp eyes, you’ll notice he was omitted for from the picture gallery of Head Coach candidates in my last article. No mistake that, it was done on purpose because I had hoped that he was going to hire outside of his familiarity so there wouldn’t be that stigma that he hired his buddy, was always going to hire his buddy and the whole search was a sham. I’ll say this, I’m sure Hafley was at the top of his list always, but the Head Coach search wasn’t a sham, and in fact was an excellent experience for a first time to GM to conduct so many interviews, listen to so many different philosophies and ideas from 10 or more candidates. I mean he could interviewed 5 guys and just said let’s call it a day and name Hafley. I believe that he went through the process open minded, and if a candidate impressed him more than Hafley, he would have hired him. Familiarity isn’t always a bad thing, there will definitely be cohesive relationship from the very start, and let’s face it, we need that. I finally feel good about this team, let’s all hope for the best!
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Great article and all MIke, but not one paragraph about his haircut. lol Let’s get this supporting staff in here and see what John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt can do with the roster.
LOL!
Thank you, Mike E.!!!
I’m excited, too. It’s clearly a FRESH start, top to bottom and it’s about fucking time!
LOL.
I was perusing X this morning and my goodness, a lot of Dolphins fans are downright unhappy. “Hafley sucks”, “Another stupid hire”, “Harbaugh, McDermott and Tomlin all available and we pick this jerk”.
I get it, it’s been tough being a fan of this team. Personally, I feel pretty good about it. SB – I was kinda thinking about how you outlined how the Steelers ran the team with Tomlin as HC and thought to myself maybe it will be something close to that here. As long as Sully can bring in the talent, maybe they will help guide Jeff through some of the things that other Head Coaches would prefer to do on their own or without any guidance or assistance.
I don’t think it will be to that extent. Tomlin’s job was basically “vibes” and the Steelers already had like 40 years of precedent in running operations. We are basically starting from scratch with a full on culture shift from the front office.
I think once we start seeing the coordinators get hired, we’ll get a better look at Hafley’s mind.
How do you know Sully didn’t pick the right HC for this job? Lol….
Nobody knows nuthin until we see how things play out
Arm chair GMs…lol. They have an arm chair for a reason…lol.
Mine came with massagers
That’s it…lol…no recliner arm chair?
Krishna,
You mean those professional GMs who get it wrong all the time and get fired constantly? Those professionals who are so much better than a guy sitting in his living room?
Our new GM was selling insurance 20 years ago.
And, you’re not…lol
Sitting in a LR….knowing without getting fired..
20 years ago is a long fucking time ago…long enough to change directo in your life…if you’re up for it…lol
Green Bay’s first rounders the last several years haven’t really been stellar, but JES wasn’t pulling the trigger. Green Bay hasn’t been shy in trading around in the first either.
I’d say there’s a 35% chance that we trade back to gather extra picks to start building out this roster.
nobody can really help the way they feel about things
I say that because I don’t feel very good about this head coach
Regardless of him, having other second interviews lined up, I still feel like he was picked because of familiarity. I could be wrong. That’s how I feel though.
hopefully, as I get to know him more and see the staff that he assembles, he changes my mind. Right now, I’m not feeling like running out and getting season tickets
Rock,
It’s okay. If we can’t find a new QB, it won’t matter who the coach is.
^
I’m on the fence, most here seem on the fence. It’s okay though, we all wanted a change and this is what we got. I won’t judge this new regime in 2026 as they will be rebuilding the roster their way. In 2027, they will have even more picks and money to spend. That’s the year I will judge them.
I am watching Kyle Krabs on locked on dolphins
He is currently talking me off the ledge in pointing out pretty well that the team is doing everything. I have wanted them to do for over a decade and now I just have to be patient because the method I have always advocated for was draft and develop therefore you have to wait for them to develop.
I just need to see who they hire to do the developing
Hopefully they are all great teachers
BBM,
Yep, I’m solidly in the show me state. This organization has to prove they are worth believing in. I’ve seen too much crap to believe they know what they’re doing.
I’m open to being convinced otherwise!
I need to be convinced otherwise as well. I give them a pass in 2026 and 2027 I need to see the vision/some positive results.
sb7mvp says: January 20, 2026 at 12:26 am
BBM, who did you have us picking in the first round?
———–
It varies because I am always trading down. If you mean picking at #11, I would say Caleb Downs if he drops to us. I am on the fence with David Bailey. He’s been labeled a dirty player and may be there at 11. The only other one I may consider there is CB Mansor Delane without trading down.
This is considering Bain and Reese are gone when we pick. Same with Mauigoa, but unless Mauigoa scores well with a relatively high RAS, he won’t be that high on Sully’s Board.
I do seem them taking 2 OL by the end of day 2 of the draft. I will be keeping close tabs on the RAS scores for the OL. I never really let combine #’s impact my mocks but this is something the Packers do and I am sure Sully will also. They like smart and athletic OL.
I could see Sonny Styles being very high on their board. They could trade down about 5 spots and take Styles. He’s big and a freak athlete.
I wonder how a lot of these coordinator and position coach interactions actually go. I mean, halfway has to have an idea at this point of who he wants to go after, right? What if he doesn’t know the guys? But you know a guy who knows the guy Hey Jim I got your number from Bobby Wanted to call to see if you might be interested…
BBM,
I’m fine with building. I don’t want a quick turn around that sacrifices long term growth and stability. I’m not 12. I want a team that is built to last. Continue to build that LOS.
We need to find a QB, but Buffalo just showed us that you still need a pretty good defense to win it all. We just have a lot of building to do. Just like I did with MM, I’ll give these guys the benefit of the doubt, but I need to see it.
100%
With his athletic ability and high grades in run blocking and pass pro, I can see RT Spencer Fano being very high on their list. They could possibly even take him at #11.
Who is going to be the offensive line coach?
what offensive system are they going to run? It is even possible that we keep the same offensive system With a different acolyte of the Shanahan tree. LeFluor’s Staff being of the same system. Harley Doesn’t really have an offensive system being that he has always been a defensive coach.
Hell, we don’t even know if he is going to run the same defensive system that he has coached in the past at this point
Paul and Fanu as book ends for 10 years
That would be solid
Titans expected to hire 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as head coach
We won 7 games last year with half a team and a crash test dummy at QB. A coaching staff and GM worth their salt could get us 3 more wins next year and have a good start at building for the future beyond that.
I am glad that Patrick Paul is turning into a very good pic
Now that we are going to have a right handed quarterback under Center again most likely we need a quality tackle on the blind side and that is already in place
just joking here, but maybe sully can trade him for multiple first round picks over the next few years 😛
sb7,
and what does a 10 wins next year season get us? We’ve been mediocre for decades. 10 wins is basically 1 game over .500. So what? It’s not good. It’s mediocre
We’ve been mediocre because we don’t build the right way. Every time we’ve gotten a little success, Grier and his predecessor has sold out our draft capital and salary cap.
Would you rather this team be worse than we were last year? We can still build this team right and show improvement. We aren’t a team that needs gutted to the studs for renovation
The good thing about Tomlin stepping down instead of being fired is the Steelers still own his rights due to a contract extension. If the Bills want him, the may have to give up their 1st round pick in 2026 and swap their 2027 1st round pick for a later pick.
Looking at Hafley’s time at BC isn’t exactly inspiring. If you thought coaching staff turnover was bad for Miami the last several decades, you’re not going to like Hafley’s coaching history.
The offense he ran was more balanced, not really geared towards airing it out or grinding it out. It was a multiple pro-style, but wasn’t really successful.
His run game was abysmal and the O-line was poor in pass protection. The offense struggled with efficiency and consistency.
Here’s a list of his former staff and where they are now.
Rob Chudzinski Senior Offensive Analyst, Boston College (former Dolphins OC 2018-2019)
Steve Shimko QB Coach, Dallas Cowboys
Darrell Wyatt No current confirmed job (left BC)
Matt Applebaum Left BC staff — no confirmed new job yet (former Dolphins O-line coach 2022)
John McNulty Senior Offensive Assistant, Rutgers
Frank Cignetti Jr. OC at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Notable Player he coached: Zay Flowers
sb7,
Cheering for the Dolphins to win every week is a completely different conversation than how to build a team for long term success. Me wanting to win 17 games every year isn’t what matters.
You and I have different takes on this team’s talent level. I think it’s very, very average. Average teams in the NFL win 10 games all the time. What’s the rush? Build a team/organization that can win 14 games. I’ll sign up for that too.
I’m not sure where we have different takes on this team’s talent. I said we won 7 games with half a team and a crash test dummy at QB.
I also never mentioned anything about rushing it or not building the team properly. I’ve explicitly said the opposite.
It’s like you didn’t read my posts at all
Yeah, I had to watch the long version highlights. Still can’t believe it.
I ordered my hat last night. lol
Good write, Mike. We won’t know for a while whether we selected the right people but it does feel refreshing at the moment.
^
BBM’s No Trade Mock Draft
11. Spencer Fano OT Utah
43. Chris Johnson CB San Diego State
75. Ted Hurst WR Georgia State
87. Brian Parker II OG Duke
90. Dani Dennis-Sutton EDGE Penn State
111. Malachi Lawrence EDGE UCF
149. Sawyer Robertson QB Baylor
227. Mohamed Toure LB Miami (FL)
WR Ted Hurst is starting to grow on me. He’s 6’3, 190 and has run a 4.48 but some say he is faster. Good route runner also.
sb7,
You left out the part about being able to win 3 more games next year if. We beat the yets twice and then we beat up on a bunch of crap teams like the Saints, Commanders and Falcons. We lost to every half-way decent or decent team other than maybe Tampa Bay…and got crushed by a team like Cleveland. There isn’t much of anything I take away from those wins that makes me think we could win 3 more this coming season.
And, winning 10 games next season…whether it makes fans happy or not…probably isn’t the formula for long term success. A high draft pick would that could result in a QB might be.
You’re literally debating against yourself at this point.
BBM,
What’s the deal? I thought you weren’t interested in Fano anymore? My head is spinning! Lol
It wasn’t that. I have just wanted more pick so I always trade down. This is also a good draft at RT so I why not trade down and get one and more picks. Just wanted to see how a no trade draft would work out.
BBM,
Aha! I knew you weren’t really in love with Dunker! Lol
I was just messing with you. I’m not really sure there’s much difference between LT/RT anymore. Yeah, you always want your QB’s blindside covered, but teams are bringing pressure from both edges and everywhere these days. Running QBs bring a whole different dimension to it all anyway. Teams also don’t use a strong side TE alignment to run the ball like they used to either.
I think Paul has played well, but I’d have no problem upgrading at OT.
Good write Mike. I guess we’ll see. The bills coach would have been good also.
It wouldn’t feel right hiring a coach that has been kicking our ass in the division for years.
Listened to Dolphins talk today. Mike had the locked on Packers host as a guest. Really good listen. A detailed explanation on Sullys philosophy when it comes to drafting. I am confident that he was a really good choice as GM. I am kinda optimistic he picked the best choice for head coach. Good write up Mike. Thanks for sharing.
Randy, it’s not that either. Dunker always goes between #60 and #75. He’s never there when I pick in the 3rd.
Former Indiana quarterback Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother and backup of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, is transferring to Georgia Tech, according to multiple reports.
Alberto entered the portal following the Hoosiers’ storybook national championship run, which culminated in a 27-21 win over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night.
Well, our cap went even lower. Devon Achane met the Proven Performance Escalator for the NFL. It is in the CBA for players who’s performance exceed their draft price. This will increase his total cap hit in 2026 to over 6m and now we are sitting at -22.8m to start out. Cutting Tyreek will put our cap at 800k to the good.
I forgot this existed because we never drafted well enough in the past to have someone obtain this, that I can remember.
MM’s Ivy League smarts kicking in:
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has informed the Browns he’s withdrawing from their head coaching search ahead of a scheduled in-person interview Wednesday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported. McDaniel, who remains a candidate for the Ravens and Raiders head-coaching vacancies, is interviewing for the Chargers OC position Tuesday and has multiple offers for an OC job, per Pelissero.
I’m not making a poll, I don’t have 3 hours to waste to try and figure out how to do it. But . . . I’d like to know a simple YES or NO if you’re happy with the hire. Say YES if you’re happy, NO if not happy with the hire
I am just going to say yes because I have no clue what kind of coach he is or if he is or is not HC material.
Yes.
Threeve
No. Too many red flags at the moment.
Yes
yes, because he seems 180 degrees from MM
no, because McDermott is still out there
maybe, because he should be in unison with Sully
Of course….
I’ll say this, first time head coaches have a better track record than recycled head coaches. That’s a fact.
For our team let’s just hope Sully and Hafley accomplish their vision.
MikeE,
Neither because I know nothing. It’s very freeing.
Sully and Haf
Sounds like a buddy show.
in case you didn’t know, exactly 13 years ago to the day, we hired Joe Philbin as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins
Somehow it seems longer. Maybe because we have sucked for so long.
We sure have!
I have a friend who is a packers fan .. he didn’t say anything when we hired Sully .. but as soon as we added Hafley he sent me a dammit .. half sully, no Grier hold the Mcd , sounds like a barista order ….
in GB the fans wanted to fire the HC and replace him with Hafley (halfbreed)
Love that song
Mike E.
says:
January 20, 2026 at 6:33 pm
I’m not making a poll, I don’t have 3 hours to waste to try and figure out how to do it. But . . . I’d like to know a simple YES or NO if you’re happy with the hire. Say YES if you’re happy, NO if not happy with the hire
———–
I know so little about Sully and Hafley, being honest. It would be premature for me to say either yes or no.
But I can tell ya that I WANT to say yes. Time will reveal…
Coincidence? Today’s Wordle word is Sully
But is it the name Sully or the word sully?
“A prophecy misread, could have been” ~ Yoda
Looks like Mike McDaniel is going to be the Chargers new OC
Wouldn’t THAT be interesting… he’d get to work with Herbert…
Isn’t that a demotion? Lol
M- it has to be a word, it’s wordle
Got ya.
Looks like it’s a done deal, yet not officially announced…
@AdamSchefter
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is set to join Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers’ coaching staff as offensive coordinator.
@espn
Breaking: Former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel is expected to become the Chargers offensive coordinator barring a change of heart, sources confirm.
———–
So not official.
Raiders and another team are still pursuing Capri McD as their next HC.
MM could learn a thing or two by working under Jim Harbaugh.
Truth(!), but I was kind of thinking of it the other way around: Harbaugh could learn a lot from McD… as in, never again hire a capri-wearing, stuttering fool. 😉
Jokes aside, I don’t see how Jim Harbaugh (SMASHMOUTH) and Capri McD (WCO, speed-freak, high-tempo) can mesh their systems.
It’s either the worst idea ever, or the universe may collapse if they find the perfect synergy.
Could either be fugly, or the best combo since Mike Tyson in his prime.
So, MM was demoted….makes sense to me
From HC to OC….speaks volumes about MM.
To be fair, when a first-time HC gets fired, they generally get demoted to a coordinator role. Happens all the time, man.
Lol……so you’re wishing (not a first timte HC) the new HC fails so you csn be right…lol…that’s fucked…lol
I think what Sully and Hafley want to do is win in any setting. So as goofy fans let’s shit on it before it even begins.
It never ends!
Has anyone listened to this song?
You should. 🙂
^
Great point. I cannot judge at this stage in the game. These guys need to be given a chance.
Ross seems to be listening to his advisors…lol
Had to start a new post because WordPress is fucking annoying!
TIM! That song is tremendous, man… LUV IT! Just bookmarked it, as a matter of fact. Thanks for sharing that!
And yes… I get what you’re sayin’!!! 😀
It’s beautiful right?
Krishna
says:
January 20, 2026 at 10:05 pm
Lol……so you’re wishing (not a first timte HC) the new HC fails so you csn be right…lol…that’s fucked…lol
———–
On the contrary, I’m wishing the very best of success to Sully and Hafley. YOU have seen a Miami Dolphins Super Bowl victory in your lifetime… I have NOT. And as a life-long Phins fan, I hope to see us hoist a Lombardi Trophy before I go to the grave.
41 years ago (1985) on this very date (January 20th) was the first and last time I saw our beloved Phins in a Super Bowl. Today also marks the very day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated for his second term as US president.
THAT is how long it’s been since I have ever seen us get to the Super Bowl… and we lost in miserable fashion, obviously.
I’d be willing to be wrong 100% of the time if only I can live to see us reach the Super Bowl again… win or lose.
If it takes us another 41 years to even sniff the Super Bowl, all of us here will be long gone.
I really hope we got it right this time.
ironic that MM will now be coaching Herbert
We’ll get to see if Mike can fix this broken QB. He did his best with our broken guy but not good enough. To be fair, Herbert has more physical tools to work with. I’m going to guess that Mike will enjoy working with Herbert but he still has something missing. I think it’s between his ears. I also think some guys have the mettle to be a winner, and some don’t. Not sure if Herbert has it.
We really need Anthony Weaver to get a HC job. I want those two 3rd RD picks!
Lol…that will work!
JMO…I cannot understand why any Dolphin fan would be critical (other than in a positive way) of what Ross has done over the last several months.
He has completely done a 180….apparently begrudgingly…but so what? He did it.
He cleaned house from the top down and we are doing it ALL over, starting at ground zero. I love it! From Grier, to his shitty personnel/scouting department, to interim GMs, to his beloved HC…..and it appears there are lots more to do’s to do in building a successful football operation/franchise. I’m excited, truly.
He finally took ownership of the Miami Dolphins’ football team and evaluated it like one of his many successful business ventures. This does not appear to be a half-assed effort. He’s finally ALL IN.
Congratulations Mr. Ross. Thank fucking god…lol!
It’s simple Krishna – No one trusts Ross to get it right and I think that’s fair. It’s also that a lot of people have their own ideas about who we should have hired and as soon as we took someone else, we took the wrong guy.
I agree with your first statement and that was kinda the point. He’s failed up until now, imho.
Also, Garfinkel is a player in this and Aikman and….some we may never know.
We shall see….I am hoping for the best.
Krishna – I like the moves we’ve made. I think having 2 guys on the same page building the team is a good thing
Me too….the “fans” are the owners of Green Bay…so lots of opinions.
Green Bay has mostly been relevant for as long as I can remember. The newbies in Miami come from good stock….lol.
It’s going to be a big learning curve for the Chargers offense. I think them firing their OC was premature. They were missing 3 of their 5 starting OL, maiinly both starting OT’s.
That said, MM is going to come in with a good OL, very good RB room, decent TE room, decent WR room and most importantly a QB who can stretch the field with his arm.
The only issue will be them learning the playbook and can Herbert function with getting the play calls late and breaking the huddle with under 10 seconds left on the play clock.
I wonder if Mike has called Justin yet to tell him how dreamy it will be with Mike skipping around in his Capri’s in LA and Herbie throwing rockets all over the field. lol
“Green Bay has mostly been relevant for as long as I can remember.”
Krishna, I think has a lot to do with them “always” having an heir apparent at QB. It pissed off their starters, but they didn’t care. They drafted a first round QB while Favre was starter, they did it again when Rogers was QB.
They were always drafting QB’s. Even when they weren’t for the heir apparent they were drafting a QB to improve their backup until Malik Willis fell into their lap.
3 years after they drafted Rodgers they drafted 2 QB’s in the same draft, Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn to find a quality backup.
Lately they have been doing it with cheap F/A’s.
2 guys on the same page building the team is only a good thing if they do it right. It’s like people trying to praise bipartisan legislature just because it’s bipartisan. That just means all the corrupt people agreed.
These guys are in full on prove it mode until they do or they don’t. Cleaning house doesn’t mean anything if all the new furniture you brought in came from Goodwill and it’s full of bed bugs and cockroaches.
Right now we just have a couple of hires and Ross was still making the ultimate decision. He’s got a 17 year history of doing things the wrong way. Do we still let the junkie family member anywhere near our medicine cabinet right out of rehab?
I understand all realism for fans gets thrown out the window when the off season hits, but not one thing has been done. No coaching staff, no draft, no free agency, no preseason, no Game Day tape to analyze.
We’ve got a first time GM with a first time NFL head coach with a past of inconsistency as a college coach and as a DC. Although I’m more concerned about the GM hire than the HC. It’s 100x more important we got that right than the head coach.
I don’t say all of this to be negative. I just live in the reality of the situation. They’ll get praise when they earn it. They’ll get criticized when they don’t.
I’m glad Grier is gone. I’ll be glad when Tua is as well. I’ll be really happy when we fix the trenches and the secondary. I’ll be ecstatic when we land our QB. The GM does come from a team with a history of building the roster correctly. I like that.
The coach that was hired doesn’t provide confidence at this point. He’s got the next 8 months to start building it though.
Nothing the team has done so far has killed my hope for its future, but it hasn’t raised it much either.
“I’m not being negative” “Dolphins suck and everyone dies” The End lol
Isn’t that Game of Thrones?
If you don’t clean house, what’s the point? Same ol same ol…just piling new shit on top of old shit….lol.
Starting with a clean slate is exactly what this team needed. Anything less would be a waste of time.
Not sure where Keldric Faulk will score athletically. If he scores well, he could be Sully’s top edge target at 6’6, 285 and a possibility at #11. He’s probably the best run defending edge in the draft. He’s big, powerful and good at shedding blocks.
everything I’ve read so far has him going top 5
Is he a “Speed rusher” off the edge?
WIDE 9 is where the coach comes from…
I’m choosing to be optimistic until they prove they suck again. Maybe that’s in April. Maybe that’s in August. Maybe that’s never.
It’s about the players anyway. Let’s see how they develop the talent they have on the team and whether or not they bring in better talent than we’ve been procuring.
It’s January, and I’m guardedly hopeful.
That’s where I am at.
”It starts with the quarterback, and then we’ll build this team from the inside out. We’ve got to be dominant on the offensive line, dominant on the defensive line.” – Sully
That’s why I just posted about Keldric Faulk above.
Yep, and currently we have none of that.
Green Bay has wasted a lot of draft picks on QBs. People tend to only remember the ones who work out. They have had plenty that didn’t. Lots of wasted picks.
Oh yeah, quite a few. Some, I was like who the F is that. lol
Phel,
Sully is just reading us. I said the exact same thing a few days ago! Lol
I really think they go and get Malik Willis as a stop gap and then draft a QB in 2027. I don’t like his arm talent or lack there of though.
I prefer they give it a shot with Trey Lance to compete with Ewers. Lance may come cheaper.
Daniel Jones might be too expensive but here are some others who will be cheaper they may take a shot on:
Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Trey Lance, Malik Willis, Kyle Allen, Sam Howell.
I’d rather draft a QB anywhere in this draft, and let that QB and Ewers compete rather than watch Pickett, Trubisky, Lance or Howell play here. Willis too.
I’ll take that. Just trying to figure what they might do.
BBM,
I’d be okay drafting that kid you keep talking about late in the draft. If you can get him in the 6-7th, that’s the sort of QB pick I’d like.
He’s rated a late 5th to early 7th. I wish we had a 6th.
I would even take Haynes King in the 7th if Robertson is gone.
I am assuming that our new defensive formation with be more of a 4-3 base just based on what the packers played last year
I’m pretty sure that we are solid at DT with Grant, Phillips and Biggers inside
but at DE, neither Chubb nor Chop played a 4-3 before as far as I can see
expecting both to transition to that’s a tall order
it’s also a pretty good off ball LB year
wouldn’t surprise me if our first two picks were Edge and LB
I have updated my Avi again to reflect my true feelings for the team at this moment. It was WAY to premature to break out the kool-aid man yet. This is how I feel.
Hafley needs to pick his coordinators already so I can start doing mock drafts again…. (As if I have ANY skill at guessing what one coordinator or another would prefer 😅)
Piggy – Chop hasn’t done anything out of the 3-4 OLB position either. Maybe he’ll be better in a 4-3 OLB spot
Or maybe 4-3 End, but my guess is he’ll get swallowed up by an OT
Yeah, I don’t see him a 4-3 end. He has the ability to be a good 4-3 OLB. If we go 4-3, that would up my thoughts on getting Keldric Faulk as a 4-3 DE.
DL – Faulk, Grant, Phillips, Sieler
LB – Chop, Brooks, Dodson
First “rumored” name for an OC candidate is Vikings Pass Game Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Brian Angelichio.
He’s never been an OC. Main reason being is his and Hafley’s coaching paths have crossed on the same team about 4 times in the past, college and pro. Angelichio also has been with the Packers before for 3 seasons, 2016 to 2018.
Just realized MM getting the OC job with the Chargers who have a road game in Miami this year.
The more I hear, the more optimistic I get. I hope so, I graduated High school the same year they won the super bowl
Guys,
Chop Robinson is a natty 4-3 DE. I don’t understand why anybody would think he can’t play 4-3 DE.
And in his last season at PSU, he was used in the ‘Wide-9’ quite a bit.
For the record and like some of y’all: I DESPISE the ‘Wide-9’!!!
2024 NFL Draft Highlights: DE Chop Robinson | Penn State Football
Chop works best when he can use his speed and stay clean. He doesn’t win 1-1 battles with OTs very often. Wide 9 actually fits him well. Once OTs get their hands on him, he is usually done.
I will say that I think he actually improved in his run defense, but it’s not a standout part of his game. If you ain’t getting home on the rush…and you aren’t a stellar run stopper to make up for it…you get your snaps reduced.
I actually give him props for improving. He usually plays hard. His effort hasn’t ever really been a problem. Again, if you didn’t evaluate all of this when he was in college and see that he was probably a situational pass rusher who’ll get you 8ish sacks a year with a spike here or there….find new scouts. They did the same with Phillips.
I give him props for improving as well. There’s no reason to think he isn’t going to be a 4-3 DE for us… we’ll see…
M13,
It all depends on how this new coach wants to run his defense. Like I always say, it’s all in how you want to use your DL.
The hate for Wide 9 is a little weird to me. It’s just one of many alignments a team can use to take advantage of personnel or against certain offenses. Yes, it has its vulnerabilities and opens you up to stuff, but so does every other defensive alignment. Defenses are so amoebic now that I’m not sure it matters anyway. The right personnel can make any defense work.
^
For me at least, my severe dislike for the wide nine stems from the terribly bad version of it we ran in the past. We would have 5 yard gaps for the runners to run through and carry our shit (at the time) ISLB’s for 5 more yards. We had one of the worst run defenses in the league when we ran it.
M13
that’s good to hear – but I still take it with a grain of salt. A lot of guys place 4-3 end in college and in the pros are more suited for 3-4.
Usually it’s small guys
but that said – Cam Wake went back and forth between the two
my point is that both Chubb and Chop will have to make the transition – and that’s a lot to count on
fyi Mel Kiper mocked Kevin Faulk to is
Keldric not Kevin –
or maybe Kiper mocked Kevin to us in the 90s…lol
Randy,
Like Rockphin above, I think the ‘Wide-9’ opens up our interior to gashing runs. So if we’re running a ‘Wide-9’ in this Goodell passing league, our MLB/ILBs must concern themselves with a pass over the middle.
How are our MLB/ILBs to contain the run AND contain the pass with wide-open running lanes? It doesn’t work, period. Ray Lewis knew it early in his career as well.
Also, I’ve never seen a ‘Wide-9’ Defense go anywhere in the playoffs.
CBS sports has a winners and losers article about the coaching hires.
In brief:
NYG – winners
Bills – Losers
Chargers – Winner (for getting MM)
Browns – Losers
Titans – Winners
Loser: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins fired McDaniel, and he immediately became the top candidate for nearly every offensive coordinator opening while also interviewing for multiple head-coaching jobs. In the wake of his firing, the rumor mill kicked into high gear that Miami wanted to pursue Harbaugh, but he showed more interest in other opportunities.
The Dolphins ultimately hired the Green Bay Packers tandem of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley as their general manager and head coach, respectively. Hafley went 22-26 in four seasons as the head coach at Boston College before becoming Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, where his defenses played very well early in the season before slipping down the stretch. He is a well-respected defensive mind, but it’s fair to question whether this was the most inspiring hire in the grand scheme of things.
Crap, we’re toast, it says right there it was not the “most inspiring hire” SMH, we are doomed. I wanted inspiring, crap!
The Flying Pig
says:
January 21, 2026 at 3:55 pm
M13
that’s good to hear – but I still take it with a grain of salt. A lot of guys place 4-3 end in college and in the pros are more suited for 3-4.
Usually it’s small guys…
———
Just wanted y’all to know that Chop’s a natty 4-3 DE, that’s all. 🙂
He’s 6’3″ and 250 pounds now (10 pounds heavier than what he was at PSU). Pretty sure he’ll be just fine moving back home to a 4-3 DE… he’ll EAT. He’s improved significantly in run-defense/contain… and he’s still FAST.
gotcha
IMO, it’s still premature for me to assume anything or to mock draft, being we really don’t know what kind of Defensive system or Offensive system we’ll be utilizing.
I’m just sayin’, we know Chop can play EDGE (DE and OLB), regardless of the Defensive system we play.
kind of a beast
Definitely in consideration @ R1P11.
I just posted him earlier
🍻
I’ll tell y’all this…
IF we run a predominantly 4-3 Defense, draft David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech. I don’t even care if we need to trade up a bit for him, get it done.
The idea of Chop and Bailey operating on opposite sides as DEs gives me a good feeling… perhaps shades of JT and Ogunleye.
But again, we don’t know what type of systems we’ll be running of either side of the ball yet.
I was thinking chop was still in the 243 range. I was wrong.
Is he a “Speed rusher” off the edge?
WIDE 9 is where the coach comes from…
———
Faulk is not a speed rusher. He’s more a power run stopper on the edge. If he doesn’t score an RAS over 8.5, I don’t think they take him.
Dammit! I already had a pet friendly cabin with covered hot tub picked out on a 2 acre pond on 5 acres just a couple miles off I-65 and just about 15 miles outside of Nashville. Was going to work on getting my shifts covered this weekend.
Now this winter storm is projected to take an angle north and Nashville is looking to get mostly sleet and freezing rain. Maybe a couple inches on the tail end of the storm. I wanted to get snowed in not iced in. Oh well.
Looks like Herd might get it good and some on you in the NE.
got my wish, as expected, since Seattle is further west than Denver
we’ll know the AFC SB representative, before the NFC game is played
I like the Rams and don’t care for Seattle, but I want Seattle in, if the cheats make it and Rams in if Denver makes it
interesting MM going to be Herbert’s OC
He didnt want to coach Cleveland……. don’t blame him
Ryder McConnell’s mock draft for the Dolphins
Since CBS Sports has deemed us losers with the new GM and HC do we think maybe it is time to cut bait and retool?
If we fire Hafley now, we could maybe make a run at McDermott. That Brian Flores guy is still interviewing too…
I think it was smart for MM to remove himself from the HC conversation in Cleveland.
Any HC that wants to have a chance at longevity needs to stay away from Cleveland, NYJ, and Miami.
Well we cleaned house so everything is better now.
Better than what it was, for sure….cha, cha, changes