De’Von Achane had a phenomenal 2025.
The third-year running back rushed for 1,350 yards and averaged 5.7 per carry, which ranked fifth and first, respectively. Even better: he made his first Pro Bowl.
Now, Achane likely wants to get paid, something Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan explained will likely have to wait considering the current cap restraints.
“He’s a marvelous player,” Sullivan said Tuesday. “We want him to be a part of this thing moving forward. We’re kind of focused on what’s at hand, which is free agency, and then the draft. We will have those conversations with him and some other guys as we move down the road, but that’s going to be later in the summer.”
The same goes for linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Aaron Brewer, both of whom had All-Pro seasons in 2025 and likely want their deals restructured.
“Throw those guys all in the same bucket,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, a ton of respect for them as football players. We will have those conversations about what that looks like for them moving forward. Again, we will operate with discipline, long-term vision and focus.”
What’s the future for Waddle, Jackson?
Similar to Achane, Sullivan confirmed a previous report that this regime views Jaylen Waddle as a building block.
“Jaylen is a very good football player,” Sullivan said. “That goes without saying. He’s still a difference-maker. He’s somebody that can help us win football games. My vision is for Jaylen to be part of this.”
Sullivan added that although he’s not actively shopping Waddle, he does “have an obligation to pick up the phone and listen.”
When asked about whether Austin Jackson will remain on the roster, Sullivan pointed to the current roster construction.
“When you look at our football team, we don’t have the flexibility to run people out the door right now,” Sullivan said. “We’ll continue to have conversations with Austin and his reps. I would like him to be part of the football team. Things have to work themselves out, but I would like him to be here.”
Despite his effectiveness, Jackson has played just 14 games total during the last two seasons due to various injuries.
Why Hafley hired ex-Eagles OC Patullo
The hire of former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was not viewed favorably by some.
That’s in large part due to the Eagles’ noticeable step backward following their Super Bowl-winning season in 2024. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley, however, pushed back on the idea that Patullo’s hire was a misstep.
“He’s going to be a huge asset to what we do,” Hafley said, “and I think often it’s unfair to judge anybody off of one single year.”
What ultimately stood out about Patullo, according to Hafley, was his football IQ, something that could be huge asset to offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
“When I interviewed him, I was blown away, the knowledge that he has, the football experience that he has, what he did for that entire organization — don’t forget he won a Super Bowl,” Hafley said. “Behind the scenes, what he did with that offense and with that whole team and listening to him talk and his football knowledge and not just about offense, but about game management, about situational football, I got off the Zoom and I said to Bobby, I said, ‘We’ve got to try to hire this guy.’”
Receiver philosophy
It’s no secret that former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had a type.
When it came to receivers, McDaniel wanted his guys fast, something that often resulted in the room’s somewhat diminutive look.
Sullivan, however, appeared to have different plans.
“As we build this thing out down the road, we’ll make a conscious effort to be a little bit bigger in that room,” Sullivan said.
That doesn’t mean Sullivan will be anti-small receiver. In fact, he even praised Waddle, Malik Washington and Tyreek Hill, the latter of whom was recently cut. But like the great Bill Parcells famously said, make one exception and very soon “you’ll have a team full of exceptions.”