Examining Jeff Hafley's One Big Change In His First Training Camp

Training camp is not what it used to be in the NFL.

In the not-so-distant past, NFL teams would spend entire days on the practice field in grueling temperatures with full pads for at least two practices per day.

Those days would include full-contact practices and live tackling drills. Those days have gone by the wayside. NFL training camps resemble that of a country club compared to what it once was.

New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is still trying to keep some of those elements alive. One of the hot topics across the NFL on Tuesday as 26 teams reported to training camp was whether teams were going to use live tackling drills.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy was adamant that his team would not do live tackling during team drills.

Hafley came to Miami from Green Bay. The Packers have not had media availability this season to see if anything has changed, but during Hafley’s tenure, they did not do full tackling drills either.

The Dolphins also did not do any live tackling under Hafley’s predecessor, Mike McDaniel, though they did at times under Brian Flores.

New Man in Charge

One of the biggest changes that Hafley plans to change in his first training camp is that he announced Tuesday what he wants to see from his team, and as a result the Dolphins will be doing live tackling drills in practice.

“I want (fans) to see a physical team that that lays it on the line, that plays together, that has fun together, and that can execute without making a lot of pre-snap, post-snap mistakes,” Hafley said. “A smart football team who plays as hard as they can for as long as they can and enjoys playing together, and that's really important because those are the things that we can control.”

Of course, an old adage among football coaches is the only way to get better at football is by playing it. By extension, if Hafley wants his team to be physical, live tackling drills are almost a necessity to build that physicality within the team’s fabric.

One of Miami’s core players under Hafley and for the foreseeable future is linebacker Jordyn Brooks. He said he was happy with the change Hafley has made.

“I love it," Brooks said. "I love it. I think the only way you can get better at tackling is to tackle. It's hard trying to get your feet ready and get that working in the first game of the season, you know what I mean? And it's always pros and cons to each situation. Some teams want to take care of guys, don't want to get people hurt, so you don't get those real tackling reps. So first time you tackle is the first game of the season. It might end up good, might end up bad, but I think it's great. I don't believe in trying to be too careful. The game is the game. Get hurt, it was meant to be, I guess. The live reps, I think is gonna be huge for us. Get practice going, get the juices going, and, shoot, just go hit somebody. So it'll be fun.”

Buyer Beware

While Brooks’ words will ring across the locker room and help set the physical tone that Hafley desires, there are also some drawbacks to tackling in practice.

There are certain restrictions, and things that NFL teams are more focused on than they once were. It’s not as simple as forcing players to tackle more in practice and that leading to good outcomes in games when there are real consequences to missing a play on the field.

Football is a physical game. Injuries are a guarantee, not an option. That’s just the nature of the sport these guys are playing.

As a result, limiting tackling in practice has been done so players can be at their healthiest when entering the season.

Tackling in practice can lead to different results, which is the approach that most coaches are taking around the NFL.

It appears Hafley is working through a different approach as he tries to establish his culture in Miami. How that approach will pay off remains to be seen, but it’s a clear departure from what has become normal in the NFL.

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