Examining What Hafley Wants From His Team During Down Time

Once the Miami Dolphins wrap up their offseason program this week, the team's veterans will be away from the Baptist Health Training Facility for the next six weeks or so until they reconvene for the start of training camp.

This down time will require members of the Dolphins to take it upon themselves to stay healthy, motivated, and ready when it's time to come back to Miami Gardens.

Head coach Jeff Hafley talked about this and more Tuesday, including what he wants out of his roster during the time off.

How Long Will The Time Off Actually Be?

While official training camp dates have yet to be announced — this should happen in the next few days — it's worth noting that Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur said that the team will report July 22.

It should be noted here that the Cardinals are playing in the Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers on August 6, therefore will report about a week before other teams. This means Miami's training camp reporting date figures to be July 28 or 29.

Per NFL rules, teams may require rookies and first-year players to report seven days before the veteran reporting date, and injured players to report five days earlier.

Take It Easy ... For Now

At the start, Hafley believes that the players should genuinely get some R&R. Both physically and mentally, taking a step away from the game to focus on other important things in life is what should be the priority early on.

"I think they need to take a deep breath, clear their minds a little bit, rest their bodies a little bit," said Hafley. "But then they need to get back to work and make sure they come in shape, ready to go."

Get Used To The 305 Weather

When it's time to get back to work, it needs to be under the sun. If the Dolphins want to continue to thrive when playing at home, the rookies and free agents still need to get acclimated to the hot, humid weather that South Florida will provide in the summer and fall.

"The message is going to be to make sure they're training outside a little bit so when they come back, the heat doesn't zap them," Hafley said. "But a lot of them have made huge progress, and the worst thing that they can do is not continue to build on that progress."

For the veterans, this message goes without saying. That includes linebacker Chop Robinson, entering his third year with the team who is also making sure to keep his weight in check.

"I'm focused on the weaknesses, staying conditioned, especially with this weather, and then keeping my weight up," Robinson said. "I added a few pounds this offseason, so that's like the main thing. Just keep my weight up, try not to lose or gain too much."

Be Ready For A Big-Time Battle

The number of rookies and free agents on Miami's roster will make training camp a battleground for spots on the final roster. Hafley believes that the best prepared players will be the ones who take this time off the most seriously.

"I think there are 40+ guys on one-year deals, and there's a ton of rookies," Hafley said. "There are a lot of guys on this roster who have a lot to prove. The guys who put in the work these next few weeks, physically and mentally, are going to have an advantage, and if I were one of those guys, I would take every advantage of that."

While Kenneth Grant isn't a rookie, he will have a lot to prove in year two with the Dolphins. The 22-year-old defensive tackle noted that conditioning (specifically football conditioning, bursts of effort followed by time to relax) will be his main emphasis as he aims to lock up the left side of the trenches.

"OTAs kind of went by fast, I guess, because it’s my second year, so it kind of goes by faster," Grant said. "But during this time off, I'm trying to get more explosive, but actually getting into football condition. Training like that is a different type of conditioning, but football conditioning is different."

An AMERICAN football is all Chop Robinson is concerned about heading into his break. When asked about a potential appearance at a FIFA World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium, he kept it plain and simple.

"No, I'll be focused on what I got to do. That’s it."

Add us as a preferred source on Google