Breaking Down New Dolphins GM's Game Plan

Jon-Eric Sullivan is hoping the Green Bay way brings success to the Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan at his introductory press conference | Alain Poupart/Miami Dolphins On SI

Once known for aggressive trades and free agent swings, the Miami Dolphins are changing their approach to building the roster.

New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan plans to bring a draft-first philosophy developed over more than two decades with the Green Bay Packers. During his introductory press conference Thursday, he explained how that strategy will shape the Dolphins.

“We will draft, develop, and retain our own,” Sullivan said. “There are things that come with that; No. 1 is culture. When you raise your own, people are vested, they're bought in. There's a financial component to it with rookie contracts, it keeps you in a healthy cap situation. 

“Now we have certain principles and pillars within how we approach the draft that I won't get into, because I don't want to give away the secrets to the sauce, but we're going to build through the draft. We're going to retain our own players, if at all possible, because of the culture piece of it.”

Sullivan joined the Packers as a football operations assistant in 2004 and was the vice president of player personnel for four years before accepting the Dolphins GM job. Green Bay made the playoffs 16 times and had a losing record in just five of Sullivan’s 22 years with the franchise. 

“I think [building through the draft] has allowed Green Bay to have sustained success over time," Sullivan said. "Then again, there's a financial component.”

Managing the Salary Cap 

The financial components will be a driving force of Sullivan’s first offseason in Miami. The Dolphins will have to manage a massive cap hit if they move on from Tua Tagovailoa, on top of already being $30 million over the salary cap. 

Only the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys are entering the offseason with less cap space than Miami, according to Over The Cap. 

“We will utilize free agency,” Sullivan said. “We have to get back to a spot within the salary cap that will allow us to do that and we will, but I think if you look over the years at the intentionality of which [the Packers] gone about it – Ted [Thompson] was Charles Woodson.” 

Woodson joined the Packers after eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He started at least 14 games in six of his seven seasons in Green Bay, was named to four Pro Bowls, and, most importantly, won a Super Bowl.

“When Brian Gutekunst first took the job, we were a little more active to kind of jump-start the roster,” Sullivan continued. “Za'Darius Smith, who was an All-Pro that year. Preston Smith, who finished his Green Bay tenure with 37.5 sacks. Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney the years before. So we're not just checking boxes so that we can look busy.”

The Dolphins have five draft picks in the first three rounds this year. But with more than 20 unrestricted free agents and limited salary cap space, Sullivan understands he will need to get creative to reshape the franchise’s culture.

“It's my job to turn over every rock within the player acquisition game,” Sullivan said. “We will utilize every avenue, and the most important thing that I want everybody to take away today is we will bring in the right kind of people.”

Finding the Right People to Play for the Dolphins

The impact of culture is hard to overstate, particularly for a team that wants to build through a youth movement while operating in a market like Miami.

“Miami is a very attractive place to come and play football,” Sullivan said. “It's an attractive place to work, but if you don't infuse this locker room with the right kind of people, it can be a distraction in a hurry.

“That is our job as a personnel staff to give coach [Jeff] Hafley the kind of guys that want to chase championships, that are selfless, that are mentally and physically tough, who have a burning desire to be the best football players that they can be.” 

Despite acquiring All-Pros and Pro Bowl players, and even rostering the NFL’s top player in 2024 when Tyreek Hill earned the honor, Miami has been unable to turn individual achievements into postseason success. The Dolphins have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and have not won a playoff game since Dec. 30, 2000. 

Instead of trading for or signing the most talented players, Sullivan is focused on building the best football team.

“We're intentional about the caliber of player and then what they bring to the locker room,” Sullivan said. “You can't have a good culture if you’ve got guys that aren't bought in and wired right for what you're trying to build…

“This is not to sit up here and pat myself on the back or say that Green Bay is a perfect place. It's not an exact science. We've missed, but we've hit on a lot of players over my time there in the middle to late rounds that allow us to be successful and get value out of players that maybe some other teams aren't.”