How New Dolphins GM Living Up to His Word and What It Could Mean for the Roster

Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan apparently has a clear strategy when it comes to roster building

New Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan | Courtesy of Miami Dolphins

Maybe we're jumping to conclusions here, but it sure does appear the new-look Miami Dolphins have a type.

And it certainly seems as though new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan wasn't kidding when he said during his first interview after he assumed his new role with Miami that he believed in the idea that bigger is better.

All we have to do is look at the last three players the Dolphins have signed to 2026 contracts: wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Miles Battle.

While all three have to be considered long shots to even be on the 2026 Dolphins roster — only players who were not on an active roster or injury list at the end of the last season can be signed until the new league year starts March 11 — they do share another trait.

They're all bigger or taller than the average player at their position.

Battle was the last player added, and he comes in at 6-3, 196 pounds, which is about as tall as it gets for a cornerback. Tack on his impressive speed (reportedly 4.37 in the 40 at his Utah Pro Day in 2024) and you've got an intriguing prospect with upside.

Kuntz, meanwhile, is listed at 6-8, 251, which is huge for a tight end, and his athleticism is well documented.

Finally, we've got Marshall coming at 6 feet 2, which is on the taller side for a wide receiver and certainly welcome for a Dolphins team lacking in that department at that position for the past couple of years.

The other two players the Dolphins have signed since Sullivan arrived are not oversized for their position, but they're certainly not smallish either.

Those two are safety Omar Brown coming in at 6-1, 200 and edge defender Seth Coleman listed at 6-3, 246 (small for a 4-3 defensive end, but prototypical for a 4-3 outside linebacker).

The last three signings again really go along with what Sullivan said during his initial in-house interview for the Dolphins website when he talked about wanting a team that could compete in all elements.

“I think, mental toughness, physical toughness, you start there from a character standpoint, and a burning desire to want to be the best that you can be and win," Sullivan said. "That's what we're all here to do. At the end of the day, if you broke it down to one word, we're here to win. 

“And then within that our division runs through Buffalo and New England and New York, cold-weather places. There's a saying in our business, fast gets slow, but big doesn't get small. So understand like we're not going to sacrifice speed and explosion and skill for a bunch of big, stiff guys, but we are going to have substance to us at all levels of our team, at corner, at receiver, at running back, and certainly up front.”

BIGGER OPTIONS ON THE MENU

So what does that mean for the current roster, free agency targets and then the draft?

It's definitely something to consider because some of the Dolphins' best players are undersized for their position.

That list would include De'Von Achane at running back, Jaylen Waddle at wide receiver, Aaron Brewer at center

Now, the Dolphins aren't going to get rid of all three players — we don't think — because of their ability and production, but it should give everyone cause for pause.

It's also interesting to consider when looking at free agency and this seemingly inevitable hook-up with Packers quarterback Malik Willis, who is undersized by industry standards.

The Packers simply having him on their roster the past two seasons shows that there are exceptions to the bigger-is-better rule, and it's probably not quite as applicable at quarterback as other positions when contact is welcome.

And then in the draft, will certain quality prospects be ruled out because of their size limitations.

There are two glaring examples at this time, and they are Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds of the national champion Indiana Hoosiers.

Louis starred during the Senior Bowl practices with eye-opening coverage ability for a linebacker, but he's also 5-11, 214. Ponds, meanwhile, was a big-time cornerback at Indiana but draft analyst Dane Brugler tweeted in mid-January that his measurement, as verified by an NFL scout, were a bit over 5-8 and 174 pounds.

That's just awfully small for an NFL cornerback, while Louis simply doesn't fit the mold of a 4-3 linebacker, and that's the scheme the Dolphins will be using as a base under new head coach Jeff Hafley.

In the end, the Dolphins won't turn away good players, but all things being equal they sure look like they'll be going for those with the more prototypical or ideal dimensions.