- 15 hours ago
Jon-Eric Sullivan steps into one of the toughest situations in the NFL, inheriting a roster burdened by historic dead cap numbers and a long rebuild ahead. He emphasizes the importance of structure within the organization, with the GM focused on roster construction while the head coach handles the X’s and O’s. With the NFL Draft approaching, we discuss how critical it is for Miami to hit on picks as they reshape the roster.
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00:01always do. We're in it together and we know that we can have the tough conversations. We can come
00:07out the other side of it. So it's, I don't think you can overstate the importance of being aligned
00:12and having the same philosophical beliefs and how you want to build this thing with the GM and the
00:16head coach. How do you, how do you differentiate when there is a disagreement, right? I mean,
00:20how does it usually go down? I mean, I know you haven't had a ton of experiences like that yet.
00:25Sure. You know, I think, I think it's collaboration with boundaries and trust. It's probably the best
00:30way to say it. I'm not going to knock on his door with a third and long call sheet on
00:34Saturday night.
00:35And I think at the end of the day, he's going to respect, you know, when it comes to roster
00:39building and management, what we're doing on our side, but we're in it together. We will have
00:45conversations about everything. I will yield to him when it falls under his umbrella, if you will.
00:51And I know he'll do the same. But again, I just think the mutual respect, the professional respect
00:56and confidence that we have in one another allows us to move forward pretty easily.
01:01All right, man. Boy, so good yesterday. John Eric Sullivan, general manager
01:08of the Miami Dolphins, who may have more work than just about any general manager possible,
01:14considering he's just not getting ready for the draft, but he had to do a lot of flushing, man,
01:19a lot of off-season flushing, throwing a lot of money in the toilet, throwing it away, man.
01:25Sent out to the cemetery where there's a lot of dead money right now.
01:29And making some decisions on some guys that, hey, man, in a perfect world, he probably would have kept.
01:38But the situation he stepped into was a big, big pile of you-know-what that nobody wants to step
01:46in.
01:46Remember that? You stepped in that and you walked in the house and you didn't even know it.
01:51And then everybody smells and everybody looks down at your foot and going, oh, my God, look at your shoe.
01:56Oh, my God, it's all over the house.
01:59That's what he walked in, too.
02:01And it was a big dog, I might add.
02:03It was a big pile.
02:06Hey, so anyway, that was John Eric Sullivan talking about how things should run.
02:10Hey, man, appreciate you telling me who needs money and all that.
02:16Hey, we'll take care of it.
02:19Hey, man, I'm not going to ask you about your game plan.
02:22You know we've talked and you're good.
02:26And, hey, man, I got a lot of guys.
02:27We work full-time, spend a lot of money, scouting department, front office.
02:32Appreciate you letting us do our job and put your roster together off some of your recommendations of knowing what
02:38you're looking for.
02:41And not giving in to you on draft day because you like this guy even though it was my third
02:45choice.
02:46It's your first.
02:47And I know you'll be happy even though we might not win because he might not be the right guy.
02:51And it's not my first choice.
02:54It's just been weird around here, some things, man, that have been going on.
02:58Head scratchers.
02:59Head scratchers.
03:00They knew what was going on.
03:01Chris even joked about it.
03:03Like, yeah, I, you know, I give in to my coaches if they like somebody.
03:09And, you know, even though we've been studying these guys for two full years, you know, our coaches just got
03:15a chance to watch some film.
03:18And they really like this guy.
03:19They think this is the guy.
03:21Uh, so we'll be happy.
03:22Let's go with him.
03:24Guy doesn't work out.
03:25Well, you know, it wasn't really my guy.
03:27It's the guy the coach wanted.
03:28I know, but you're the GM.
03:29Act like it.
03:31You're the principal.
03:32You're not the school teacher.
03:36Man.
03:38See the problem when you, you see something that gets off to the right start and looks kind of, and
03:43again, we got a lot of work to do.
03:44They haven't even drafted a guy yet, which will happen.
03:47And that time is that clock is running too.
03:50By the way, that's right around the corner here.
03:52Before you know it, it will be April 23rd, man.
03:54And we're going to be getting up that morning going, holy smokes, it's here.
03:58It's big business.
04:00It's on national TV.
04:02And we get to see what the Miami Dolphins could do in the first round.
04:06And then we're going to get a little bit of sleep.
04:07And, man, the next day they got five picks.
04:11As of right now, it might be more.
04:12Five picks.
04:14One second and four threes.
04:16Second day of the draft.
04:17Honey, don't make any plans Friday night.
04:20And if there are, make sure I got a TV around.
04:23Because that's going to be fun to watch and see what happens.
04:27But, yeah, these guys were pretty good explaining everything.
04:30John Eric Sullivan, general manager, spoke yesterday.
04:33And Jeff Halfley, I believe, is going to be talking today.
04:37Although a lot of those guys have already talked to him and got a pretty good idea.
04:43But toughness, player-led teams, accountability, going to try to win.
04:48I want you to hear his thoughts on how bad the team is.
04:54And are you going to try to win games?
04:55Or is this about just getting more good picks next year?
05:00It's a good question.
05:01People want to know.
05:03We're going to have a chance to win.
05:04Are you going to try to win?
05:05All that kind of stuff.
05:06John Eric Sullivan spoke, talked about some of that stuff.
05:09So, we'll have that.
05:11We've got some other news, too.
05:14So, NFL news for just a second.
05:16No surprise.
05:18The league is already out there and throwing out the 18 games again.
05:25With, say, hey, no, no.
05:26It's not urgent.
05:27It's not urgent.
05:28But, man, we sure would like to go to 18 games, regular season games and two preseason games.
05:35And so, some of the things with it.
05:38And they're going, oh, no.
05:39We think.
05:39I love when they just talk on behalf of players.
05:42Oh, no.
05:42Our players really.
05:43Because they're going to make more money.
05:45Which they are.
05:45They'll get, you know, extra money for the game.
05:49And, you know, they want to do it.
05:51Here's some of the things that they want with it, Woody.
05:54I wanted to throw at you this morning.
05:57First of all, some of it I really like.
05:59And some, personally, I'm not crazy about.
06:02But we'll see on that 18th game.
06:06Because they will make more money.
06:07But how's the old body?
06:11I mean, we're not talking about a preseason game.
06:13I know guys are going to stay healthy.
06:15Because most of them don't play in the preseason games.
06:17Three of them.
06:18Going to two.
06:19Okay.
06:21Talking about a second bye week.
06:23Okay.
06:25I'm talking about at some point.
06:28What are we at?
06:29Nine international games this year.
06:31They want to go to 16.
06:32Every team.
06:34Every team is going to have an international game.
06:37It's just a matter of where you're going to be going.
06:39I see the 49ers are not very excited about going to Australia.
06:43I don't blame them.
06:44Takes like two full frigging days to get there and get back.
06:47No.
06:48You might be wiped out for a month after that trip.
06:51But on top of that, you know,
06:53Mexico City.
06:55Some say there's a chance we could end up in Mexico City for a game.
07:00And then all the games over in Europe that everybody knows about.
07:04And now France is going to be a big part of it.
07:07Brazil.
07:07We're going to see Brazil.
07:08I know it's not in Europe, by the way.
07:10Anyway.
07:11And so all that stuff.
07:13And then here's another one I kind of like.
07:16Woody, how do you feel about this one?
07:18Super Bowl weekend will be on President's Day weekend.
07:22The game on Sunday and have the day off Monday for President's.
07:26I think you were talking about that before.
07:28You like that thought of like.
07:29Yeah, I mean, either that or make it on a Saturday.
07:32So, yes.
07:32I can't be Super Bowl Saturday.
07:34There is nothing worse.
07:36I know it's fun.
07:37And, you know, for us, you know, we get to come in and break the game down the next day.
07:41But that feeling of like when the alarm clock hits early on Monday, I think for everyone,
07:48when you're just you're burping up the food from.
07:50Yeah.
07:50Well, you break every rule you have, even if you're on a diet.
07:53Yeah.
07:53I think Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Sunday are the two you just go F it.
07:57I think I eat more on Super Bowl Sunday than I do on Thanksgiving because the food is better
08:02on Super Bowl Sunday.
08:05I mean, turkey, you know, turkey's whatever.
08:08Whatever, man.
08:09The stuff you're serving on Super Bowl Sunday, though, everyone goes all out now.
08:12I know what you're saying, but not like Thanksgiving.
08:14I see my sister-in-law's food they're bringing over.
08:18It's also a big drinking day, too.
08:20Everybody's making the best of it.
08:21And I see everybody bring in there a game.
08:24I got one sister-in-law bringing over those cream pumpkin pies.
08:28Yeah, I got my other.
08:29It's healthier food, though, on Thanksgiving, though, right?
08:32It's like turkey and you're trying really hard.
08:36I know I am.
08:37You're trying really hard to stop Super Bowl Sunday is the day like that's the day.
08:41First of all, you drink, too, which certainly doesn't help.
08:44Well, you don't think my family drinks a lot on Thanksgiving?
08:47Like everybody's going to work that.
08:49Yes, of course.
08:50Like drinking there, right?
08:52But no, I mean, yeah, if there's anything to do to get the day off after.
08:56Yeah.
08:57Because you approach the day differently, too, right?
09:01You don't have to be worried about, you know, this last Super Bowl, you could turn that off.
09:07Yeah, but it's the hype of the two best teams.
09:10No matter what you say, it's the two.
09:12It's the best.
09:12It's not the two best teams.
09:13It's the best team in the AFC and against the best team in the NFC.
09:17And you're thinking, OK, let's see if I think we all thought let's see if New England can hang around
09:22was was kind.
09:23Everybody thought that was a nice story, though, man.
09:27They have nothing.
09:27They won 17 games.
09:28They won for the year before.
09:30Yeah, I'm not complaining about it.
09:31I mean, the matchup is what it is.
09:32But they got kicked around pretty good, though.
09:34I understand that.
09:36Nonetheless, though, the game was still the build up to the game and everyone was riled up about the halftime
09:42show.
09:42And well, anyway, president, you want to see what that is.
09:45Before we do the breakdown of the scouting report of what your day is like and you throwing in now,
09:50all of a sudden, Super Bowl Sunday is better than Thanksgiving.
09:53I said it was for eating purposes.
09:57For you to say for you.
09:59All right.
10:00I got a bunch of my personal opinion.
10:02Damn, wife of mine can cook.
10:04My sister-in-law's unbelievable.
10:07I just I just prefer the bread on Thanksgiving better.
10:09OK, thanks.
10:10Super Bowl Sunday.
10:11Super Bowl Sunday.
10:12Oh, I'm sorry.
10:13Yeah.
10:14Pizza wings.
10:15Yeah, but hell, I do that half the Sundays now.
10:21I just had pizza and chicken wings on Sunday again.
10:24Did you?
10:25Yeah, I did.
10:27I am.
10:28What for the time?
10:29I don't know.
10:30Did you bring it up for the tennis?
10:31Oh, no, no.
10:31No, I did.
10:32I had it for all the Miami Open championship party.
10:34All that stuff was going on.
10:36Yeah, but we did.
10:37We had we had the Miami Open champion that called for pizza and, you know, a little good stuff going
10:44on there.
10:45Hey, Woody, we've got some other news.
10:47As I tease before the new professional flag football league for men and women.
10:54I am glad.
10:54By the way, I think it's great.
10:56I don't think it's very fun to watch on TV and we're going to start getting more and more of
11:01it on TV.
11:02But and by the way, NFL Network's going to start carrying a lot of it, too, from what I'm told.
11:07But I think it's great.
11:09I do.
11:10I think playing as a kid flag football is what we started with.
11:15I don't know, fifth grade, sixth grade, whatever, back in that little town in California.
11:22So an original flag football guy before he hit the world of tackle football.
11:27But I think it's great, man.
11:29I think a lot more kids can play.
11:30I think moms and dads will be happy.
11:33Kids that do love the game.
11:36I don't think flag football is debatable until you get someone like Bo in here who thinks it's just going
11:40to ruin everything.
11:41But no, no, Bo, he's just he's I mean, they're never going to as long as there's a demand that
11:46there is.
11:46Bo grew up a little tough, though.
11:48I mean, he grew up.
11:48No, I know.
11:49But but, Joe, look, if there was a demand issue for the NFL, if their ratings were struggling and their
11:56stadiums were empty, I could see why maybe this would be some sort of concern.
12:00But I mean, the product the product can't get any more popular.
12:05Oh, I think so.
12:06It's not like they're going to have an issue no matter what they throw.
12:09You can you throw college football in the mix, NBA, any of that's any other sport you throw into the
12:13NFL, they kill it.
12:15Well, they'll do the same thing for flag football.
12:17But it's nice to have young kids playing.
12:19Yeah.
12:20Like my nine year old wants to play.
12:21Yeah, you play flag football.
12:23So I just run around out there and learn.
12:24I just think right now it's good.
12:26The NFL, when they got in the Olympics, it was a home run for the NFL.
12:30The NFL was the biggest winner that day for men and women and the flag football and and and everything.
12:37Again, I don't think it's great for TV watching, for viewing, but I'm happy to see it out.
12:41And I know Jason Jenkins had this this vision.
12:45God bless.
12:46Jason was a big sat down one time, had a meeting and I and I liked it.
12:51Like we got to get all.
12:52So all the schools are playing at the ones.
12:54A lot of schools don't play tackle football.
12:56We got to get flag football for for boys and girls.
12:59He would be really pumped up to see the explosion.
13:03But the other part of this is guess who's going to be a big partner in this thing.
13:07We're going to have that for you.
13:09You'll be a little surprised, Woody, who the big partner is going to be when we come back.
13:13But first.
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