The Miami Dolphinshave the youngest 53-man roster in the NFL and it's not even close.
Miami's roster has an average age of 25.3. Only the Browns also have an average age below 26.
Nearly half of Miami's initial 53-man roster is aged 22, 23 or 24.
Patience is required.
Every or almost every decision general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has made and will make in the coming months is with a long-term lens.
"We can't live in the middle," Sullivan forewarned in March.
That's great news.
Sullivan was able to move on from players like Quinn Ewers and Tyrel Dodson in recent days because Sullivan has zero emotional or reputational attachment to them.
And it is possible that Sullivan even moved on from a player or two that coach Jeff Hafley may have thought may have helped
them win an extra game this season.
That means nothing. If Miami finishes 3-14 or 4-13 or 5-12 this season really does not matter.
Miami Dolphins' 53-man roster youngest in NFL
All that matters is that Hafley builds a solid foundation with a culture of effort, toughness, discipline, grit and relentlessness.
The Dolphins are going to fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter more than once this season.
Heck, it might happen in the first few games.
Recall that Brian Flores' Dolphins - similar in roster construction - was destroyed 59-10, 43-0 and 31-6 in his first three games.
By the end of that season, Miami was playing better. There was player development. There was an improvement in fundamentals and technique - all the boring stuff that decides games.
Miami even won their last two games. But again, success this season will be measured by things well beyond wins and losses. And that is fair. Totally fair.
These will not be excuses. These will be reasons. And that's OK.
Are those 22-, 23- and 24-year olds repeating their mistakes?
There will be mistakes made. The goal is to clean them up.
Nobody is calling this a Tank. There is no Tank for Tua or March for Arch.
But we all see what this is. An intentional teardown. A strategic reset.
A do-over for the franchise.
And it was needed.
Miami Dolphins news: Fresh start and fresh eyes was needed
Mike McDaniel may prove to have an excellent season as offensive coordinator with the Chargers.
And Quinn Ewers may prove to be a decent backup with the Jaguars.
Who knows for sure.
But we are, it turns out, better off not having run it back with McDaniel and Ewers in 2026.
A fresh start was needed.
New eyes were needed.
There will be pain. There will be missteps. There will be lopsided scores.
Sullivan and Hafley are banking that accumulating and developing young talent will pay off in the end.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins reset with the youngest roster in the NFL
