MIAMI GARDENS ― Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan could have drafted very popular University of Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain.
Instead, Sullivan stuck to his convictions and selected offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, whom he projected as an impact guard as a rookie with the potential to move to tackle.
It's worked out splendidly.
Sullivan could have kept 27-year-old wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, considering he was by far Miami's best receiver. But he dealt Waddle and a fourth-round pick to Denver, where the receiver has struggled badly.
Sullivan picked up a first-rounder used to move up slightly for cornerback Chris Johnson, as well as third-round receiver Chris Bell and fourth-round edge rusher Trey Moore.
It's worked out splendidly.
In the second round of the last NFL draft, Sullivan overlooked the fact that linebacker was not a pressing need and correctly identified linebacker Jacob Rodriguez as the exact type of player who could help Miami swing its culture in the right direction.
Rodriguez may win NFL defensive rookie of the year.
And we haven't even gotten to third-round receiver Caleb Douglas, a pick that was widely panned but has already proven to be a smart one. The son of a former Dolphins receiver coach ― Jerry Sullivan ― JES knows what an NFL receiver should look like.
Douglas has missed time with injury. But it is clear; Douglas has the required goods.
And it has worked out splendidly.
So far, first-year Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has worked out splendidly.
It's been Sully Strike after Sully Strike after Sully Strike.
Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has thrown roster strikes
Now, this is where you tell me the Dolphins are 0-5. And you have a point.
And this is where you tell me Sullivan chose quarterback Malik Willis in free agency and it has not gone well, through five games. And you have a point.
And this is where I tell you that 0-5 surprises nobody and all that matters is that Miami learns it has added some quality young pieces.
And this is where I tell you that Miami has the rest of the season to make a more complete determination on what Willis is or is not. And I will also tell you that Miami is not overly-leveraged on Willis.
If Willis turns things around, great. If Willis turns out to be a one- or two-year stop-gap quarterback with a strong arm, outstanding mobility and the physical tools to create some excitement, so be it.
Miami was always more likely than not to be in the market for a quarterback, probably a first-round quarterback, in the 2027 or 2028 NFL Drafts, anyhow.
Willis was a worthwhile investment, gamble or not.
Willis is tied for 17th among the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks. It's a very reasonable deal. And the guarantees are really only a big factor for two seasons.
If Willis does not prove to be a worthy starting NFL quarterback, this should not lead us to conclude that Sullivan cannot evaluate quarterbacks.
Malik Willis has not worked out yet, but...
He could not bring Tua back. Tua was not coming back. And rolling with Quinn Ewers, it turns out, would have been a terrible decision.
No general manager is going to be perfect. The Dolphins are banking on Sullivan to throw far more strikes than former general manager Chris Grier, who threw too many gutter balls.
Sullivan believes in his evaluation process.
Sullivan has conviction in his decisions.
It's only been five games and six weeks and one NFL draft.
But so far, so good.
The Dolphins have the NFL's youngest roster and it's a young man's game and Sullivan wants to keep his roster young. This season, he's smartly churning the bottom of Miami's roster continuously in an effort to uncover a few gems.
There are already reasons to believe Sullivan knows what he is doing. And there are reasons to believe that given more assets ― salary cap and draft ― he'll continue to make prudent and convicted decisions.
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' roster moves signal a smarter rebuild is underway