Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Jaelan Phillips is in a bit of an odd mix. He’s in familiar territory — his college stadium serving as the backdrop for his first career training camp as an NFL player. But he’s also in a new role; the Dolphins are training him as a rush linebacker as compared to an every-down, hand in the dirt type defensive end. But regardless of whether Phillips is learning something new or enjoying the familiarity of South Florida, he’s bringing the proper mindset to his business in training camp this offseason.
When asked about his goals for the 2021 season, Phillips offered a very “Brian Flores”-esque answer about who he’s trying to become this season for the Dolphins — bringing perspective and a simple objective; be better and be present in today’s opportunities to improve.
“My goal honestly is I’m trying to be where my feet are. Every single day, I’m looking to improve on the mistakes I made the day before. Tomorrow I’m going to look at this film from today and try to correct the little parts of my game I can work on. I always can improve,” said Phillips.
“I’m just trying to contribute to the team. I know that sounds vanilla, but I’m a team-first guy. Obviously playing as much as I can is always a goal. But really, the goal right now is doing the best I can at camp and taking it one day at a time.”
If you’ve ever heard or read a Brian Flores press conference, you’ll understand that this is exactly the kind of mentality Flores preaches to his team and even to the media — so it is no wonder the Dolphins saw enough in the former Miami Hurricane to keep him in South Florida with a top-20 selection.
The role Phillips carves for himself this season is yet to be determined; but he will have every opportunity to carve out a prominent role on defense. He’s got the physical gifts to make it happen, and he’s also clearly got the right mentality to hone his craft between now and the beginning of the season to pull it all together.