PHOENIX
The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of rebuilding the roster and creating a new culture, but South Florida’s NFL franchise views three of last year’s top performers as foundational players.
During a private sit down with South Florida media members, newly hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan acknowledged that the team intends on signing contract extensions for Pro Bowl tailback De’Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer and inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
They have an order they want to get these deals done, and Achane sits atop the list.
However, does that mean NFL teams can’t offer draft picks to entice Sullivan to move any of the three?
“My job is to always listen. Achane is a very, very important piece of what we want to do moving forward. He’s a building block for us. It is a priority for us to get a deal done for him in the coming weeks, months,” Sullivan said.
The timeline is likely important because the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23, and Sullivan openly acknowledged he’s likely to acquire more picks than the 11 Miami presently owns.
“Nobody is untouchable in this business because you never know who is on the other side of the phone and what they want to offer,” Sullivan said. “But there is zero effort on my end to move Achane.
“I’m very excited about him,” Sullivan said about Miami’s fourth-year tailback, who gained 1,350 rushing yards on 238 carries and led the team with 67 receptions, which he turned into 488 yards and four touchdown receptions. “He’s a difference-maker for us.”
Sullivan pointed out he would like to get ahead of the market on the Achane deal, which will likely use James Cook’s five-year, $50 million deal (which guarantees the tailback $30 million) with the Buffalo Bills as the framework.
When asked about Brooks, Sullivan admitted he has fielded a couple of calls from teams interested in acquiring the NFL’s leading tackler.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of those teams, according to a source. However, a deal is not imminent.
No offer made seems to be good enough for Miami at this moment.
“I want Jordyn to be part of this. He’s made of the right kind of stuff,” Sullivan said. “We want him to be a pillar on the defensive side of this as we build this thing out.”
However, the Dolphins’ recent restructuring of Achane and Brewer’s contracts, which was needed to create the cap space necessary to execute Jaylen Waddle’s trade to Denver Broncos, should raise some antennas.
Brooks was eligible for a similar restructuring because he’s in the final year of the three-year, $27.2 million contract he signed in 2024, which pays him a little less than $8.4 million this season. The Dolphins opted to leave the Brooks’ contract as is, just in case.
According to Sullivan, Waddle’s trade, which produced the 30th pick in the 2026 Draft, a third round selection and a swap of fourth round picks, wasn’t something he was shopping for.
The Broncos were persistent, and the offer made sense for Miami because of the franchise’s current rebuilding status. By the time Miami’s foundation becomes solid Waddle will be out of his prime, and by moving him Sullivan turned the fifth-year starter into a two young, cheap players.
“Whenever you’re sitting in this seat you always bite your lip when you see good players walk about the door, for whatever reason they leave,” Sullivan said. “Waddle is 27 years old. We’re in an era where the market for receivers is through the roof.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
