Miami Dolphins' new battle cry: ‘This year, we're gonna be the bullies'

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins rookie running back Jaylen Wright was going right after cornerback Kader Kohou.

Kohou wasn’t backing down. In fact, he was making a beeline for Wright.

Then, right out of a WWE script, Patrick Paul, a 6-foot-7, 332-pound offensive lineman, rushed in to turn it into a no-contest when he put a finishing move on Kohou (5-10, 197).

“It just made training camp, training camp,” offensive lineman Rob Jones said.

More: Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel: How Tua Tagovailoa's added mobility helps offense

It took five days and a triple-digit heat index, but the first fight of training camp was on.

If cornerback Jalen Ramsey has his way, this will hardly be the latest time you see some fight out of the Dolphins.

Ramsey gathered the defense after practice for what one player described as a 10-minute lecture on the need for the Dolphins to toughen up in 2024.

Consider it "message received."

“This year, we’re gonna be the bullies,” Jones said.

Being bullies hasn't been in Miami Dolphins' DNA for years

The what? “Dolphins” and “bullies” aren’t exactly words often associated with one another, at least not since the days of the "No-Name Defense" in the 1970s and the Killer B's of the '80s. Except the aerial circus run by Dan Marino and now Tua Tagovailoa has made Miami synonymous with anything but brute force.

So can the Dolphins actually, finally complement it with a bully persona?

“I think a lot of that is just because of how much attention Tyreek Hill draws on the national stage,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said. “You know, the speed. Everybody pays attention to that, which they should because he’s that good. But you know, the defense kind of gets overlooked in a way. But I think that’s everybody’s mentality coming in – new guys like myself pride ourselves on being physical. And I think that any great defense, you have to be physical.”

The defense is now run by coordinator Anthony Weaver, who came over from Baltimore, where the Ravens’ purple and black scheme represents what opponents look like after games. Having him in the defense's corner has to help.

Brooks joked that there are smart ways to be a tough football team and some not-so-bright ways.

“There’s things you don’t do,” he said. “There’s one guy a couple of years ago, Brian Cushing. He got into a fight on the field. Took his helmet off. Head-butted a dude. Broke his (own) nose and bleeding.

“You don’t want to end up in that situation.”

There have been times when the Dolphins have talked tough. Even last season, coach Mike McDaniel said the team can be known as a quick-strike offense while still being physical.

Maybe this time the Dolphins can back up the talk. Players know there will be fans believing it when they see it.

“We don’t care about outside noise,” Jones said. “We just want to go out there and be the most physical team on the field.”

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.

Click here to subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins say they'll be ‘the bullies,' but will will they?