Jacob Rodriguez Represents Everything the Dolphins Are Building

It was a bit strange that the Miami Dolphins opted to release veteran linebacker Tyrel Dodson in favor of replacing him with rookie Jacob Rodriguez, but that decision makes a lot more sense following Week 1. 

Rodriguez showed what general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley have been preaching since they took over. The rookie linebacker had a very strong performance that encapsulated what this Dolphins team is attempting to build.

Before the game, it was announced that Rodriguez was set to wear the green dot, which indicates he has a helmet and was receiving defensive play calls from Hafley. Getting the defense set is an important job, and the rookie said his experience in Week 1 with calling plays was "smooth."

On top of calling plays on defense, Rodriguez finished the day with 17 total tackles, five defensive stops on tackles, and only allowed seven yards in three coverage plays. A breakdown video shows just how impactful he was.

Simply put, Rodriguez was all over the place and continued to do everything he could to get the team in a place to try to make plays.

The Dolphins also ran into an issue where long snapper Tucker Addington was hurt on a special teams play. 

With Addington suffering a shoulder injury, Rodriguez began taking snaps as the backup long snapper. With calling plays on defense, he already had a lot on his plate, but he began to step up on special teams.

Addington was able to return to the game, but the sheer drive of Rodriguez is the kind of mentality that this young Miami team should be aiming to cultivate.

Rodriguez was one of the most celebrated players coming out of college, as he had secured practically every post-season award as a member of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The young linebacker secured the Butkus Award and the Lombardi Award, and was also nominated for the Heisman. This led the Dolphins to draft him in the second round, which became a very talked-about pick.

Multiple teams knew what Rodriguez could become, but it was the Miami front office that got out front and did not let him fall beyond pick No. 43. 

Looking at how Rodriguez has carried himself through OTAs and training camp, it makes sense why the Dolphins were open to putting him in Dodson's place. While that decision has not yet swayed one way or the other, the rookie continues to show why he is a natural leader.

The Dolphins may have lost, but it's the self-awareness that Rodriguez demonstrated, calling the mistakes and penalties "self-inflicted," that can help transform the team into the tough and physical roster they are aiming to be.

Rodriguez and fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks can lead the defensive unit into something special, but it will take a bit longer for this team to gel in a meaningful way. Even Hafley was proud of the fight the team showed.

How and when that leads to some wins remains to be seen, but the direction of this Dolphins team is pointing to some better success down the road. And at the center of it is Rodriguez.