Chris Perkins: The Dolphins need major culture change in their locker room

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins need a culture change. Badly.

I fear what the Dolphins’ locker room will look like when offensive tackle Terron Armstead and defensive tackle Calais Campbell, the most respected veterans on the team, aren’t there next season.

My fear is that the power will fall into the wrong hands.

Before the season began I wrote that I had a “world of faith” in the Dolphins being largely influenced by three future Hall of Fame players — Campbell, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

I thought Campbell lived up to that hype.

The Dolphins need a culture change more than they need a new offense. And they desperately need a new offense.

To be clear, the culture change must start at the top, with general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel.

But it must mostly come from the locker room.

The big problem with the culture here, as I’ve written a couple of times, is that the Dolphins reached their mountaintop when they got those contract extensions/restructures during the offseason.

Tyreek. Ramsey. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. All of them.

Money, social media likes, touchdown celebrations and individual goals have always been more important to this team than doing the dirty work required to win.

Their misbehavior (being late to meetings, etc …) leads to payers being fined. But the fines don’t change their behavior.

McDaniel hinted things will change in the coming season.

“If your actions continually lead to fineable offenses,” he said, “you’re telling me without words that you don’t want to be here.”

In a perfect world, Grier could emulate his neighbors to the north, the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and use Tyreek as a centerpiece in a Jonathan Huberbeau-for-Matthew Tkachuk type of franchise-reshaping trade.

What I mean by that is a trade that transforms the finesse, offense-focused Dolphins into a more physical, aggressive, balanced team that has a more physical mindset, and that has a style more conducive to winning in the playoffs.

That’d be ideal.

For the record, however, I’ll tell you that I don’t think Tyreek really wants to be traded.

In a sense, Tyreek is like the boy who cried wolf. He lacks credibility with me.

In the past month or so he’s claimed to have a left wrist injury. But at the same time he said he needs more practice time and he’s taken on the added responsibility of punt returner. That’s inconsistent.

I think Tyreek was speaking out of frustration Sunday.

He changed his story about why he didn’t play in the fourth quarter. At first he said it was due a left wrist injury, then he said a coach pulled him out, then he said he saw the scoreboard and saw that Kansas City was losing (the Dolphins needed Kansas City to win as a step to making the playoffs) and suggested he didn’t play because there was no point in playing because of the lost playoff hopes.

Being there at MetLife Stadium, face-to-face with Tyreek in the locker room after that 32-20 loss at New York, and having been face-to-face with Tyreek dozens of times, I saw Tyreek searching for words after the game.

I saw his eyes darting around as he was thinking of things to say.

Tyreek usually makes eye contact. There was little eye contact after the game Sunday.

The words that tumbled out of Tyreek’s mouth were spoken without much forethought and out of selfishness. He’s said numerous times he wants to retire here, he loves it here. I believe that.

I truly believe Tyreek wants to be here (provided he remains a focal point of the offense).

Regardless, he opened the door for Grier to make a trade and make a major culture change.

Recall what Tua said Friday about his role on the team while being sidelined from his hip injury.

“Just making sure everyone is locked in, making sure no one is throwing in the towel or whatever,” he said.

“We still have an opportunity. And this is also one of those things where you just show who you are as a teammate, and if you want to be part of the organization next year. When things are hard, you really show who you are.”

Now, recall how Tyreek behaved after Sunday’s game.

Tyreek needs someone to explain to him what leadership looks like, leadership that goes beyond hard work on the practice field and in games.

In other words, the Dolphins need their leaders to do more.

The Dolphins need culture change.

The Dolphins need their leaders to go the extra two or three miles.

The Dolphins need their leaders to set a good example on the field, off the field, in the locker room, on the streets of South Florida, in every way and at every time, including being punctual to meetings. The latter topic came up in the final team meeting.

“That was the main topic of the team meeting that you talked to them after,” McDaniel told reporters who spoke with players in the locker room Monday.

By the way, let’s get something straight: I haven’t heard the Dolphins have bad leadership in the locker room. Ever.

And I don’t think the Dolphins have bad leadership. I think they have leadership that doesn’t go the distance, leadership that falls short when it comes to being selfless and being exemplary.

The Dolphins need better and stronger leadership in the locker room.

To me, this is an example of systemic failure.

It’s a failure by the player-filled Leadership Council, it’s a failure by the player-appointed team captains, and it’s a failure by the players as individuals. This doesn’t include every single player, but it includes many of the best and most influential players.

Until the locker room culture changes, this team is doomed to underachieving, disappointing and failing, as it’s done the last two seasons.

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