MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins have eight players - count 'em, eight! - players on the NFL's Top 100 players list, and all of those players are ranked in the Top 70.

This is a team that should make the playoffs and should win a playoff game, but that's a column for another day.

We are here today to highlight how Miami's best players - and this is a very talented roster - must be their best players and their best leaders in 2024.

In particular, this Miami Dolphins team will go as far as the NFL's No. 1 (Tyreek Hill), No. 25 (Jalen Ramsey) and No. 36 (Tua Tagovailoa) players lead them.

They must, as Miami coach Mike McDaniel said three times Saturday, dictate the terms for the team.

"Those players forever will be the ... they'll dictate the terms of the locker room, they have tremendous influence, more so than any coach could," McDaniel said. "On how to do things at a very high level, how to take care of your body, how to learn and study the game. The fact of the matter is, those conversations aren't for the freak athletes or for the freak football players. To be a good football player you have to have immense immersion into the game to play your role with conviction."

Dictating terms. Playing the role with conviction.

Miami Dolphins plan to dictate terms in 2024

Those are themes for this Dolphins team, as it tries to break a 24-year playoff-less curse.

Miami is talking about being bullies on defense.

"The locker room itself taking it upon themselves to decide on their terms what they will be known for," McDaniel said.

Miami is talking about finishing games on offense.

"Standard of play," McDaniel said.

NFL seasons swing from 7 wins to 11 wins in a very delicate balance.

Oh, roster depth and injury luck will always be factors.

But quarterback play and coaching skill are 70 percent of the equation.

There was some drama about the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes being the No. 4 player in the Top 100 - the disrespect!

Tua Tagovailoa must do some Patrick Mahomes-type things now

But now Tua must do some of the things Mahomes has done in driving his team to consecutive Super Bowl wins.

Ramsey and Hill are dawgs, as they say.

And they are pushing their teammates to be dawgs, too.

Aggressive. Determined. Relentless.

Ramsey and Hill have won and they expect to win.

They both have Super Bowl rings. They know what it takes.

And their teammates must follow.

McDaniel explained that he used Tyreek Hill's block on a recent run play as an example of what this team needs to do in 2024.

Miami Dolphins intend to be different this season

"We intend to be different," McDaniel explained was the theme of the session.

McDaniel explained that Ramsey will wear the orange jersey as player of the last practice on Saturday for more reasons than just his performance in the last practice.

"He's a player that's decided that he wants to dictate the terms," McDaniel said. "This year is a different team and I think every day at practice, one of the reasons we're getting such good work is the players are determining what they want their team to be like."

It's takes all 53 players, as they say.

But the Dolphins have eight - count em'! - Top 100 players on the their roster.

They include Terron Armstead, Jordan Poyer, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert and don't even include rising stars Jevon Holland and Jaelan Phillips and OG OBJ, otherwise known as Odell Beckham, Jr.

But let's be honest. McDaniel is saying this team intends to be different.

Ramsey is built different. Hill is built different.

Tua has always been skilled, but his more vocal, hands-on approach this offseason is different.

Plenty of talent. Plenty of Top 100 players.

But it's Tyreek, Jalen and Tyreek who must dictate where this team is headed.

It's those guys who will most influence if the 24-year nightmare finally ends.

Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, Tua Tagovailoa will dictate 2024 success