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The Dolphins no longer are a democracy.

Coach Adam Gase has dispensed with the practice of allowing players to pick captains, opting instead to appoint them himself. This year, five players will serve as full-season captains, with a sixth added each week.

The five full-season captains are quarterback Ryan Tannehill, receiver Kenny Stills, center Daniel Kilgore, cornerback Bobby McCain, and special-teamer Walt Aikens. Defensive end Cam Wake served as the Week One extra captain.

“I picked them,” Gase said, via Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I changed it this year.”

Why the change?

“Because I wanted to,” Gase added.

Technically responsive, Gase eventually provided more reasoning for his decision to name the captains: He wants guys who will embrace leadership when the team needs it.

“We’re looking for those guys that’ll step up when things get tough and things aren’t quite going the way [we expect],” Gase said. “Who’s going to step up, and who’s going to be a guy not only to play well but to be vocal as well?”

It’s clearly another consequence to the lost season of 2017, which saw the Dolphins encounter plenty of adversity — and which allowed Gase to realize who was with him and who wasn’t.

In 2017, players voted for five captains: Still, Wake, Mike Pouncey, Ndamukong Suh, and Michael Thomas. Pouncey and Suh were two of the players purged by Gase after the season.