What does Brian Flores want his football team to look like? Comb through any previous press conference or media session and the same handful of criteria will show up — smart, tough, hardworking, passionate.

And while there’s no telling how physically tough these Miami Dolphins are until they strap on a set of pads, Brian Flores is finding a lot of positivity in the early returns at the team’s organized team activities (OTAs).

“They’re tough. They give great effort. This is a smart group. This is a mentally-tough group,” said Flores when asked what he’s learned about his group of players thus far. “I think they don’t back down from challenges. I try to challenge this group on a daily basis and they respond. It’s not perfect every day. Again, it’s an imperfect game, but they work hard, that’s for sure.”

Of course the talent aspect isn’t going to be perfect in year one of a rebuild. But Flores pushing and testing his players and receiving the kind of response he desires is a wonderful sign. It’s most easy for a coach to generate such a response in year one, so the pressure will be on Flores to keep this response rate in the future if the 2019 Dolphins fall flat on their face.

For now, the Dolphins appear to have bought what Brian Flores is selling them — which will help shape the identity of the football team for years to come.