Last Thursday, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio dismissed the idea of rotating the Miami Dolphins‘ cornerbacks behind Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou (despite suggesting the week before that he might).
“I don’t remember saying that we would rotate them that much,” Fangio told reporters ahead of the Patriots game. “But really, you play your guys. The defensive secondary is kind of like the offensive line. They stay in there.”
Has Fangio changed his thinking after a not-so-great performance from Eli Apple?
We’ll need to wait until his next media availability to ask.
But if Apple continues to play like he has so far in the season, Fangio might not have a choice.
UPDATED (Sept. 21): When asked if he’s considering a lineup change, Fangio told reporters Thursday that “it’s always something we’re looking at, obviously. Eli had a tough game for him. He did contribute some good plays. Right now, this early in the seaosn, we’re going to consider all options.”
DC Vic Fangio admits Eli Apple had a rough game last week and said all options are on the table this week pic.twitter.com/ecwVFgkcrt
— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) September 21, 2023
Miami Dolphins’ Dilemma at Cornerback
Apple wasn’t even in the team’s plans two months ago. The Dolphins signed him after Jalen Ramsey went down with an injury.
The thought at the time was he would compete with Noah Igbinoghene and Cam Smith for the Dolphins’ CB3 job.
That competition only lasted a couple of weeks.
Igbinoghene isn’t even on the team anymore, and Smith — a rookie second-round pick who had high highs and low lows in training camp/preseason — has yet to log a single defensive snap in the first two games.
Fangio suggested earlier in the summer that the team’s trust in Smith wasn’t where it needed to be.
MORE: Best Cornerbacks in the NFL 2023
But how much do the Dolphins trust Apple after he’s allowed 10.1 yards per completion and missed a quarter of his tackle opportunities in two games?
We explore, plus put a bow on Week 2 and look ahead to the Dolphins’ Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos in the latest PFN Miami Dolphins Podcast.