MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins‘ defensive staff will have a drastically different look in 2024.
The biggest of the many changes, of course, was Mike McDaniel’s decision to trade out Vic Fangio for Anthony Weaver at defensive coordinator.
But that’s just the start of the turnover. Weaver and McDaniel have taken a sledgehammer to the staff in their short time together.
“I’m excited about everybody, man,” Weaver said Thursday. “They’re all incredible football minds but more importantly, they’re good people. When you’re in the midst of the season, the season is long and arduous for a reason.
You’ve got to be tenacious because it exposes the frauds. When you get to Week 13, 14, 15, 16, you better have guys you want to be in the foxhole with, and I believe everyone on this staff and everyone we’ve hired to this point, are those guys.”
Changes to Miami Dolphins’ Defensive Coaching Staff
Linebackers
2023 coach: Anthony Campanile
2024 coach: Joe Barry (NFL experience: 22 years)
Weaver’s take: “A tremendous football coach. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Back in 2021, when I left Houston, me and Joe spent a lot of time conversating about the potential of joining up with the Chargers under Brandon Staley.
“That didn’t come to fruition, but through those conversations, we formed a friendship. Over the years, we’ve always kind of kept in touch, and then through mutual friends, I’ve obviously heard nothing but incredible things about him. So to add him to our staff with his wisdom and intellect and knowledge is a tremendous win for us as a team and then for me individually, as a guy that’s just been in it and most recently calling it.”
Pass Game Coordinator
2023 coach: Renaldo Hill
2024 coach: Brian Duker (NFL experience: 8 years)
Weaver’s take: “We worked together in Cleveland in 2014 and 2015, and then he has familiarity with the scheme that we want to run, because he was with Wink Martindale in Baltimore for a number of years, as well.
I think he’s just a tremendous football mind, young kind of up-and-coming coach, has great ideas. Obviously, you see his team with Detroit, they just lost in the NFC Championship game. He does a tremendous job there. I think it was a huge, huge opportunity to get him.”
Outside Linebackers
2023 coach: Ryan Slowik
2024 coach: Ryan Crow (NFL experience: 6)
Weaver’s take: “You look at Tennessee’s outside ‘backers, Harold Landry – I can’t even remember who else is out there, but all they did was produce and get after the quarterbacks and set dominant edges, which is exactly what we want to do here at the outside ‘backer position.”
Cornerbacks
2023 coach: Sam Madison
2024 coach: TBD (potentially DeShawn Shead)
Weaver’s take: “[Shead] played behind Richard Sherman in Seattle, won a championship and has since been in coaching. Shoot, you look at Seattle and what they’ve done there, particularly at the DB position, I mean there’s a lot of good ones.
I feel like when you talk to him, you can just feel the impact that he’s had on them. So he’s a younger guy, he’s got all the energy, and he can relate. You talk about ex-players being able to relate to current players and being out there talking from a vantage point of ‘I’ve done this, here’s how you can help yourself.’ He obviously provides that, too.
Safeties
2023 coach: Joe Kasper
2024 coach: TBD (potentially Ryan Slowik)
Weaver’s take: “I do think Ryan Slowik did an awesome job doing that a year ago with the outside ‘backers. I view Ryan as a tremendous asset because he’s coached on every level of the defense, so when you have that guy — one, he’s incredibly selfless, so he’s actually going to help us in the secondary as well.
MORE: What Anthony Weaver’s Arrival Means for Christian Wilkins, Others
I really look forward to working with Ryan and trust his football acumen in general. … What his exact title is, I’ll let Mike talk to you about that. We’re still working through it. But I love Ryan, man, and the conversations I’ve had with him so far, he is juiced about it. He’s excited.”
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