What multiple Miami Dolphins players felt about Vic Fangio and how his departure could affect Miami or the Philadelphia Eagles
Vic Fangio’s departure from the Miami Dolphinssurprised head coach Mike McDaniel but at least one player has loudly rejoiced at the vaunted defensive coordinatorâs exit. Jevon Holland literally kicked rocks at the news and doubled down when asked about the difference with new DC Anthony Weaver:
A complete 180. Itâs the fact that heâs a good person that makes a difference.
Taking a shot at Fangio as a person seems over the top. It also paints a big target on the Dolphins’ defense as a whole to prove they werenât actually the problem.
Miami did see some success under Fangio last season, but their defensive play dipped down the stretch, mainly due to a slew of injuries late in the year.
Late in the season, the Dolphins lost the following defensive starters due to injury:
- Xavien Howard
- Bradley Chubb
- Jaelan Phillips
- Jevon Holland
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Hollandâs going into the last year of his rookie deal, recording five interceptions, four forced fumbles, and seven TFLs through three seasons. Those are more than respectable numbers, but they pale in comparison to Fangioâs decades-long run as one of the premiere defensive minds in all of football.
Fangio previously worked with the Eagles in 2022 as a defensive consultant, before taking the job with Miami in 2023. After seeing some ups and downs with the Dolphins, the two sides parted ways shortly after the 2023 season.
In his defense, a number of Dolphins clashed with Fangioâs old-school approach. NFL agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represented 11 players in 2023, spoke on the disconnect:
There were quite a few players on the team that didnât necessarily get along with Fangio and so it wasnât a great relationship with many of the players. There were some guys that loved him, but there were quite a few that didnât.
Miamiâs already likely to take a step back on defense following the losses of Christian Wilkins, Xavien Howard, and Jerome Baker. Weâll see if these young guns find themselves regretting their words come fall.
For the Eagles, this does raise questions about whether Fangio is over the hill or if he can relate to this new crop of young players. Much of their success will depend on whether he can get the most out of their fleet of highly rated prospects, mostly from Georgia. Since Fangioâs only 65, weâd bet on him still having his fastball while Miami gets torched next season.