The Miami Dolphins have already made a big splash in their 2023 offseason by hiring Vic Fangio to lead their defense in the 2023 season and beyond.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon gushed about Fangio prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Fangio worked as a consultant for the Eagles in the 2022 season, and Gannon seems very confident that he’ll succeed once again as a coordinator in Miami.
“He’s been a huge help,” Gannon told the Miami Herald last Monday. “He’s a fantastic mastermind and a really good friend.”
Gannon added some more specifics about Fangio’s strengths as a coach as well.
“It’s just extremely well-coached,” Gannon said about Fangio’s defenses. “And that’s coming from the top down. I think more so anything that’s scheme or coverages or anything, his guys are in the right spot a lot. If you’re watching tape and you know what ball looks like, his defenses look like good ball.”
The praise should come as music to the ears of Dolphins fans everywhere. Though the team’s offense took many steps forward in the 2022 campaign, the defense took a few steps back compared to recent seasons.
The Dolphins allowed 23.5 points per game in the regular season, ranking 24th in the entire league. Surely, Fangio’s top goal will be to get that average to dip a bit in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator.
With the Dolphins possessing very little draft capital heading into the 2023 offseason, it will be interesting to see if the team is overly active in the free-agency market. As is the case every season, there is a solid list of defensive players who are expected to become free agents.
Some of the most exciting players set to hit the open market include defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, safety Jessie Bates III, cornerback Jamel Dean and linebacker Lavonte David.
There are many more players who could sign with the Dolphins and become difference-makers as well. So, once the free-agency market starts heating up, it will be interesting to see which players the Dolphins are connected to in rumors and reports.
As for Fangio, he is likely gearing up for a very busy offseason of getting familiar with the pieces that are in place in Miami and how best to use them.
