According to a recent report, the Miami Dolphins have run into a roadblock in their hunt for a defensive coordinator.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: Inside the #Bucs OC search and how the job has changed; The #Panthers likely go with Brad Idzik as OC, plus Arthur Smith interviews in PIT; The present and future in the #49ers WR room. pic.twitter.com/2xGLhJpgfn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 28, 2024
“Meanwhile, the [Carolina] Panthers want to keep their defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who had a second interview for the [Seattle] Seahawks head coaching job on Saturday,” Tom Pelissero said. “Now, my understanding is multiple teams — the [New York] Giants and the Dolphins — have put in interview requests for Evero. The Panthers to this point have blocked those requests. It’s unclear whether Evero wants to stay in Carolina, but he is under contract. The sides are expected to meet this week.”
Evero has spent just one season as the defensive coordinator of the Panthers franchise. The Panthers were one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL this season. Carolina allowed teams to score 24.5 points per game during the 2023 regular season, which was the fourth-most of any team in the NFL. Only the Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles allowed more points per game.
Thanks in part to their defensive woes, the Panthers ended up with the worst record in the NFC South division and NFL at 2-15. For perspective, the Atlanta Falcons ended up with the second-worst record in the division at 7-10.
Unsurprisingly, the Panthers struggled mightily to be competitive away from home. The team failed to pick up a single road win during the 2023 regular season, as evidenced by its 0-9 road record.
Carolina’s final road game of the season served as a good example of how poorly the Panthers performed in hostile territory all season long. The Panthers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars by a final score of 26-0 back on New Year’s Eve. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed just 19 of his 32 passing attempts versus the Jaguars and also threw one interception compared to zero touchdowns.
Miami had a much more successful 2023 regular season than the Panthers did, but it shared some of the same issues as Carolina. The Dolphins were a mediocre defensive team this season and also performed much better at home than they did on the road. Miami finished with a 7-2 home record as opposed to a 4-4 road record.
While Evero didn’t enjoy a lot of success during his first season as the defensive coordinator of the Panthers, perhaps a change of scenery could be just what the doctor ordered for him in his coaching career. Hopefully for the Dolphins, the Panthers will soon decide to allow Miami to interview Evero for the team’s open defensive coordinator position.
