What will Weaver’s arrival in Miami bring?
The Miami Dolphins have hired former Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator after moving on from Vic Fangio after just one season.
Weaver played in the NFL for seven years as a defensive lineman himself, and now has over 10 years of coaching experience. This will be his best opportunity to show what he is capable of in a coordinator role.
Weaver’s first chance as an NFL defensive coordinator was with the Houston Texans during the 2020 season. If fans judge the Weaver hire over this singular season, they will not be impressed. Weaver’s defense ranked near the bottom in every statistical category, and not a single defensive player was named to the Pro Bowl.
However, the Texans, in 2020, were in shambles as an organization. Head coach Bill O’Brien was fired after an 0-4 start which was preceded by many questionable roster decisions in the offseason. The Texans finished with a 4-12 record, and Weaver was hired by the Ravens as defensive line coach the following season.
A positive trend about Weaver’s resume is his history of bringing the best out of talented players. The first example of this came in 2013 when Weaver was the defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills. This Bills defensive line produced Pro-Bowl seasons from defensive end Mario Williams and defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus. Buffalo’s defense finished second in the NFL in sacks with 57 on the season.
Weaver had the privilege of coaching legendary edge rusher J.J. Watt on the Texans from 2016-20. Watt was unfortunately on the back end of his prime and struggled to stay healthy. 2018 was the best season Watt had with Weaver on the coaching staff, recording 16 sacks as he was named an All-Pro for the fifth and final time. It could be argued that Weaver helped squeeze the last bit of All-Pro football that Watt had left.
Weaver has spent the last three seasons in Baltimore where he has built an impressive resume worthy of head coaching consideration. Weaver spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach to John Harbaugh. The Ravens had a dominant defensive line a season ago, featuring breakout star defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. Madubuike recorded 13 sacks in his fourth season, more than doubling his career best, as the Ravens produced a league-best 60 sacks in 2023.
Another interesting storyline on the Ravens in 2023 was the resurgence of former Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was coached by Weaver for three years in Houston. The former first-overall pick was listed as a linebacker for Baltimore, but his role was consistently on the edge, and he tied his career-high with 9.5 sacks. Three out of Clowney’s four highest sack seasons came with Weaver on the coaching staff. In fact, Clowney has never been named to a Pro Bowl without coach Weaver.
It’s difficult to predict what exactly Weaver’s scheme will look like since he doesn’t have a long resume as a defensive coordinator. He has been involved in a wide variety of defensive schemes during his career. Since he tends to bring out the best in linemen, it is likely the pass rush and stuffing the run will be focal points. This should be an easy transition for the Miami front seven since Fangio’s scheme featured heavy rushes and pursuit.
The Ravens ranked 25th in the league in blitz percentage this past season. According to Pro Football Reference, the Ravens blitzed on just 21.9% of the time. This wouldn’t be much of a change for the Dolphins’ defense, as they blitzed an almost identical 21.5% of the time.
On the other hand, Weaver’s 2020 Texans defense blitzed quite often. They ranked seventh in the league in blitz percentage at a 35.9% clip. This leaves a bit of a mystery as to how much emphasis will be placed on the blitz in Weaver’s scheme.
Considering the personnel on the Dolphins, it is likely Weaver will lean toward the scheme Mike Macdonald used a season ago in Baltimore. Weaver’s defensive line was dominant enough that the Ravens could occasionally utilize linebackers in coverage. A scheme like this will address some of the issues that the Miami secondary faced last season. Remaining in a 3-4 defense would still make a lot of sense if the roster doesn’t drastically change.
Hopefully, the Dolphins are able to work out a deal with defensive tackle Christion Wilkins in order to pair him and Zach Sieler with Weaver. Considering the season Madubuike just had in Baltimore, it should further incentivize the front office to keep Wilkins around. Linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb will also be major players in the pass rush once they are able to return from injury.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who worked with Weaver on the Cleveland Browns in 2014, discussed player development being a cornerstone in the continued success of the franchise. Numerous players on the Dolphins front seven displayed a relentless pursuit of excellence last season, many of them posting career years. Weaver is undoubtedly the right coach to take the drive of these players to the next level.
While Weaver will almost certainly bring the best out of the pass rush and run defense, the Miami secondary was the main concern during the late-season collapse. Cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey will hopefully both be healthy to start the season, allowing Weaver to focus on the development of last year’s second-round pick Cam Smith.
After a long search that included numerous interviews with candidates, it seems like the Dolphins have found the right coach for the defense. Coming from a well-run organization in Baltimore, he will be a key component in keeping the Dolphins in championship contention. Weaver is the right coach to take the drive and development of these players to the next level.
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