The Miami Dolphins have had a fine week since the Super Bowl has come and gone. The announcement of Zach Thomas into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last week, followed this week by the finality to the Vic Fangio contract signing saga.
Ladies and gentlemen, they officially got him. Again. Officially.
Fangio will be ushered into Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, and his intro will be streamed on the Dolphins website to capture the moment. At this rate, it wouldn’t be shocking if Miami security snuck Fangio in the back entrance almost like that scene in “Goodfellas.”
Now that Fangio is the boss of the defense, as well as consigliere for Mike McDaniel, it’s expected he could attract free agents as well as entice important Dolphins to re-sign with the team.
On the defensive side of the ball, Miami has about a dozen players whose Dolphins’ contracts expired following the close of the 2022 season. A room’s worth of linebackers are all free agents in Andrew Van Ginkel, Duke Riley, Elandon Roberts, Melvin Ingram and Sam Eguavoen. This would be the unit to expect the shopping in the premium aisle of the free agency market.
Fangio is an expert in the linebacker role specifically, so whether it be through free agency or the draft, or even getting the most out of last year’s rookie Channing Tindall, the defensive guru could maximize talent in that area of the field.
As for the front line of interior defensive linemen and edge pass-rushers, Miami has great continuity returning with Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and the hopeful comeback of Emmanuel Ogbah. Re-signed last season, Ogbah was injured nine games into the 2022 season and looks to return in 2023.
Continuity in 2022 was tough for the Miami defensive backfield due to several key injuries which started with the Byron Jones situation, which is a separate story in itself. He didn’t play a snap following surgery on his Achilles last March, and his future in South Florida is up in the air.
Xavien Howard, who was named to the Pro Bowl, didn’t have his best season and was banged up throughout the year, missing two games and was not his vintage self over the course of the season. Though finishing the season strong and helping Miami secure a playoff berth with a Week 18 win against the Jets, Howard looks to build on that momentum heading into 2023.
Safety Brandon Jones was having a solid year prior to getting hurt in the nationally televised Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Jones is rehabbing his left ACL injury, and his return is important with his pairing to Jevon Holland. The two safeties are an excellent tandem and a pair of players Fangio could work wonders with.
Back to the Byron Jones injury – it opened a door for rookie Kader Kohou to not only step up but make an impact as one of the league’s top undrafted free agents. It’s Kohou’s emergence that helps in dealing with the potential fallout if the veteran and the team part ways, yet there’s a component to this that is extremely important: re-signing free agent cornerback Nik Needham.
Sharing an undrafted free agent story in his own right, Needham is similar to Kohou in that they were both diamonds-in-the-rough finds for Miami. Many know Needham’s story and path by now, and as many hurdles as the young defensive back has faced getting to being one of the NFL’s top slot corners, 2022 saw another obstacle to tackle.
Needham tore his Achilles in Week 6 against the Vikings, and heading into a free agent year, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for him and of course Miami.
Needham was a restricted free agent at this time last season, and the Dolphins inked him to a one-year deal. Although the Achilles injury is the only issue standing in the way of making this a no-brainer re-sign, Needham is known for his work ethic and for proving naysayers wrong.
Not only is he ahead of schedule, but he’s also now represented by a top-tier agency, Athlete’s First, and he’s been busy working at their facilities in California preparing for the 2023 season. The heavy-hitters will no doubt bring options to the table for Needham, as there was interest in him last season and continued interest heading into this free agency period.
The good news is that Miami has told him that he’s, in fact, in their plans heading into the future. While Needham has said he would love to be a Dolphin, of course, this is the main opportunity he’ll have to cash in on a contract that could be a life set up, financially.
If Needham returns to form, which is a solid bet based on his history and current efforts, Miami would be wise to mix him with Fangio, as the versatile defensive back can be used in a variety of ways. He’s a natural boundary corner, but when asked to assume slot duties, he adapted and excelled. He even was called on for some snaps at safety, and his ability to be used in these ways makes for a potential chess piece and even insurance policy for the new defensive coordinator.
With Needham hopefully back, which, at this point, there’s a very solid chance should Miami simply match any competing potential offer, the core group of him, Howard, Holland, Brandon Jones and Kohou, could be a top-tier unit within a unit. Add in young depth pieces like Trill Williams, also returning from injury, and Verone McKinley III, and Miami could have a deep group.
A handful of teams could make the market competitive for the Dolphins, namely the new home of a former coach in the NFC North, as well as a few teams out west. However, with mutual interest, and the fact that Miami can make good on their initial discovery of Needham and bring things full circle with a multi-year deal, it could be excellent motivation for players entering the team similar to his path.
Re-signing Needham should be a top priority heading into the official start of the 2023 season come March.
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