Dolphins' Jevon Holland gets real about his thoughts on the team's DC change.
The Miami Dolphins had a fantastic offense back in the 2023 NFL season, as they averaged nearly 28 points per game and were inside the league's top three in both scoring offense and total offense. However, their defense was a different story, which was a surprise given their notable defensive players in the fold plus the fact that Miami's stop unit was under the watch of Vic Fangio.
The Dolphins' substandard defense in 2023 led to the decision of Miami and Fangio to part ways back in January. With Fangio gone, the Dolphins elected to bring in former Baltimore Ravens coach Anthony Weaver, who appears to be already making a positive impression in Miami. In fact, Dolphins safety Jevon Holland shared some flattering remarks about Weaver, but he also seemed to have taken a shot at Fangio.
Jevon Holland sounds off on Dolphins' defensive coordinator change
“A complete 180, actually,” Holland shared about his thoughts on the Dolphins' defense going from Fangio to Weaver (via Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network). “Weave is super dope man, like as a person, as an ex-player, as a coach. You can just feel he understands where we’re coming from, wants to hear us and our input on the defense and then is able to put that into how the defense is called and how the defense is taught,” Holland added.
Moreover, Holland implied that much of the difference between Fangio and Weaver comes down to the latter just being “a good person.” Weaver doesn't have the experience yet that Fangio has as head coach, but as a former player in the NFL, it seems that he relates better to the players, something that is already helping him connect with Holland and company. Weaver suited up for the Ravens from 2oo2 to 2005 and for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2008 before taking the coaching path. As for Fangio, he is still around the league, now serving as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator.
Holland can hope that the switch to Weaver would translate to better play for him and the Dolphins on the field. An improvement should help boost the stock of Weaver, who only has a year left on his current deal. His contract with expire at the end of the 2024 NFL season, so there's pressure on him to deliver another quality season.
Despite the poor numbers of the Dolphins defensively in 2023, Holland managed to net an impressive 90.4 overall rating that season from Pro Football Focus. He appeared in 12 games in 2023 and had an interception, four passes defended, three forced fumbles, and 74 combined tackles.
A former second-round pick (36th overall) by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft, Holland is hoping to secure a new contract, though, he also said that his main focus is on helping Miami on the field. “I mean, it'd be great to get it done,” Jevon Holland said during the first day of the NFL OTAs on Tuesday (h/t Alain Poupart of All Dolphins).
“I mean, it's on my mind like, obviously, it's my career, so I'm thinking about the brea, but, I mean, it's gonna come when it's gonna come. I'm still getting paid, still on payroll and whatnot, still employed, so I'm just keep going, playing ball whatnot, and then let the chips fall where they may.”
