What could Anthony Weaver’s hiring mean for the Miami Dolphins’ defense in 2024?
The Dolphins ended a 10-day search to replace Vic Fangio on Saturday, hiring Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver to be their next defensive coordinator.
Weaver, 43, who worked as an assistant head coach and defensive line coach in Baltimore for the last three seasons, was ultimately picked out of a host of veteran defensive minds and upstarts. He’s viewed as a fast-rising head coaching candidate, having interviewed for jobs with the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons this cycle. For now, he’ll be Miami’s third defensive coordinator in as many seasons.
His hiring prompts three major questions.
What scheme will Weaver run?
It’s the top mystery surrounding Weaver as he gets ready for his second stint as a defensive coordinator. He led the Houston Texans’ defense in 2020, but a unit devoid of talent outside of J.J. Watt struggled, finishing 27th in points allowed.
Stylistically, Weaver ran an aggressive, base 3-4 defense with high rates of single-high coverage. Houston blitzed on 36 percent of opposing dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which ranked seventh in the NFL.
That aligns with Weaver’s roots as a defensive end; he played the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore, where Rex Ryan, known for his blitz-heavy tendencies, was his defensive line coach and then later his defensive coordinator. Weaver later got his NFL coaching start alongside Ryan in 2012, working as an assistant defensive line coach when Ryan was head coach of the New York Jets.
When Weaver joined the Ravens as a coach in 2021, he spent one year working alongside coordinator Wink Martindale, who also has a reputation for being a coach who loves to blitz. But these past two seasons, Weaver worked with a coach in Mike Macdonald who brought a completely different style to Baltimore.
Macdonald lessened Baltimore’s blitz rate in favor of post-snap movement out of two-high-safety structures and simulated pressures, in which a second- or third-level defender rushes the passer, while a first-level defender drops into coverage. There’s less of a reliance on sending extra pass rushers but the subterfuge before and after the snap causes confusion and forces quarterbacks into bad decisions.
Over the last two seasons, the Ravens have only blitzed on 21.3 percent of opposing dropbacks, which is tied for 21st in the NFL. However, Baltimore ranked eighth with 445 total pressures and third with 108 sacks.
Fangio’s zone-based scheme that used more four-man rushes helped Miami finish in the top 10 in yards allowed for the first time since 2010. What Weaver decides remains to be seen, but one of his biggest gifts might be that’s he not bound to one particular scheme.
Regardless, Weaver’s principles will start with stopping the run.
“We are determined and impassioned to go out there and make teams one-dimensional and be tough and physical at the line of scrimmage,” he told the Ravens’ website in 2021. “Get those guys on the second level swarming and knocking people down, because you want to make the team one-dimensional and know that you’re not going to come here and push us around and try to bully us. We’re the bullies. You better put the ball in the air.”
How will player roles change?
When the Dolphins hired Fangio to replace Josh Boyer, it not only meant a change in scheme, going from heavy rates of blitzing and man coverage to less blitzing and more zone coverage, but it also meant a change in roles.
Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard, two of the best press corners in the NFL, rarely tested receivers at the line of scrimmage in 2023. According to ESPN, Miami had both of its outside corners in press coverage 4 percent of the time, the second-lowest rate in the league (NextGen Stats defines press coverage as a defender lining up within 3 yards of an offensive player at the time of the snap). For comparison, the Ravens, who ran similar rates of zone coverage as the Dolphins, had their outside corners in press coverage 28 percent of the time, which ranked third.
And Ramsey, albeit making his return from a torn meniscus, never played the versatile role he had taken on in previous years. Ramsey only shadowed one receiver — the New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson — and played a career-low 14 snaps in the slot after excelling in that role with the Los Angeles Rams.
If the Dolphins’ defense in 2024 looks like anything like the Ravens’, one of the biggest winners from Weaver’s arrival could be safety Jevon Holland. In his first two seasons, he played everywhere, logging snaps at safety but also blitzing effectively. Injuries limited Holland to 12 games but his do-it-all responsibilities diminished under Fangio. Holland had just six pass rush snaps after logging 97 in his first two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
In 2023, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton blossomed into a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro selection as Baltimore’s coaching staff allowed him to roam the field, from free safety to slot corner to linebacker. Holland is a similar player who has the talent to take on much more.
While Fangio had success with Miami’s defense, he didn’t always play to the strengths of his players, and maximizing skill sets will be key for Weaver.
Could Weaver bring any of his former players with him?
The Ravens have two breakout stars who are set to become unrestricted free agents: defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and inside linebacker Patrick Queen. Both were Pro Bowlers and All-Pro selections. Weaver worked closely with Madubuike, whose 13 sacks are a career-high and led all defensive tackles. Madubuike, though, is expected to be Baltimore’s top priority this offseason. The Dolphins, who are already projected to be $50 million over the cap, have to take care of their standout defensive tackle, Christian Wilkins. Queen, who could fetch offers close to $20 million per year, also seems like a long shot, especially with Jerome Baker and David Long Jr. as effective players on cheaper contracts.
Two players who won’t get as much buzz but could fill holes for the Dolphins are edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and safety Geno Stone.
Weaver first coached Clowney in Houston and Clowney cited Weaver’s presence as a big reason he came to Baltimore. Clowney, 30, had one of his best seasons, tying a career-high with 9.5 sacks. With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips rehabbing from significant lower-body injuries and Andrew Van Ginkel becoming a free agent again, Miami needs to restock its depth at outside linebacker. Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Ravens last August.
Stone is due for a sizable payday after recording seven interceptions, which ranked second in the NFL. He likely won’t command top dollar at the safety position but he’s an instinctual player who at 24 is still growing. Spotrac estimates his market value will be a three-year deal worth $21.6 million. Both DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones are unrestricted free agents, so Miami might need a running mate for Holland in 2024.
This story was originally published February 4, 2024 at 10:29 AM.
