These Dolphins apparently aren’t shedding any tears about Vic Fangio leaving.
In the wake of Wednesday’s stunning news that Fangio would not be returning as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator after one season — despite having two years left on his contract — safety Jevon Holland, cornerback Cam Smith and former Dolphins safety Trill Williams all celebrated the move on social media.
Holland, a third-year player, posted a video on his Instagram Story that featured him kicking rocks into the street.
That clip needs little explanation.
Holland’s father, Robert, then addressed the matter more directly.
“Everybody loves the IPhone but nobody wants the IPhone #1. #Upgrade,” Robert tweeted.
Smith, a second-round rookie, tweeted an unlocked lock after the news broke.
Williams, who was claimed off waivers by the Dolphins in May 2021 and released before the start of the season in August 2023, then quote-tweeted Smith’s post with a GIF that seemingly indicated he approved of the Dolphins going in a new direction.
These reactions essentially indicate it wasn’t all sunshine and beaches for the Dolphins’ defense this season.
Fangio is known as one of the best defensive minds in football, but it appears his methods rubbed some of Miami’s players — especially in the secondary — the wrong way.
“There were quite a few players on the team that didn’t necessarily get along with Fangio,” NFL super agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents several Dolphins players, told Miami-based sportscaster Josh Moser. “It wasn’t a great relationship with many of the players. There were some guys that loved him, but there was quite a few that didn’t. It definitely wasn’t a unanimous positive relationship.”
Smith was allegedly one of those players, with Pro Football Network reporting the 23-year-old landed in Fangio’s “doghouse” and then barely played, despite injuries plaguing the team.
The Dolphins ranked 22nd in scoring defense under Fangio by allowing 23 points per game, but they ranked 10th in yards allowed per game with 318.3 yards.
“Our sense is that he, at times, didn’t relate to some of his players,” Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network wrote. “He certainly made some coaching decisions that ruffled feathers.”
Fangio is now set to land with the Eagles as their next defensive coordinator, according to ESPN.
With Fangio departing South Florida, the Dolphins could potentially be in the mix for former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who parted ways with the team earlier this month after two seasons.
“When we assessed the season, it became apparent that this was the best path forward for all parties involved,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday in a statement. “Now, we turn our focus to 2024 and beyond with urgency as we identify the best candidate to lead our defensive moving forward.
“We remain steadfastly committed to the development of our players and to building a winning team with sustained success.”
The Dolphins reached the wild-card round of the playoffs before losing to the Chiefs, 26-7.
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Matt Ehalt
