Why Vic Fangio hire could end up being M

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When you think of Mike McDaniel's debut as head coach, you don't nece sarily think defense. Miami's 2022 campaign was all about what happened on McDaniel's preferred side of the ball: Quarterback made a noticeable leap as the starter (before a polarizing string of concu sions sidelined him indefinitely), wide receivers and dominated as the speediest duo in the game and the team's explosive aerial attack offset one of the shakiest defenses in the league -- a unit that Javy Guerra Jersey  ranked in the bottom half for points and pa sing yards allowed, and second-worst in total takeaways.In today's NFL, the offense does take precedence. And it's arguable Miami's biggest, most underrated need going into the 2023 offseason remained under center. As promising as Tagovailoa looked out of the gate in his first year under McDaniel, the former first-round pick remains unproven as an off-script pa ser. More concerningly,  Howie Kendrick Jersey he hasn't played a full, healthy season of football since 2018, his sophomore year of college.With , a potential quick-fix target,  after retiring "," the Dolphins have little choice but to follow through with their public commitment to Tagovailoa, who just this week cleared concu sion protocol, more than a month after suffering his latest head injury.  Joaquin Benoit Jersey Save for a blockbuster acquisition of the ' , there just aren't other clear, justifiable alternatives on the veteran market. That doesn't mean McDaniel shouldn't still prioritize better insurance at the position; future free agent and ex-49ers starter comes to mind.But it does mean, with Tua on track to return and both Hill and Waddle in tow as his elite targets, the Dolphins may have already made their biggest acquisition of the offseason: Vic Fangio.  The former head coach, who's consulted the NFC champion this year, decided Thursday to  after speaking with other interested teams. From a leadership standpoint, his arrival Anibal Sanchez Jersey  should only help McDaniel, offering a well-worn lens of the NFL. We've seen plenty of other first-time coaches succe sfully lean on former head coaches as coordinators; two recent examples include Doug Pederson, who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl with Jim Schwartz as his DC; and Sean McVay, who helped build the Rams into a contender with Wade Phillips at DC.More than that, Fangio brings not only name Aaron Barrett Jersey  recognition but a long, proven resume of results as an actual defensive coach. In more than 20 years as both a coordinator and head coach, he's overseen eight different top-10 scoring defenses, nine different top-10 overall defensive finishes (yards per game), and seven different top-10 takeaway ranks. Those ranks  Brian Goodwin Jersey were achieved with four different teams -- the (1995-1998), (2011-2014), (2015-2018) and Broncos (2019-2021) -- and vastly different rosters.If anyone can elevate the Dolphins "D," it figures to be Fangio. It helps that Miami wasn't nece sarily lacking in talent as much as a shepherd of said talent. The top edge rushers are , who's just 23 with 15.5 sacks and 41 quarterback hits in two years, and , an old Fangio pupil who's just 26 with an All-Pro ceiling. The interior is anchored by , 27, one of the NFL's steadiest and most durable. And the secondary, damaged by injuries in 2022, boasts a proven cover man in as well as a sterling young safety Tanner Roark Jersey  duo in and .  Even without an abundance of money for splash upgrades, that's a lineup that should make an instant leap with better oversight; three years ago, previous coordinator Josh Boyer had the unit sitting No. 6 overall in terms of points allowed. Why is that especially important in 2023? Because the offense, for better or worse, is what it is: McDaniel is poised to effectively run it back with the  Blank Jersey same starters at premium positions, in his trademark timing-based system. Even with all the QB mayhem in 2022, that was largely enough to get the Dolphins to 9-8 and in the playoffs. Pair it all with a Fangio-led "D," however, and maybe you can start talking yourself into something more.