Anthony Weaver Is All About Player Empowerment
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has been slowly implementing his scheme throughout the early stages of the offseason program. It’s a scheme that is designed to maximize his best player’s strengths. So far, the vibes have been immaculate for this new-look Miami Dolphins defense.
Granted, it’s early June and every team is feeling pretty good right now. If players weren’t responding well to coaching this time of year then it would be a huge red flag. Even though the vibes are good for every team in the league, that doesn’t mean you should ignore the culture change that’s taken place ever since Weaver has taken over as defensive coordinator.
After listening to Weaver’s most recent press conference, it became crystal clear that he is a “player’s coach.” Not in the sense that guys will run amok doing whatever they feel like. Instead, Weaver is the sort of coach who cares deeply about his players, and will go out of his way to invest in them both on and off the field. He’s reminiscent of the Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell, whose passion for coaching is so evident to the point where guys would run through a brick wall for him.
Weaver is placing an emphasis on player empowerment. To do that, Weaver has been listening to veteran players like Jalen Ramsey and allowing the leaders of the locker room to provide input, which he uses to further improve the defensive scheme. That communication builds trust with players and makes them feel valued. Ramsey spoke highly of Weaver in a post-minicamp availability. “I think he’s a good hire. I think he’ll put guys in positions to do really good things and show their whole skill sets.” Ramsey said. “And that’s fun, it makes the game fun.”
Another way Weaver empowers his players is by investing in guys with high draft pedigree who had rocky starts to their careers. The Dolphins signed former Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks and former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore this offseason. Brooks was drafted 27th overall in the 2020 draft, and Gallimore was once considered to be one of the top defensive tackle prospects in a draft class that featured Justin Madubuike and Derrick Brown. Gallimore hasn’t translated that to the NFL, but it wasn’t a coincidence that he was mentioned in the same breath as those players.
The investment Weaver is putting into his players is already starting to pay off. Brooks made a concerted effort to show up and be a leader at OTAs despite being a newcomer to this Dolphins team. “He’s been a great leader for us so far,” Brooks said of Weaver to reporters during OTAs. “Very smart, high football IQ as you would expect. I’m excited to play for him”
As for Gallimore, he figures to be part of a Dolphins defensive line rotation that includes Zach Sieler, Da’shawn Hand, Teair Tart, Jonathan Harris, and Benito Jones. The defensive line room is a bit of a full house, but that’s how Anthony Weaver likes it. Weaver stressed the importance of utilizing defensive line rotations featuring guys who have varying skill sets.
“I think you need to have the right balance of guys who I like to call grinders.” Weaver said. “Guys who are going to go in there and change the math in the middle, whether that’s with mass or elite technique. And then you need your guys who are kind of in between, that are tweeners. Guys who can both do that, yet are athletic enough and have the skill set to win in pass rush, whether that’s with power or finesse. So you’re always looking for the right balance and combination of that and making sure you have enough of each.”
Anthony Weaver is a defensive line coach by trade, so having someone with that background should prove to be beneficial for Gallimore. It’s also worth pointing out that Gallimore spent his rookie season on a historically bad Cowboys defense led by coordinator Mike Nolan his rookie year. Nolan was fired following Gallimore’s rookie year, and he was replaced by Dan Quinn, who was the man responsible for the infamous 28-3 choke job in the Super Bowl. Needless to say, Gallimore has yet to play for an above-average defensive coach, nor has he had much continuity early in his career.
As for the Dolphins, they’re coming off a season where Vic Fangio was brought in to implement his signature zone-heavy scheme, which didn’t work all too well with the Dolphins personnel on defense. Jalen Rasmey openly criticized Fangio for his old-school mentality and his unwillingness to listen to his players’ input and mold his defensive scheme to their strengths. It was essentially Vic’s way, or the highway.
Now, it appears the Dolphins have found a defensive coordinator in Weaver whose main priority is doing whatever he can to empower his players. It’s clearly refreshing for the players, and a great sign for a defense that aims to establish a brand new identity in 2024.
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