CBS4'S Steve Goldstein: Dolphins move forward into NFL off-season
MIAMI GARDENS - With the Kansas City Chiefs thrilling Super Bowl win, the 2022 NFL season is over and the always busy offseason officially begins.
The Miami Dolphins have already been busy as Mike McDaniel tweaks his offensive coaching staff and overhauls the defense. There's also Pro Football Hall of Fame news.
Zach Gets His Due
Linebacker Zach Thomas is finally a Hall of Famer. The former Dolphin waited longer than he should have but that will make his enshrinement that much sweeter. Zach was a football junkie as a player, always studying film and practicing as hard as he played. He was undersized but played middle linebacker like his life depended on every play.
Coach Jimmy Johnson took an instant liking to him, cutting veteran Jack Del Rio early in training camp to give the rookie out of Texas Tech the starting job. Zach never disappointed from then on out. He will be the third Dolphins' defensive player in Canton, joining Jason Taylor and Nick Buoniconti this summer.
Offensive Line Shake-Up
In a somewhat surprising move, Matt Applebaum is out after one season as offensive line coach. Butch Barry takes over in a return to South Florida. He coached at the University of Miami and rejoins McDaniel. The two were together recently in San Francisco.
A Whole New Ballgame
Veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will take over the defense with much fanfare. He's been coaching pro football since the mid 1980's in the USFL, has head coaching experience, and will revamp the way the unit plays. Fangio will also bring in several new position coaches. McDaniel respects and trusts Fangio, with good reason. He has engineered some of the league's better defenses over the years.
'23 In Focus
The Dolphins will play both Philadelphia and Super Bowl champion Kansas City this upcoming season.
