Miami Dolphins Fangio will pester Chris Grier if he has to

The Miami Dolphins are in free agency mode with it starting around the corner in March and Vic Fangio is not afraid to speak his mind.

Vic Fangio wants Chris Grier to know that if there is a player that he “feels strongly about” he will be “in and out of Chris Grier’s office pestering him pretty strongly.”

Fangio was asked about his input into bringing “certain players” onto the roster, considering all the players he has relationships with that might fit.

This is something the Dolphins fans want to know as well. With many of the defensive players hitting free agency this year and many others facing FA possibilities next season, Fangio could change much of the roster in a single off-season.

Last year the Dolphins really took an offensive approach to the off-season with Bradley Chubb the big addition on defense. However, he was a trade deadline deal and the only “free agent” Miami added of any significance was Melvin Gordon.

The Dolphins don’t have much need offensively. They are stacked at WR, they have their QB, need to add running backs, and could use a guard or right tackle but the defense is going to be different and as such, the players will as well.

Fangio does have a long history in the NFL and there are players he knows well that could want to follow him or that he knows will fit into the scheme because they already know it. Last season, Chris Grier and company took a similar approach by keeping almost the entire defensive roster to allow continuity with Josh Boyer being retained as the DC.

This off-season may not be as bold given the Dolphins’ salary cap situation but clearly, Vic Fangio will have a lot to say about who is on the roster and it is pretty safe to say that Mike McDaniel will take a hands-off approach. It hasn’t been said but Fangio’s statement that he would pester Grier implies that his head coach will be perfectly fine with whatever he wants to do. After all, McDaniel wanted Fangio last year and he got his wish this year.