Anthony Weaver has a lot to say in his Dolphins introduction, including a certain "chess piece"

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was grinning like a Cheshire cat when his newest puzzle piece took to the lectern Thursday as the Dolphins rolled out the newest member of their coaching staff.

Dressed in his traditional grey cotton sweatsuit, McDaniel took care of business with the introduction and allowed new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to steal the spotlight.

It is important to note that McDaniel was the quality control assistant in Houston during the one season that Weaver spent with the Texans as a player in 2006. The two also coached together in Cleveland in 2014. McDaniel has always been a fan of Weaver's and this appears to be a marriage made in the Heavens above.

""The process was real cool for me because it started with the person who could have the biggest impact on our team as a person," McDaniel stated in his opening comments. "Then, throughout the process, we got down to the nitty-gritty of the football schematics and continue to build upon what we've done.""

- Mike McDaniel, Dolphins head coach

Weaver took his time and discussed his playmakers and how to make the 2023 defensive unit better.

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"There's multiple guys on every level of the defense to get excited about. (Zach) Seiler, (Jaelan) Phillips, (Bradley) Chubb (Christian) Wilkins, (David) Long at linebacker," Weaver said. "(Jevon) Holland is an absolute beast and play maker. Jalen Ramsey. At every level there's someone to get excited about, and I probably forget some.""

- Anthony Weaver, new Dolphins DC

Weaver discussed his scheme and in particular, how the unit will operate in 2024.

""The scheme we used in Baltimore is extremely multiple and flexible and the foundation of what we're going to do here will be that. The beauty is that the things they've done here and had a lot of success with is similar to that, so there will be a lot of crossover.""

- Anthony Weaver, new Dolphins DC

Weaver said that he credits Romeo Crennel as having the biggest influence on his career. He said that Crennel was very detailed in terms of techniques and fundamentals. He also said that Crennel was very calm off the field. He said that Crennel was the same guy, day in and day out. He also gave credit to Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and said that is who he models his career after.

Where Vic Fangio would blitz the corner and others early and often, Weaver said that he is a bit more cautious and that he would be more calculated and not as reckless. He said that he has been around coaches who blitz all the time and coaches who do not blitz very often. He said that blitzing is based on time, nature, and situation.

McDaniel and Weaver share the same philosophy when it comes to the fact that the game is not about the coaches, it is about the players.

"As an ex-player I know how finite this career is. Because of that, I take my responsibility as a leader and as the defensive coordinator extremely important. I don't want to waste anybody's finite time in this league. Because of that we want to be great in all we do.""

- Anthony Weaver, new Dolphins DC

One player that Weaver addressed was Ramsey, who he called the "ultimate chess piece." He wants to move him around the secondary despite the fact that Fangio always kept Ramsey on the same side.

"To have him sit outside and be your field corner or boundary corner is a detriment to him. We have to move him around to have him be most impactful and we're committed to that.""

- Anthony Weaver, new Dolphins DC

Weaver said that he would call plays from the sideline, whereas Fangio was always in the booth, away from the players. Weaver further stated that he did not think that you "can have the same effect from up in the booth."

Weaver said that he needs to feel right, he wants to know what is going on in the game with each player. He wants to be a positive influence on how players react to different in game situations.

Being a young coach, Weaver also said that he would rely on analytical data in his decision making.

""I think you're a fool not to listen to the analytical data. If you're not using it you're behind, and certainly want to stay ahead of the trends.""

- Anthony Weaver, new Dolphins DC

Weaver also said that Ryan Slowik will remain on the staff and work with the secondary. His title has yet to be determined.