Baltimore's Anthony Weaver emerges as possible top choice for Miami Dolphins DC role

According to reports out of KPRC Houston, by Texans beat writer, Aaron Wilson, Anthony Weaver is expected to be hired, as soon as this weekend, as the next defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. Weaver, not a splashy hire, played in the NFL for seven seasons and served as defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans, and most recently was the assistant head coach to John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens.

Weaver, who was also the defensive line coach in Baltimore, inherits a fractured defensive line where two of the best players, edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb both ended their seasons with disastrous injuries. Their next best players, Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel are unrestricted free agents and could possibly find more money elsewhere as the Dolphins are having significant salary cap issues.

Miami is in this position due to the sudden mutual parting of ways with veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who left Miami kicking and screaming and departed for the same job with the Philadelphia Eagles so he could be close to the Pennsylvania home of his ailing relative.

The 43-year old former second-round pick out of Notre Dame, played for the Ravens and Harbaugh from 2002 through 2005 and then entered the coaching ranks in 2008 when he finished his playing days in Houston. Weaver has had stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and the Texans, where he was the defensive coordinator during the 2020 season, before coming full circle with Harbaugh and the Ravens.

"“He’ll be a great head coach. He didn’t get hired this cycle and great coaches got hired, but some day some people are going to look back and say, man we had a chance to hire Anthony Weaver, I guarantee you that. They’re going to see they missed their chance. The next time around somebody’s not going to miss their chance.”"

- John Harbaugh, Ravens head coach

Weaver will have to address the problem that Miami had in getting off the field on third and fourth downs. They were 20th in the league in third-down efficiency and also had the 26th ranked red-zone defense. The bend, but not break defense, is, in fact, broken.

The Ravens destroyed the Dolphins during the regular season and took advantage of Miami's patch work offensive line and brought the house early and often. Baltimore's defense ranked at the top of the list of almost every statistical category, including yards per play, fewest yards per pass attempt and points per game allowed. This is the type of defense that head coach Mike McDaniel would like to see out of his Dolphins.