Fangio Out: Nothing-burger or Bad News!

Fangio is out… that was quick!

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is out of the Miami Dolphins organization as we all know by now. Some didn’t the like the job he did, some loved it, most thought it was pretty good. Entering Year 3 of the McDaniel regime we will have our third defensive coordinator and third defensive scheme. Last I checked that isn’t the model of stability and a winning environment. So, is it no big deal or is this a real issue heading into the 2024 Season?

The media said Fangio was a big signing

Most of the media told fans Fangio was a huge signing and brilliant football mind. But, on the way out we hear the Dolphins are better off without him. What the major bullet points for his departure:

1. Dave Hyde report Fangio lost contact with Chis Grier at the tail end of the season as far as personnel decisions and new players were showing up at practice as surprises for Fangio.
2. Mike McDaniel said Fangio’s future was up in the air.
3. Fangio and the Dolphins mutually parted ways and now Fangio will coach the Eagles defense in 2024.
4. Some players came out and were happy over his departure, most notably Jalen Ramsey.

Now the focus by most of the media is Fangio was a grouch, he never wanted to be here, and always wanted to be someplace else. So, even if this is all true, which I don’t think it is, why hire him? How could McDaniel and Chris Grier not read the tea leaves right and hire him? It was a complicated system and it was going to take a season or two to install. The Dolphins have a three year window with 2024 being the end of that window, so where’s the wisdom in signing him?

That doesn’t seem to be a relevant question or why would Grier not consult Fangio or that Grier going about personnel this way is a huge breech of protocol and an obvious slight, if true. Sure sounds a lot like Chan Gailey not being consulted on the start of Tua in 2021 and being told rather than consulted.

Now the Dolphins get to go fish again for DC. I get the feeling that it’s a great bet with the best football software that whoever Miami hires will be wayyyy better than Fangio, at least according to most of the media. That’s a real comfort, isn’t it?

Fangio leaving is no big deal from what we are being told

There was a time when this would have been considered dysfunctional by the media. Now though it’s ‘no biggie’. In a way they are right, this whole thing is very, very Miami Dolphins.

I liked Fangio a ton, and his unit performed in the crunch, wounded, in the Dolphins peak talent season. They showed toughness physically and mentally. But, it’s no big deal I guess. Player wanted him nicer and didn’t like his scheme… despite half the league using some iteration of it, I guess they know better. Kinda’ weird considering the pass defense jumped from 28th in 2022 to 15th in 2023 with Ramsey playing only half the season and Holland out for extended periods of time and the unit breaking the Dolphins season sack record.

At least the player are happy now.

The offense was happy with McDaniel and they performed well down the stretch… sorta’, well maybe not… but at least they were happy. Isn’t that what really counts!

Go Phins!!!