The Dolphins have just recently hired a new defensive line coach to take over for Kacy Rodgers who became the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets. Terrell Williams has been the defensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders since 2012, and will now be asked to help the Dolphins once again become a top unit at stopping the run.
Even though the Raiders have been awful, Williams has done a decent job with the defensive line. Oakland ranked eighth in the league in yards allowed per rush (4.0), however they did also produce the second-fewest sacks in the league with 22. Miami will probably be losing Odrick to free agency and Starks will most likely be a cap causality, so the main starters coming back will be Wake, Vernon and Mitchell. That is a solid foundation for Williams to start with, but the organization is going to have to help him out by adding some other talented players to the defensive front.
One thing that will be interesting, is to see if Williams can do anything with Dion Jordan. Jordan is entering his third season with the team and he at times has flashed potential but also has missed time due to injuries and suspension . If you ask the gentlemen working at the local sportsbook they will say that Williams’ influence on Jordan will probably be minimal. The wiser thing to do in regards to Jordan would be to use him as a linebacker, since our line-backing crew is worse off then our D-line.
Kacy Rodgers was a decent line coach, and he was very respected by the players, so Williams is going to have his job cut out for him in Miami. However, after Miami’s late season run defense collapse, Williams can provide a lot of upside to our defensive line unit. Now that Miami has hired their new defensive line coach, the smart thing would be to now look to sign a big man to stick in the defensive tackle position to help his job start off in a more positive direction.