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David Long Jr., Dolphins’ new ‘run-and-hit’ inside linebacker, should play key role in defensive revival

David Furones, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·5 min read

MIAMI GARDENS — Ask anyone from the Miami Dolphins about new inside linebacker David Long Jr. and they’ll probably going to mention two things.

Long can run, and he can hit.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio: “David can run. He’s a run-and-hit guy and can make good, flashy plays.”

Linebackers coach Anthony Campanile: “One of the things in just evaluating David and watching him over the years, you see he’s a run-and-hit guy. He’s a physical guy.”

Fellow inside linebacker Jerome Baker — yep, you guessed it: “He can run. He can hit.”

That’s a pretty good starting point for any NFL linebacker, and the physicality is something that’s especially valuable considering Long is only 5 foot 11, 227 pounds. The speed, based on those measurables, one probably could’ve imagined.

Those two areas of Long’s game were on display on his highlight of a tackle for loss in last Saturday’s 28-3 preseason win over the Houston Texans. Long saw running back Dameon Pierce coming his way off tackle. He knew he had a finite amount of time to shoot through the gap before Houston right tackle George Fant came off his combo block on defensive tackle Zach Sieler. He did, and slammed Pierce down for a 3-yard loss.

“It feels good,” Long said of the play in his Dolphins preseason debut after signing on in March after four years with the Tennessee Titans. “I haven’t played since last year, so I was excited to get back out there. I was just trying to, that whole drive, make a play. My big thing is making a play behind the line of scrimmage.”

Two plays later, Long was in on another first-down run stop against Pierce for a gain of 2. He also, among his 12 defensive snaps Saturday at NRG Stadium, had at least two other plays in run defense where he filled one gap to force a tailback in another direction where not much was doing.

Those are the type of plays the Dolphins expect to get out of Long this season as what now turns into Miami’s top personnel addition to the defense following star cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s surgery on the meniscus in his left knee.

As most describe Long as a run-and-hit linebacker, his first thoughts on what he’s shown so far in his first training camp with the Dolphins fall right in line with that.

“Off the bat, just the instinctive player I am,” Long said. “Now, I’m just trying to get a feel for the whole defense around me. I think, coming to the end of training camp, we’re kind of growing into an actual team.”

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The tackle for loss in the first quarter against the Texans was a prime example of those instincts, along with his familiarity with an AFC South foe from his time with the Titans.

“It was just knowing, pre-snap — I’ve been playing the game a lot — just reading the tight end and the tackle, just knowing what’s coming,” he said. “Houston, (Pierce), that’s a strong back. I’m pretty familiar with him, and just being familiar with the scheme.”

Added Campanile on the stout defensive stand: “That’s a good example of his explosiveness and making a full-speed decision, and if he gets space, he can do some really, really good things in the run game. He’s just trying to improve in every facet of it.”

While Fangio likes the flash plays, the always-honest defensive coordinator who turned 65 Tuesday also indicated he has seen moments where the execution falters.

“We just have to become more consistent in executing everything,” said Fangio, who liked Long enough in this offseason to make sure the Dolphins agreed to terms with him the first day free agency opened.

What does Long need to do to show some consistency?

“I could say a number of things, but me just taking the coaching from the field, and then just applying it in the film and just going back and looking over the smaller things that can help me be a better player,” Long said.

Baker feels Long complements him well as a similar linebacker in the middle of Fangio’s defense.

“He shoots gaps. He’s smart,” Baker said. “We work well together as far as like, ‘You got this’ or ‘I got this.’ We really work well together, and he’s very similar to me. He can run. He can hit.

“Off the field, we got similar personalities. We’re laid back. We do what we got to do. We crack jokes, but he’s definitely fun to work with.”

Long is also trying to shed a label of being injury prone after missing time each of the past two seasons due to hamstring injuries.

Tuesday, he was seen wearing a band around his upper right leg, but he said it’s nothing to worry about.

“Yeah, I got used to it. I just feel comfortable with it,” he said.” Anytime I stand there, I take it off and do a little something instead of getting cold. People are thinking I’m injured when — I feel sometimes people feel like if you have a band on you — but I’m just comfortable like that.”

He said it’s more preventative than anything and allows for work in between reps.

Despite missing five games last season, Long set a career high with 86 tackles and seven for loss. Each of the past two seasons, he has intercepted two passes, showing he can also perform in pass coverage (he has 11 pass breakups over the past two seasons).