How the Dolphins defense is shaping up to do ‘special things’ — and improve the offense

As the Dolphins conducted team drills during the first of three mandatory minicamp practices Tuesday, cornerback Jalen Ramsey watched from the sidelines.

He, along with many other veterans, has been limited during offseason sessions as the team gradually progresses to the start of the 2023 season this fall.

There’s familiarity for Ramsey as he served as a spectator and offered advice to his new teammates. In the previous three-and-half years, he played for the Los Angles Rams, who ran an iteration of the defense Miami is installing. But with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Ramsey is learning under the godfather of the two-high-safety and zone coverage schemes that have been picked up across the NFL.

“It’s just a little bit of different terminology but the same type of stuff,” Ramsey said after Tuesday’s practice. “And there are different ways to play this defense. So, Vic has his own way of putting his own flavor in it, and I guess kind of catering it to certain people who will stand out in the defense and who can stand out in any defense, really.”

As the Dolphins’ offseason workout program comes to an end this week, Miami is still in the early stages of putting together its new-look defense. But the strides the unit has made have left Ramsey optimistic, and he doubled down on his prospects for himself and fellow corner Xavien Howard.

“We can do some special things,” Ramsey said. “We can be elite [if] we put it all together and the time is right, it will happen how it needs to happen.”

Howard and Ramsey were among the expected defensive starters who were limited or did not participate at all in team drills. It’s part of a calculated effort with them and the team’s training staff to ease in accomplished veterans with wear and tear on their bodies. Defensive backs Brandon Jones and Nik Needham have been present at practice but have yet to progress to intrasquad work as they continue to recover from season-ending leg injuries. Cornerback Trill Williams returned to the practice field for the first time since tearing his ACL last preseason but was also held out of team drills.

When all are healthy and ready to practice fully, they will return to a secondary stocked with talent after a litany of injuries in 2022. The group is headlined by Ramsey and Howard but also includes safety Jevon Holland, and cornerbacks Kader Kohou and rookie Cam Smith.

The arrival of Fangio is expected to come with higher rates of zone coverage, a switch-up that Howard is looking forward to.

“It’s a little bit more eyes on the quarterback, it isn’t just man 24/8,” Howard said. “It gives us a little time on the outside to get a little rest and stuff like that.”

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Fangio’s scheme has already improved the offense.

“The technique with which they perform their assignments, really takes advantage of poor technique offensively,” he said. “Meaning that the way they pattern match and the way they really play with vision; as a receiver, it’s the best training you could get. As a tight end, it’s the best training you can get. All these route runners are getting this elite training because they’re getting made pay when their technique is off. ...

“I think the rewards you reap when [the defense is] sound are huge, because it really puts pressure on offenses to execute with the entirety and not one or two people.”

But for all the talent the Dolphins possess, it’s the unit’s ability to be anything that stands out to Ramsey. Take his skill set, for example. As a Jacksonville Jaguar, he lined up primarily on the outside as one of the best lockdown corners in the NFL. In Los Angeles, he expanded his responsibilities to a “Star” role, playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

“Not only myself but there are a handful of guys who can do that in this defense,” he said. “And that’s a big positive. Just getting everybody to learn the system in its entirety is really good.”

And though Fangio has a reputation for leading zone-heavy defenses, part of catering his scheme to his players could be leaning on their proficiency in man coverage.

“Y’all looking on the outside, y’all may think that it’s zone but it’s not,” Ramsey said. “It’s a very complex defense, and it’s a lot less zone than you think. Especially under coach Vic, it’s a lot less zone. Which is great, because you have guys who can play a lot of man. But you also have guys who can play the zone schemes and stuff like that.

“It excites me just in general, having these guys on the team. This is the best defense I’ve played in. Like I said, I have played in it for the past three years anyway, so I’m excited for that. But Vic is kind of like one of the guys who innovated the defense, so it’s exciting to have him as the coach and see how he views it and see how we calls things and see what he leans toward as far as the schemes and coverages and stuff like that.”