INDIANAPOLIS — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made the call to retain special teams coordinator Danny Crossman this offseason after another season of struggles in the third phase of the game.
McDaniel, speaking Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine at Indiana Convention Center, called it a “layered” decision, despite acknowledging the Dolphins special teams units have put subpar performances on the field.
“Results are very important, and I think coach Crossman would agree with the statement that the results aren’t where we want them to be,” McDaniel said.
“However, so much of my job is determining the compounding variables and the whys to things, and ultimately, I think that the bottom line is, picturing us moving forward and how to get that phase of the football team to find the improvement necessary for us to take the steps in our game as a team, he was the appropriate guy to lead us to fix the things that haven’t been up to the standard.”
What exactly leads McDaniel to believe this about Crossman, who has held his title in Miami since 2019? McDaniel pointed to his communication skills and players’ response to his coaching.
“Ultimately, how is a coach able to communicate to a player to get him better?” McDaniel said. “Although the results haven’t been there, what I’ve seen is players responding in the appropriate way to things that Danny has to offer.
“Does that mean we’re not taking a hard look at everything with regard to scheme, to players? Absolutely not. Everything’s on the table. What has been established, the communicator, the leader and the guy devoted to getting it right, Danny Crossman, felt like held the most merit to coach this unit moving forward. If players didn’t respond to him, it’d be a different conversation. But we’ll all collectively work together to right something that we know that we can improve upon. That’s very tangible, and I’m excited to do that.”
Miami kickoff coverage allowed a league-worst 30.5 yards per kickoff returned. Punter Jake Bailey was 30th in punting in 2023, with a 45.7 yards-per-punt average, and 24th in net punting average.
That said, kicker Jason Sanders’ 85.7 percent success rate on field goals was his best since 2020, and he made 5 of 7 attempts from beyond 50 yards — after going 2 of 6 on such kicks each of the previous two seasons. Return specialist Braxton Berrios was a bright spot by finishing No. 11 in kickoff returns and 13th in punt returns.
The unit, though allowed a key kickoff return in the Week 17 loss to the Ravens that allowed Baltimore to blow that game open, and the Buffalo Bills’ punt return for a touchdown in the regular-season finale shifted the fourth-quarter momentum their way for a win that settled the AFC East.
It’s the second consecutive offseason McDaniel retains Crossman despite major questions on special teams.
Harbaugh on Weaver
The Dolphins are getting a special coach in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. That according to Weaver’s previous head coach, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens.
“Anthony is just an absolute star,” Harbaugh said Tuesday at the combine. “You see him, I mean, he lights up a room. He fills up the room, too.
“And then the way he reacts, treats people, the way he responds to problems, the way he coaches the guys, the way he presents his understanding of defense generally is really good, I mean, high level. But also, his leadership ability, the way he manages players, he coaches and works with the people. I just think he’s a great leader and he’ll do a great job, whatever he does.”
Weaver was McDaniel’s choice for the vacancy created by former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s departure. Harbaugh had multiple viable candidates to fill his own defensive coordinator void, from Mike Macdonald’s departure to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, but he promoted former inside linebackers coach Zach Orr.
