Some Dolphins players are reportedly unhappy about new head coach Mike McDaniel keeping defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on his staff.
“I can tell you this as a fact. Players on defense are not very pleased with Josh Boyer being named defensive coordinator,” the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Omar Kelly said Wednesday on his YouTube show, “X’s & Omar.”
“We will see what happens here because they know that Boyer’s scheme, concepts, approach did not lead to success last year,” Kelly added.
The Dolphins hired Boyer in 2019 to join Brian Flores’ staff as a defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach. He has been the defensive coordinator since 2020. Before that, Boyer spent 12 years with the Patriots as a defensive assistant, defensive backs coach and cornerbacks coach.
McDaniel met with Boyer last week and announced his return to Miami that Friday.
“You learn that when something’s not broke [you don’t fix it],” McDaniel told ESPN. “There’s also relationships with players that come into it, there’s the scheme itself, and then there’s the human relationships. There’s a good amount of time that I spent with Josh before I made that decision. All of those things contribute and then relying on the people that hired me that were in the building with him.
“This is not something that you just all of a sudden say, ‘Just keep him, I don’t feel like looking into stuff.’ It’s a calculated decision that’s very informed — and I think the proof is in the pudding. That’s a top-10 defense last year that I would not want to play against. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
According to Yahoo Sports, Kelly repeated something he has said prior — that former head coach Brian Flores would call plays when Miami’s defense stepped up during the second half of last season.
Miami fired Flores in January after three seasons. Earlier this month, Flores filed a 58-page class-action lawsuit against the NFL and its 32 teams alleging discrimination in the hiring process.
As the first-year NFL coach continues to assemble his staff, what McDaniel has made clear is his plan to call plays.
In that process, he’ll work with new offensive coordinator Frank Smith and wide receivers coach Wes Welker. Eric Studesville will return as the running backs coach and associate head coach, according to ESPN. He was the running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator last season.