Just like every NFL team, unless your one of the 4 teams
still playing in the conference games, the Miami Dolphins are shaking things up
on their coaching staff. Adam Gase decided to reassign Clyde Christensen
(Offensive Coordinator,) and part ways with Danny Barrett (Running Backs Coach,)
Terrell Williams (Defensive Line Coach,) and Lou Anarumo (Defensive Backs Coach.)
Gase felt he needed to make changes because those positions needed a fresh
voice to coach up those players at their positions due to not
performing-developing properly.

These changes don’t surprise me much. Think about it the
defensive line has been considered the most talented on the team’s defensive
side of the ball but as a whole, the unit has underachieved. Gase replaced
Williams with Kris Kocurek, who came from the Detroit Lions with a reputation
as a guy getting the most out of his defensive lines. He coached Ndamukong Suh
when he first came into the league and the Lions defensive line has been very
good over the years. So Kocurek should be what the Dolphins need someone to get
the most out of this group. The defensive line should be better period. I’m not
buying into this playing from behind and not having a lead to see what the line
can do. They should dominate from the first snap of the game on.

Anarumo is a holdover from Joe Philbins staff and the
secondary been very consistent. They play well for a few games then have
inconsistent play or bad break downs. Xavien Howard played very well the last
month of the season and Reshad Jones played good coming off a season ending
shoulder injury, but the rest of the group was inconsistent. It didn’t help
that they couldn’t get anything out of Byron Maxwell and they ended up cutting
him. Hopefully a new coach will get this group to play better.

The surprise was letting running back coach Danny Barrett
go, but when you look back it’s not a big surprise. Yes, Kenyan Drake had a
breakout 2nd half of the season after the Dolphins traded Jay Ajayi, but Gase
did call out the Dolphins offense early in the season. He referred the group as
garbage and players not putting in the time. Ajayi being sent that message loud
and clear. Perhaps it was a reflection on Barrett not getting him to put in the
time? I don’t know, but when the best player on offense from a year ago is
traded obviously things went on behind the scenes we don’t know about. It was
clear Ajayi was a problem in the locker room and with Gase so he decides to get
rid of the position coach as well. In comes Eric Studesville from Denver where
he coaches for the past decade and worked closely with Gase. He has a very good
reputation with his work with the Denver running backs during his time so
hopefully the group gets better with his tutelage.

The coaching staff is the first order of business in a long
off season. Next it will come down to roster decisions and that will be the
biggest. Already Jarvis Landry and the Dolphins are posturing on contract talks
so let’s wait and see what happens next with the team.