Defensive coaches Vic Fangio, Sam Madison talk Dolphins CB plan after Jalen Ramsey injury
MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins need cornerbacks to emerge as they get deeper into training camp and more than a week removed from learning star offseason acquisition Jalen Ramsey will not be available until deep into the regular season.
But the loss of Ramsey to meniscus surgery in his left knee following his second training-camp practice with the Dolphins doesn’t necessarily flip new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s entire scheme around.
“It doesn’t make you go back to the drawing board and tweak the system at all,” Fangio said Friday. “You have to compensate, but when you have a versatile system, you don’t have to go back to the drawing board. We’ve got to find players to step up and play good in his absence and go from there.”
The good thing for the Dolphins secondary is they were probably already looking for different cornerbacks to slide into various roles since Ramsey was expected to move around in the “star” position and not just play boundary cornerback exclusively. Now, the defense will have to make due without that elite, versatile defensive back that has six Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl to his credit.
“It hurt, but the show must go on,” said Dolphins cornerbacks coach Sam Madison, a great cornerback in his own right in his playing days in Miami.
The Dolphins already know they need Xavien Howard to return to top cornerback form and be that turnover-forcing ballhawk he was known to be and for Kader Kohou to continue to rise after a breakthrough rookie campaign.
Who else steps up? New veteran signing Eli Apple? Could it be rookie second-round pick Cam Smith? Can Noah Igbinoghene finally prove useful and worthy of playing time after his first-round selection in the 2020 draft? What about Nik Needham, known to be reliable through his first three seasons but coming off the torn Achilles last October?
Some bad news came from Miami’s Friday practice for one of those, as Smith walked off the practice field and into the facility without a return to drills. Smith was seen slipping on concrete beyond an end zone during 1-on-1 reps. He took later snaps but was then escorted inside by trainers.
Smith, before leaving practice Friday, has stood out in camp for how often he has broken up passes.
“He wants to be good, and just he wants to put his best foot forward every single play, every single down,” Madison said. “It’s just been fun throwing him in different situations throughout the course of the camp, and he’s handled it very well.
“He’s a true defensive back because, when you’re talking about giving up a play or coming up with a play, he has a short memory span, and then he gets right back out there and gives it his all.”
Igbinoghene is looking to finally surge as a former first-rounder that hasn’t panned out in three NFL seasons. Now he’s on the final year of his rookie deal after his fifth-year option was not picked up.
“He just has to go out and then take that next step of becoming who Noah wants to become,” Madison said. “We have all the expectations high for him and now he just has to go out and just set the expectation for himself and go out there and compete.”
Fangio has seen strides from Smith and Igbinoghene, but isn’t ready to crown either.
“They’re not where we need them to be just yet, but I think both of them are working hard and giving us good progress,” he said. “Hopefully, by Game 1, one of them or somebody else will surface and take that position.”
Miami also signed Apple in light of Ramsey’s ordeal. He offers experience with 78 career starts.
“I haven’t watched him a lot in his career, but I am pleased with what he’s shown since he’s gotten here,” Fangio said. “And he was a good pickup for us in light of Jalen’s injury. I’m glad we were able to get him.”
As Needham remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list and works out on the side of practice sessions, Madison has had some individual time with him to work on ball drills.
“We’re just going to take our time with him,” Madison said. “Nick is professional. He’s here every day. He’s talking with the young guys, he’s communicating in the meetings and he’s really working his tail off to try to get back because he was our Swiss Army knife and played multiple positions in the past.”
Madison is encouraged with Kohou heading into Year 2 after starting 13 games in 2022 as an undrafted rookie, but he cautions him against letting his production tail off.
“He just comes to work and he’s always ready to go, so I can throw him in different situations. He’s a strong-minded player, and he just goes out there and does his job and he does it very well,” Madison said. “But when you have rookies that were successful the first year, you don’t really know what you’re going to get from him this year, and he’s just picking up and piggy-backing off the same thing that he did last year.”
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill identified Kohou as a potential breakout candidate this season, and he also said he’s been impressed with Smith’s physicality and intangibles.
Ramsey, a week out of surgery, was seen Friday taking in practice off his crutches. Madison said he and Howard have helped him out as extra coaches for his unit.
“To have him and X in the same room, to have that caliber of play-making ability, it just builds the competition level and it also builds the expectation from each and every individual in that room,” Madison said. “Intensity definitely has picked up in our room.”