Why Mike McDaniel separated position groups in Dolphins locker room | Schad
MIAMI GARDENS — When Mike McDaniel was touring the Dolphins' glittery new facility during his interview for the head coaching job, he made a mental note.
"I wanted to hold that gold nugget," McDaniel said.
What McDaniel noticed was that in Miami's locker room, players were separated by position group. Quarterbacks there. Running backs there. Defensive tackles there.
Cliques.
"If I want players to become as close as possible, to be as invested in each other as much as possible, why would I have guys that go to position meetings and sit right next to each continue to sit right next to each other?" McDaniel said.
McDaniel had heard that there was a historic division between Miami's offense and defense. McDaniel heard right.
After all, over the last 10 years the Dolphins' offense has finished, on average, with the 25th best offense in the NFL.
And in that time span, the Dolphins defense has finished, on average, 21st.
That might not seem like a glaring difference, but Miami just hasn't had a good offense in a very long time. And there have also been been unbelievably good defenses in Miami between 1998-20
Post-Dan Marino, it was often the offense holding this franchise back.
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It hasn't mattered if it was offensive guru Adam Gase or defensive guru Brian Flores. Nobody has been able to get both sides of the ball right at the same time.
And that is a mission for McDaniel. That's why changing up the dynamic of the locker room was his first act as coach.
"The second I got the job," McDaniel said, he told Miami's equipment manager what to do. Some decisions about locker room placement are based on seniority and success.
More experienced players are more likely to have a corner spot, or a locker with a vacant stall as a neighbor.
But, in general, McDaniel wanted offensive linemen mixed in with defensive linemen and running backs mixed in with safeties.
Mike wanted quarterbacks mixed in with linebackers and running backs mixed in with cornerbacks.
It makes it a bit harder for a reporter to find a particular player in Miami's spacious and opulent locker room. But one advantage is that players will be less likely to listen in on their peers' interviews.
Offensive linemen always have seemed interested in the line of questioning from a reporter to another lineman. Linemen stick together. And they still can.
They just won't be sitting in a pod in a corner of the locker room, discussing how many calories they consume in a day and what kind of truck they might buy next.
The conversations figure to be more diverse, both about football and non-football issues. And McDaniel, who is very interested in psychology and team dynamics, is all about it.
"My man, I'm glad you brought that up," McDaniel said to this intrepid reporter. "I've been waiting for you guys to have open locker room since like the first week that I was here. I get here that first week and I'm interviewing coaches, and players are coming through to me to introduce themselves, and I kept hearing this commonality with, okay, there's offense versus defense."
Asked about this on Thursday, a few Dolphins players agreed. There has been division.
McDaniel, who is Miami's offensive play-caller, makes it a point to engage with as many defensive players as he can. He is determined, and these are not his words, not to be as alienated from tackling men as Gase once was.
There's a Ping-Pong table in the middle of Miami's locker room.
Think Brian Flores would have gone for that?
We've seen a snapper playing against a kicker.
We've seen a quarterback playing against a receiver.
But it sure seems more likely there will be offense vs. defense.
In one area of the locker room on Thursday, linebacker Sam Eguavoen was sitting next to offensive lineman Liam Eich and kicker Jason Sanders.
"I already know what Elandon (Roberts) saw at practice," Eguavoen said. "It will be good to ask Liam what he saw."
Offensive tackle Austin Jackson said he's grown closer to defensive tackle Christian Wilkins as they have adjoining lockers. Jackson said he's asked Wilkins for tips.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has Jaylen Waddle on one side of his locker, and safety Brandon Jones on the other.
Linebacker Jerome Baker sits in between running back Myles Gaskin and offensive tackle Larnel Coleman.
"It's a great way to get to know guys a lot better," Baker said. "Like Myles over here. I think it's a good thing."
Gaskin was laughing. Look, in general the tone in Miami's locker room has completely changed. The players are allowed to breathe in and exhale out. It's even encouraged.
On Thursday, it was noticeable that far fewer players were buried their cell phones than was the case the last time lockers were open, in 2019.
"Totally different," one player agreed.
McDaniel is the biggest reason, of course. He's worried about everything and not overly worried about anything, all at the same time.
He doesn't sweat the small stuff. But he's aware of everything.
Locker room arrangement? Not small stuff, at all.
McDaniel's decision was very deliberate.
"It was kind of the first action that I could take to facilitate a better team camaraderie," McDaniel said. "Let's strategically put players within the locker room. They spend a lot of time there."
Joe Schad is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel doesn't want offense and defense separated
