Calais Campbell recently signed with the Dolphins. On Monday, he met with reporters for the first time.
An important question was this: Will he play inside or outside Miami’s defensive line?
“I’m going to play everywhere, yeah,” Campbell said. “We don’t really talk about how they want to use me, but just knowing [defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver] and your mindset, let’s move around a little in different situations. There’s a lot of different things you can do on this defense as far as packages and different ways to line up and do things, but yeah, I’d be very surprised if I didn’t literally play position on the D line at some point. certain moment of the season in certain gaps.”
Still, he has a specific affinity for a spot on the line.
“[Wink Martindale] used to always tell me, ‘When God created the game of football and created the 5-technique position, he prepared you perfectly for it,’ all the time,” Campbell said. “I feel like I can play any position, right, like me. I can [play] left, right, 1-technique, 2i, 3, 4i, 5. I can play the whole 9[-technique]. I can play any position – I don’t like standing, but with my hands on the ground, I can play any position on the D-line and I’m very proud to do that at a high level. I think that’s probably what makes me unique, but where I feel strongest and best is in those 5[-technique].
“So I think he’s right, and I still think I’m pretty dominant in those 5[-technique], especially in the racing game. He told me to set the boundary as if you weren’t running the ball. I take a lot of pride in making sure you don’t pass the ball towards me or towards me. I also feel like especially when it comes to studying the game and understanding what the trends are, what teams can do in different formations, it allows me to be a little more aggressive and take risks and make some plays that I shouldn’t. do it too. But the plays I’m supposed to make on a 5-technique, yeah, they’re 100 percent — you’re not running or something has to happen. Something was wrong, something happened. But I take a lot of pride in being one of the top 5 run stop coaches I’ve ever played in this game, and I still think I have a lot of energy in the pass rush role as well, so it’s kind of a good mix.”
Campbell brings a lot of experience to Miami and knows the defense Weaver will install. Even though he turns 38 later this year, he still appears to have gas in the tank. And he hopes to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since his rookie year in Arizona.
“That’s a big reason why I signed here, because I feel like there’s a really good opportunity here,” Campbell said. “Very talented team across the field, both in attack and defense. When you look at the roster and see so many people that I feel like we can play together and build the team chemistry that you need – we will be a force to be reckoned with. I really like the coaching staff, I mean Anthony Weaver is a guy I’m very familiar with. [have] lots of respect, and he’s a big reason why I truly believe in this team. I know the kind of work ethic he has and the kind of man he is, and I really think this defense is going to be excellent — I don’t want to go crazy, but it’s going to be a really good defense.”
They already have a very good attack. If they can get both ends together, the Dolphins will be one of the most balanced teams in the league.
