As the new Dolphins defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio has a pair of solid young edge rushers to work with in Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.
Miami selected Phillips in the first round of the 2021 draft but acquired Chubb midway through the 2022 season in a trade with the Broncos. As Denver’s head coach from 2019-2021, Fangio has plenty of familiarity with Chubb and his work.
In his introductory press conference on Monday, Fangio said Chubb and Phillips have “great potential” as a duo.
“But, you know, potential — we’ve got to see it,” Fangio said. “Talking about it is easy. Projecting it is easy, but we’ve got to see it. And I’m confident knowing those two guys’ work ethic that they’ll do everything they can to put a good product out there on the field from both of them.
“But they both have the tools, both have the makeup of being really good players on the edges for us.”
Phillips recorded 8.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits as a rookie. He had 7.0 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 25 QB hits in 2022.
As Fangio noted, Chubb has dealt with several injuries over the years. But he’s recorded 28.5 sacks in his 57 games. In eight contests with Miami last season, he had 2.5 sacks and 12 QB hits.
“I’m anxious to get him rolling, keep him healthy, and see the Bradley Chubb that we all know he’s capable of being,” Fangio said.
The Dolphins signed Chubb to a reported five-year, $110 million extension with $63.2 million guaranteed after acquiring him in November, so they need Fangio to maximize his talents.