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Quick start
LB Anthony says it’s his job to adjust to the Dolphins
New linebacker Stephone Anthony jumps right in.
DAVIE — Life comes at us fast normally, but when you’re an NFL player who has just been traded to another team in desperate need of help, it starts coming at a sprinter’s pace.
In the span of 48 hours, new Miami Dolphins linebacker Stephone Anthony, who practiced three hours after arriving in South Florida, has been asked to learn a new playbook at breakneck pace, familiarize himself with his new coaches and teammates, and relocate his entire world following this week’s trade from the New Orleans Saints, who got a 2018 fifth-round pick from the Dolphins.
“This is a different scheme,” Anthony said, referring to going from the Saints’ 3-4 scheme to Miami’s 4-3 base. “It’s two different coordinators. I’m going from the NFC South to AFC East. It’s different!
“This is part of the [learning] curve,” Anthony continued. “This is what the business is about, and it’s my job to figure it out.”
It is the Dolphins’ job to figure out where this former first-round pick, whom the Saints viewed as one of the franchise’s biggest draft busts of this decade, fits in. The Dolphins were desperate for linebacker help after suspending Lawrence Timmons indefinitely for going AWOL hours before last week’s 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Whether Timmons will return to the Dolphins has not been determined by coach Adam Gase, but Miami is preparing to move on without him, and the organization would love it if Anthony steps to the fore-
“This is what the business is about, and it’s my job to figure it out.” Stephone Anthony, Dolphins’ new linebacker
“[We’re in] the process of getting a feel for what he can handle and where his best fit is.” Matt Burke, Dolphins defensive coordinator on Stephone Anthony
front of those plans while Rey Maualuga continues to work his way into playing shape.
Anthony did contribute 112 tackles on one of the worst defenses in NFL history back in his rookie season of two years ago.
A year after leading the team in tackles, Anthony appeared in just 10 games with three starts and totaled 16 tackles on 133 defensive snaps.
His struggles, and a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Saints’ first preseason game, led to him being viewed as a defender on the bubble to make the Saints’ 53-man roster last month.
That’s why the Saints jumped at the opportunity to send Anthony to the Dolphins, getting something for the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft.
“He’s explosive, he’s disruptive and yet his key in diagnose and his instincts at times are off,” Saints coach Sean Payton told the New Orleans Advocate earlier this summer. “You know, it’s run, and he’s dropping back in a pass mode, or it’s pass and he’s at the line of scrimmage. So, his ability to see and diagnose some very simple reads, for instance, are the keys for him to getting better.”
Anthony, who is 6-foot-3, 245-pounds and ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, started on the inside for the Saints back in 2015, but has played every linebacker position since.
The Dolphins have Anthony working outside, primarily because fellow newcomer Justin March-Lillard has only played inside linebacker during his college and professional career.
However, defensive coordinator Matt Burke openly admitted the Dolphins are simply trying to get a handle on his skill set.
“My thought with him is really just to try to put him in one spot and let him learn. It’s hard anytime coming into a new system in the middle of a season,” Burke said. “[We’re in] the process of getting a feel for what he can handle and where his best fit is. And then kind of once – probably by the end of this week – we get a feel of what we think his best role is, then put him in there, throw him in the deep end.”
Anthony, whose agent was working to get him traded out of New Orleans, said he views this experience as a fresh start, and an opportunity to rekindle what was once viewed as a promising career.
He points out he’s played all three linebacker spots, so adjusting to one spot shouldn’t be too challenging.
“I’ve put enough stuff on tape that shows I can do both,” Anthony said when asked if his strength is stopping the run or covering tight ends and tailbacks downfield. “My job is to get better every game and keep fine tuning my game. Regardless of what anybody says about me, I have to keep being myself.”