Surtain added to staff

New Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel recently tapped a legendary Miami defensive back to join his coaching staff but didn’t stop there.

Former Dolphins All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain is joining McDaniel’s staff as a defensive assistant, a league source told the Miami Herald.

Sam Madison, who with Surtain formed one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is also joining the staff as cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist.

Surtain, 45, has been head coach of Plantation American Heritage High School since 2016, leading the program to three state championship titles. He was named 2020 High School Football America National Coach of the Year.

A second-round pick of the Dolphins in the 1998 NFL Draft, Surtain was named to the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2004 and was a All-Pro selection in 2002 and 2003. Surtain’s son, Patrick Surtain II, just completed his rookie season with the Denver Broncos.

DOLPHINS SIGN FULLBACK

The Dolphins on Friday signed fullback John Lovett, who most recently played with the Green Bay Packers during the 2020 season. According to ESPN, the contract is a one-year deal.

Lovett, who has experience at tight end and is expected to contribute on special teams, originally signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent before the 2020 season. A two-time AllAmerican at Princeton who played quarterback, running back and wide receiver, Lovett was a two-time recipient of the award given to the Ivy League’s top offensive player. The Packers released Lovett, 25, with a failed physical designation in March 2021.

With McDaniel set to implement an offense with heavy use of zone running schemes, the Dolphins will likely enter the 2022 season with a fullback on the 53man roster. According to Pro Football Focus, the San Francisco 49ers used a lead blocker on 40.3 percent of their running plays in 2021, the highest rate in the NFL.