Dolphins safety Jevon Holland calls Anthony Weaver ‘a good person,' doesn't miss Vic Fangio

MIAMI GARDENS — Jevon Holland and Anthony Weaver have been on the field together only a few times.

A few times is all Holland needs to know what he has in the Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Holland, a safety, made it clear how happy he is to be playing under Weaver. He’s happy with Weaver’s system, Weaver’s approach and, it would seem, the fact that Anthony Weaver is not last year’s coordinator, Vic Fangio.

“A complete 180,” Holland said when asked to compare Weaver’s approach to Fangio’s. “Actually, ‘Weav’ is super dope, man. Like as a person, as an ex-player, as a coach. You can just feel he understands where we’re coming from. He wants to hear us in our input on the defense and then is able to put that into how the defense is called and how the defense is taught. So now he’s great, man.”

Weaver spent seven years in the NFL as a defensive end. So when a reporter followed up by asking, “Do you think it’s the fact that he has been in your shoes that makes the difference?” Holland wasted no time responding.

“I just think that it’s the fact that he’s a good person makes a difference,” he said.

Jevon Holland highly regarded, but waiting turn on contract

Holland is entering his fourth NFL season even though he just turned 24. This week, Pro Football Focus rated him 17th among the best players in the league under the age of 25.

General manager Chris Grier has said he wants to secure the services of Holland and receiver Jaylen Waddle by giving them extensions rather than dragging negotiations into the fringe of free agency, which ultimately cost the Dolphins Christian Wilkins this year. The problem is, the same applies to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — the highest priority.

“Man, Tua ain’t getting it done, I’m not getting it done,” Holland said. “I’m on the back burner. I don’t know much. I just work here.”

Holland added, “Obviously, I’m trying to get paid. But yeah, that’s up to my agent. I told him, ‘Let me know when negotiations start and then go from there.’ But I’m not going to let it affect me day to day. Man, I’m just trying to focus on ball.”

That’s exactly why Holland was even at the Dolphins’ voluntary OTA on Tuesday. Some veterans in his position might have skipped the workout — plenty of regulars weren’t there. Holland?

“I’m playing football and I love ball,” he said. “Not to say that guys who don’t show up don’t love ball. But it’s just, you know, different strokes for different folks. This is just my process. And yeah, I’m going to play regardless of where I’m on this team or not on this team.”

Holland has been flirting with Pro Bowl status. There’s no reason to think that can’t come his way in 2024. He may have been on the cusp last season before suffering a knee injury in the Black Friday game against the Jets. To some extent, it ended his season. Holland then missed four games and played two.

“Came back to the Baltimore game and I was, like, not OK but still trying to get through it,” Holland said. “Played a little bit in the Buffalo game and then sat out the last game (loss to Kansas City in the playoffs). Just felt like that was the right decision.”

The best news for the Dolphins: Holland says he’s 100 percent now. When Holland reflects on what he can offer the Dolphins in 2024 that he might not have offered until now, he cited mental fortitude based on lessons learned while he was out injured. That there’s a physical injury involved, but also a mental one.

“That was like my first time having to be out for that long,” he said. “So it was a difficult time but I’m glad that I went through that because it gave me the mental strength to be able to know that I can push through anything.”

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Holland entered the NFL as a second-round pick in 2021. Right out of the gate, he said, “I was trying to make the Pro Bowl.” By Year 2, he was learning from veteran safety Eric Rowe. Last year was his potential breakout year before the injury. This season, he said, making the Pro Bowl or All-Pro would be nice, but it’s not foremost in his mind.

“This year, I’m just going to have fun, man,” he said. “Accolades gonna come when they’re gonna come. If they don’t, they don’t. But I’m just enjoying myself out there. That’s the bottom line. Because when I look back on it, I want to make sure I’m enjoying myself and making the most of my experience.”

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.