Bryce Callahan has played for Vic Fangio in two cities. The veteran slot cornerback may have a chance to add a third chapter to this off-and-on partnership.
The Dolphins brought in Callahan for a visit Thursday, as relayed by Field Yates of ESPN.com. Callahan, who played with the Los Angeles Chargers last season, has played under Fangio in seven of his eight NFL seasons. And he is coming off a season spent with Fangio disciple Brandon Staley in Los Angeles.
The Chargers signed Callahan shortly after the draft last year and despite an injury-plagued Denver Broncos tenure, the veteran cover man mostly held up in L.A.. After missing 28 games in three Broncos seasons, Callahan was on the field for 15 contests as a Charger. The Bolts have moved on this offseason, being set to plug Asante Samuel Jr. into the slot role Callahan, 31, played last year. But the now-Fangio-run Dolphins defense features more questions.
Fangio initially coached Callahan with the Chicago Bears and despite suffering a season-ending foot injury in 2018, the former UDFA scored a three-year, $21M deal from the Broncos. The Denver contract proved a slight misread, with Callahan suffering a setback that led to him missing all of the 2019 season. But for system know-how, it is difficult to find a defender more qualified to operate in Fangio’s scheme than Callahan.
Jalen Ramsey‘s knee injury will change Fangio’s plans on defense. Brandon Staley and Raheem Morris used the All-Pro in the slot at points, and Fangio was planning to follow suit. Ramsey undergoing surgery that will sideline him for much of the regular season brought some familiar territory for Fangio, who frequently saw his top defenders go down in Denver. The Dolphins are still looking for some reinforcements.
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