https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/raekwon-mcmillan-rise-healthy-work-with-new-staff-brian-flores “Last year coming off the injury it was really tough,” McMillan said during an appearance on The Audible. “I was trying to get a feel for the game and come off the injury at the same time, but this offseason I did a great job of doing more rehab and coming in and making sure that every muscle in my right leg was just as strong as the left leg. I’m more versatile as a player and I’m not just a first- and second-down linebacker. I can actually go out there on third downs and make plays as well.” "After McMillan spent his rookie season on injured reserve, the Dolphins’ second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft finished second on the team in tackles last year with 105, behind only veteran linebacker Kiko Alonso." What was clear to everyone, his former coaches and himself included, is that McMillan got significantly better as the season progressed." “The knowledge I gained throughout the season last year, I started off kind of slow, but as the season progressed, I kind of got a feel for how the game speed was going and how intelligent the players were, where you were going to try to attack us as a defense and as a team and what we can do throughout the week to enhance our knowledge and keep it from happening.” “Coach Flo, he came in and gave us this speech, he came in and just implemented the things that he would tolerate and things that he wouldn’t tolerate as a head coach,” McMillan said. “He wasn’t real pushy, real shovy with it, just told me his expectations for this team and his staff and how he’s going to coach things and how everything is going to go"
I like that last sentence. Just be direct, matter of fact. I watched another BB offshoot here in Detroit with Matt Patricia, and he seemed very much the opposite of this, to his detriment. As for Raekwon, would be phenomenal to see him settle in as a Hightower-esque level guy after struggling so far. Really hope Flores is a good teacher and can unlock some of these younger guys. Harris is another I would like to see make a leap. Better seasons from them is one of the big things that might signal we have a real coach here.
Raekwon McMillan was a quite good run defender last year and there's reason to believe in this defensive scheme he'll be put in a better all-around position. He had the most "stops" in the run game in the NFL of any linebacker last year per PFF and one of the highest rates, which is spectacular for a guy in his first action.
You could definitely see a difference in the 2nd half the season, just from a burst stand point. Boy he was slow as dirt that first half.
Agreed. I can't remember when it was on Twitter, but I think CK had posted a PFF thing. If you took out weeks 1-4, Raekwon graded out as the 16th overall LB in the league from week 5 through I think week 15 (this chart was posted before the season was over). He was the #2 LB in the NFL against the run over that period, behind only Luke Kuechly. That's damn good company. I agree with @Disgustipate as well, this defense should lend itself well to Raekwon McMillan.
I'm more excited about the defense than anything. I don't think (overall) we're going to be very good, but I think the defense alone will be enough to keep us competitive. McMillan, Baker, Fitzpatrick, Howard, Reshad Jones if we don't trade him, Mccain. That's a decent cast on defense already. Hopefully Harris can finally make the leap as well. We just need to hit on our draft pick. If we go defense with our first pick, it needs to be a home run pick like Fitzpatrick was last year. We do that and everything gonna be aiight.
Yeah he is just too good, too strong a player to play like he did.. Remember this is a real young player.
One thing that was interesting today was that Raekwon McMillan was on The Audible Podcast. Good interview. After it was over John Congemi mentioned that Raekwon had told him that he asked Coach Flores who I should watch? The answer was Dont'a Hightower. I speculated a bit in this piece I wrote a while back that the way McMillan would used in this defense would be similar to how the Patriots use Dont'a Hightower. https://www.lockedondolphins.com/dolphins/inside-the-film-room-dolphins-new-defensive-scheme/ I think one measureable thing is that if you look at Patriots film, anything that Hightower does BETWEEN the OTs, is stuff that McMillan can do. The stuff Hightower does on the edges is probably stuff they won't ask McMillan to do. But, it is INTERESTING.
Not only did it take a while for him to get his burst back, he was lost AF. So many mental errors at the beginning of the season.
