Holliday Taking Over Taylor’s Role

Most fans and media pundits in Miami are aware of Vonnie Holliday’s penchant for mentoring younger players and asserting a soothing veteran presence in the locker room. However, that’s not necessarily what makes him a stand-up guy.

The Dolphins’ coaching staff has been moving Holliday all over the place in practice, with the most notable shift occurring when Holliday stands up. It’s quite a departure for a guy who’s played the majority of his NFL snaps as a defensive tackle, and the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder occasionally dropping back into coverage makes for quite a site at Dolphins training camp.

Holliday has certainly earned his keep in three seasons as a Dolphin, generating steady pass pressure and providing one of the few vestiges of stability on what has been a beleaguered defensive front. The 11-year vet has always shown a certain level of versatility, cycling between the tackle and end position when needed, but the alignments introduced by head coach Tony Sparano and defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni have taken Holliday to another level.

One can’t help but wonder if this new level of versatility helped expedite Jason Taylor’s departure from South Florida. After all, it was Taylor who was typically the focus of unconventional shifts and alignments which took advantage of his uncanny athleticism. Once the Dolphins’ brain trust figured out that Holliday could provide a similar level of production, Taylor likely became even more expendable in their minds.

Ironically enough, it was Holliday who was most vocal when Taylor was shipped to Washington, describing his former teammate as a great player and friend. Now, though, it seems that Holliday’s sadness over Taylor’s departure will gradually give way to the realization that this is now his defense and the time for him to become a big-time weapon.