Report: Sam Madison Reunites With Dolphins After Three-Year Stint With Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have already lost some important personnel this offseason, and that doesn't appear to be slowing down just yet. The departures of Ryan Poles, Matt House and Mike Kafka are now followed by yet another void to fill. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, secondary/cornerbacks coach Sam Madison is headed to the Miami Dolphins.
This move for the Dolphins comes just days after the organization hired Mike McDaniel to be its new head coach. The addition of Madison, a franchise great as a player, helps round out McDaniel's staff and provides some much-needed help for a defense that boasts quality talent in the secondary.
Sep 23, 2001; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders running back Charlie Garner (25) in action against Miami Dolphins defensive back Sam Madison (29) at Pro Player Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK
In nine seasons with the Dolphins, Madison was one of the most successful cornerbacks in all of football. During that 138-game stretch, he started 127 contests while racking up 366 tackles, 31 interceptions and nine forced fumbles. He finished sixth in the league's Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1998 and was a back-to-back All-Pro in 1999 and 2000. Madison also won the Super Bowl as a member of the New York Giants to cap off his career.
As a coach for the Chiefs, Madison was an instrumental part of the turnaround Steve Spagnuolo's unit experienced this season. A lot was made of getting back to the basics and improving things such as eye discipline, and Madison spearheaded those efforts. After getting off to one of the worst starts to a season in NFL history, Madison, Dave Merritt and Spagnuolo's secondary was mostly reliable down the stretch.
The Chiefs' next coach will have some big shoes to fill, and any new additions to the team's roster will be tested under different leadership. While young standouts such as L'Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton remain, others such as Charvarius Ward and Tyrann Mathieu are slated to hit the free agent market. Madison's departure throws yet another fork in Kansas City's offseason plans, which could lead to a bit of a rebuild in the defensive backs room.
