Van Noy Starting Over in Miami

Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy wants his new team to create its own identity

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy is among many players and coaches who have made the move south from New England to Miami in the past 16 months, but he made clear he doesn't want the Dolphins to be known as Patriots South.

“I don’t now how many New England guys there are, but we’re going to get away from that,” Van Noy told The Miami Herald. “We’re our own team, this is not the New England Patriots. This is the Miami Dolphins. It’s totally different, and I’m excited for that. New beginnings."

Van Noy was one of three free agents the Dolphins signed this offseason who came over from New England, the other two being offensive lineman Ted Karras and linebacker Elandon Roberts.

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Another free agent pick-up, linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2016, though he never played in the regular season for New England.

Those four players have joined three others already on the roster with connections to the Pats, most notably defensive back Eric Rowe. The other two are defensive back Jomal Wiltz and linebacker Trent Harris, who both spent time on the New England practice squad before joining the Dolphins.

With the new free agents from New England, there's no question their familiarity with Head Coach Brian Flores played a big role in their decision to sign with Miami.

"I think the biggest things would just be preparing to win, being tough and trying to go out there and win as many games as we can," Karras said. "I think that inherently that’s what he’s about, and that’s one of the main reasons that I decided to come down and be a Miami Dolphin. I’m really looking forward to working with him again and getting some work done.”

Said Roberts: "Just being a former player for him in New England and knowing what he’s about and stuff like that, it just felt comfortable to come and whatnot. Just knowing how good of a leader he is on and off the field, how much he cares about you as a player. Ultimately it went into my decision to become a Miami Dolphin and I’m 100 percent all the way in."

A coach bringing in players with who he's familiar hardly is unprecedented.

The key, of course, is bringing the right former players.

Already, we've seen Rowe become a key player in the secondary, particularly after he made the move from cornerback to safety. He joined the Dolphins on a one-year contract but played well enough after the position switch that the team gave him a three-year extension in December.

Of the new ex-Patriots, the one who stands out clearly is Van Noy, both because he's the most experience but also because he's the most accomplished.

Van Noy had a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2019, to go along with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown against the New York Giants.

On a relatively young defense, it's almost a given that Van Noy will become a leader.

And he appears ready to embrace the role.

“We’re the Miami Dolphins," said in The Miami Herald story. "We’re here to represent the people of Miami. They want it bad. I can sense that. Miami’s a football town.”