In the midst of Wednesday's Pro Bowl preparations, Yeremiah Bell had a few questions for
Brian Dawkins.
Not just about Sunday's all-star game, at which Bell, the
Dolphins' strong safety, will make his long-awaited debut, but about Mike Nolan, his new defensive coordinator.
What Dawkins, an eight-time Pro Bowl pick who played last season under Nolan in Denver, relayed was enough to get Bell excited about next season.
"Very, very heady, very knowledgeable," Dawkins told his fellow AFC safety about Nolan, 50. "Knows how to attack an offense from many different ways. You're going to love it."
Pressure defense is a Nolan hallmark. It's what helped the Broncos improve 22 spots in the overall defensive rankings in Nolan's only year there, and it's what helped their pass defense finish third in the league.
"Everybody gets a turn in his defense as far as pressure," Dawkins said. "You're going to have your chance to make plays in that defense. [Bell] in particular is going to love it."
Bell is the Dolphins' career sacks leader by a defensive back, so get ready for more safety blitzes.
The Dolphins won't make Nolan (or any of their assistants) available to the media this week in Mobile, Ala., where he is coordinating the South team defense at the Senior Bowl. But one of his former bosses built on Dawkins' point about pressure.
According to Hall of Fame tight end
Ozzie Newsome, the
Ravens' vice president of personnel, there is a difference between just trying to unleash hell and doing it prudently.
"He knows how to do it," Newsome said of the man who brought the 3-4 defense to Baltimore. "A lot of people can bring 'em, but you've got to know how to do it."
