‘I'm a dawg.' New edge rusher Matthew Judon on what he brings to Dolphins

Miami Herald

6 hours ago

New Miami Dolphins edge rusher Matthew Judon had quite the response when asked how he went from Division II to 72 career sacks.
Said Judson: 'I'm a dawg, boy.'
Judon practiced in the aqua and orange for the first time on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the Dolphins officially announced they signed the 33-year-old edge rusher. The four-time Pro Bowler joins a group that already includes Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson, making it one of the deepest units on the team. Despite being the most experienced on the team, he's not going to be the Alpha from Day 1.
'I know of got to follow the lead of the guys that have been here,' Judon said. 'JP, Chubb — they also have a body of work that they put on tape. From afar, I've been watching those guys and we kind of know each other off the field. I think that's a big thing: I don't have to come in here and the guy that away.'
In Miami, Judon saw 'a good opportunity, a good situation' despite the wealth of edge rushers.
'I could've wanted to sign seven weeks ago when I was an unrestricted free agent but it ain't up to me,' Judon said. 'The Dolphins saw a fit and saw that I could come and make this team better and that's what I'm here to do.'
Judon's addition goes along with the mantra that defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has maintained since training camp began: a good pass rush can negate a lack of experience on the back end. It was a philosophy the team appeared to adopt following the late-June trade of three-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the investment of the defensive trenches during the 2025 NFL Draft.
'Ask the 2012 Giants,' Weaver said Tuesday, referring to the New York Giants team that won Super Bowl 46 in 2012 in large part due to its elite pass rush. 'Osi [Umenyiora], Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck — a wealth of edges who can rush. Then we have guys who can not only rush from the edge, but can produce inside as well. I think when you pair that with Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant and some of the guys that we have, it's really exciting for us to think about the potential mismatches we can create for offenses.'
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick further expressed his love for the move, imploring the Dolphins to 'bring as many of them as we can get.'
'I'm a DB and I'm not afraid to admit that great defense starts with the front seven, and that starts with smashing the run game and affecting the quarterback,' Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. 'When you've got guys that can send heat at the quarterback, whether it's off the edge or up the middle and disrupt that quarterback's timing and disrupt that quarterback's look, now instead of looking down the field at us, he's looking at the front seven during his drop. That helps us make a lot of plays.'
Judon himself was no stranger to making plays either, recording at least two sacks during his first practice. And while fans will be hungry for a Judon-Phillips-Robinson-Chubb package, the 10-year veteran urged caution on the potential of the quartet.
'You can't game plan nobody,' Judon said, initially praising the other three edge rushers as well as defensive tackle Zach Sieler before referring to the group as 'untapped potential.'
'We can talk about,' Judon continued. 'It could look good on paper but right now we have to go out there and put the work in. Everybody, collectively. Then we have to understand how we all rush together.'