RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAfter more than a week in pads at Miami Dolphins training camp, a veteran free agent has emerged as a potential starter and leader. Following head coach Jeff Hafley to Miami from Green Bay, former Packers safety and special-teamer Zayne Anderson has been making a name for himself in South Florida.
Knowing Hafley’s defense and helping teach the scheme to younger Dolphins ’ players, Anderson is becoming a key member of this team and has the faith of his coach.
Hafley told the media on Friday, “Yeah, I think there's a lot of similarities in what we did in the two years in Green Bay and here now. There's a lot of new stuff, too, but he's got a grasp on really how I kind of think and how I see things in the back end and he's hearing me give him a lot of the same coaching points, because I'm in that room a lot, and I was in that room a lot. So he's hearing a lot of the same things from year three now.”
Anderson started his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 as an undrafted practice-squad player. In his two seasons there, he only played special teams in just seven appearances. In the 2023 offseason, he signed with the Buffalo Bills but was released prior to the season starting. He was then claimed off waivers by Green Bay a day later.
He didn’t see the defensive field in his first season, but that was without Hafley in town. In 2024, Hafley became the defensive coordinator, and Anderson played 123 snaps at safety, and in 2025, he played just 22. However, his knowledge of the scheme and playbook, and a thin safety group, were good reasons for Hafley to bring him to South Florida.
Hafley told the media, “I think there's a comfort level that he trusts me and I trust him. At the same time, there's really good competition in that room right now, and I will say, Zayne has done a nice job. Again, he needs to be consistent, and the Washington week, it will be exciting to see him go up against another team and play in these preseason games. But he's become a dependable guy back there.”
Anderson himself also got a chance to talk to reporters after Friday’s practice. When asked about that familiarity with Hafley’s system and the benefit, Anderson said, “It's huge. I think having some years of experience just building on it and then relearning it, I think it's always good to relearn it.”
He added, “This is supposed to be my third or fourth time relearning it. We installed in the spring, installed in the fall. And so it's nice; I love it. I feel like I'm able to take steps ahead of just knowing the basics of the defense.”
Being able to compare Hafley as a defensive coordinator to now a head coach, Anderson was asked about the differences, and he said, “You know what, people ask me that; he hasn't changed. Like he was that same guy, the defensive coordinator. He lets guys be themselves, but he also demands a certain standard of excellence from each guy. It was like that from a defensive room, and now being able to see him take that to the whole team, it's been cool to see.”
Anderson was then asked if his safety teammates have asked him about what they need to know, and he detailed to reporters, “As a safety, we have to communicate, and that takes with each other, but that also takes with the whole defense. With young guys, new guys coming in, I love to talk ball with them. There's no secrets out there.”
He continued to say, “We're on one page, and we play the best ball when we're on the same page. So I think it's being on one accord, and within that, it's them asking those questions. The simple questions of what they need to do, how they see certain looks. And same thing for me too, I'm able to pick other guys' brains as well.”
Specifically asked about Dante Trader Jr, Anderson detailed, “I love surrounding myself around guys that love football, and Dante Trader is that guy. He's always asking questions. I'm asking questions to him as well.”
He added praise, saying Trader is, “very analytical about the game, but when it comes down to play like he's not analytical, he just plays ball. But he's able to ask those questions to me, and I'm able to ask those questions to him. He's a great guy to lean on.”
Another safety he was asked about was undrafted rookie Louis Moore. Andreson raved, “He's tenacious, he's a football player. You can just see like his aggression. He can cover. He's physical. I think he's going to be a dawg on special teams. I think he could play a huge role on defense from an early start. Just watching him, I haven't even talked to him that much, honestly, but watching him play football, it's cool to see.”
Anderson was asked if there are certain messages he gives to younger players and how he could motivate them, and he said, “I think consistency, that's the hardest thing to measure. Everybody can come out day one, be excited. You know, first game, it doesn't matter what it is. Everyone's excited for the first time. But can you do it day in and day out? I think it's consistency. That's what I would stress to the young guys.”
He also pointed out, “And that goes off the field too. How are you taking care of your body? What are you doing to stay healthy? It's hot out here. I think that's most important for guys to stay with a certain standard and just keep doing it.”
Anderson is making a case for a starting role, and could even be a candidate to be one of the team's leaders and prominent voices in the locker room in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins veteran DB has been pleasant surprise early in training camp
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