Dolphins sign stud defensive end and continue to load up for playoff

Calais Campbell met with the South Florida media Tuesday and said that a major reason that he came to Miami was to win a Super Bowl. He liked the roster that Chris Grier and Brandon Shore have put together and believes in this coaching staff. He is ready for a return to February football, and play in the Super Bowl that has eluded him since his rookie year in Arizona.

“That’s a big reason why I signed here, because I feel like there’s a really good opportunity here. Very talented team all over the field, both offense and defense. When you go through the roster of who you have and see so many people that I feel like we can play together and build that team chemistry you need – we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

– Miami defensive lineman Calais Campbell

Campbell played in the Super Bowl in his rookie season with the Cardinals, but his team lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and would love nothing more than to get back to the Super Bowl, with the Dolphins, and bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“I haven’t had a chance to play in that big game since my rookie year. “And coming to a team like this, I feel like there’s opportunity there. Obviously, everybody feels like they have an opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy right now. I mean, all 32 teams are competing with the mindset that they can be the team. And it’s hard, right?”

– Miami defensive lineman Calais Campbell

He also said that he wanted to play for defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who will implement a defense similar to that in which Campbell played under when he played for Weaver in Baltimore for two seasons before joining the Atlanta Falcons last season.

” I really like the coaching staff. I mean, (Defensive Coordinator) Anthony Weaver is a guy I’m very familiar with, (have) a lot of respect for, and he’s a big reason I really believe in this team. I know the kind of work ethic he has and just the kind of man he is, and I really think this defense is going to be a top – I don’t want to go too crazy, but it’s going to be a really good defense.””

When it comes down to brass tax, it was Weaver that tipped the scales for Campbell and the former Miami Hurricane standout could not heap enough praise on his new defensive coordinator.

“Huge. Huge, because I definitely had quite a few teams interested. I feel like the main reason why I wanted to come here was because I really believe in who (Defensive Coordinator) Anthony Weaver is as a coach and in our relationship. We talked a lot during the process and just knowing that he knows what I’m capable of doing. He understands my mind and how I see the game, and he trusts me. At this point in time in my career, every time you build relationships, you have to kind of reestablish trust. You have new people that you’re interacting with.”

– Miami defensive lineman Calais Campbell

Campbell was thought to enter retirement after playing his 16th season last year for the Atlanta Falcons. He very easily could have walked away from the game that he has mastered, but he has his reasons for his return. Among them, he loves the game very much and still feels that he is a good player. He said that when he feels that his play drops off, he will hang up his cleats. Until then, he is good to go and ready to rumble.

“I never thought about (retiring) for very long, Campbell said. I mean, the last three or four years, I go through the season kind of like just with everything I have and try to empty the tank so that if I want to retire at the end of the year, I feel like I can go out and I feel like I gave football everything I had. But once the season was over, I felt pretty healthy. Everything was feeling too good. It’s like man, you play football at a high level still, why not do it one more time?”