David Long Jr. is heading into his second season with the Miami Dolphins with a new defensive coordinator but the same mentality.
The 5-foot-11 linebacker has always seen himself as an underdog since he was taken in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft.
Now, the former West Virginia Mountaineer is a contract year.
“[The motivation] is the same,” Long said this week during a Zoom media session. “It hasn’t dropped off, it hasn’t gotten better. It’s the same. But I don’t look at it as that. Over the years I’ve grown … so I don’t really worry too much. I come to work every day.”
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Long wears a tattoo on his neck that he considers his motto.
“‘Que sera, sera’ … It means, ‘what will be, will be,’” Long said. “That’s what I believe in, so that’s how I attack every day.”
Long will go into the 2024 season attacking every day with his new defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver. Weaver was hired in February from the Baltimore Ravens.
Last season, Weaver helped lead a Ravens defense that reached the top of the league in scoring defense with 16.5 points allowed per game.
It is still early, but Long likes where the team currently is.
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“We’re on like, phase (two of the offseason program],” Long said. “But right now, everybody is clicking, I would say, and it starts off the field as well. How tight is the team, how good can we communicate, and how fast we can take the classroom to the field. Everyday it’s getting better, and I’m sure it will continuously get better throughout the OTAs, phase three and going into minicamp.”
As Long enters his contract year, he is confident in the changes around him — including whoever winds up replacing his linebacker partner after the departure of Jerome Baker, which is expected to be Jordyn Brooks.
“Of course I had a lot of fun playing with [Baker], but the good thing about the league is there is a lot of good guys in the league,” Long said. “I feel like [Jordyn Brooks] came in, [Anthony Walker] came in and fit right in … As far as play style, [we] haven’t gotten the pads on yet, but as far as how we fit into the defense it’s feeling good right now. Everybody is clicking and learning every day.”
Christmas Wonderland throws big ‘Noche Buena’ party in Miami-Dade
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — There is a park — that aims to please both adrenaline junkies and fans of colorful lights — open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Miami-Dade County.
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There is a special for four tickets for about $100 on the “Noche Buena Party” in Miami-Dade’s Westchester neighborhood.
Admission includes unlimited rides from 4 p.m. to midnight at Tropical Park, at 7900 SW 40 St.
The Local 10 News Weather Authority meteorologists don’t expect rain on Wednesday night in the area. The probability of rain on Thursday is low.
For more information and tickets, visit this page.
More on Christmas in Miami-Dade
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Local 10 News Afternoon Weather Edition: 12/24/25
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Magdala Louissaint
Magdala Louissaint joined WPLG in August 2025 and is thrilled to call South Florida home.
Andrea Torres
The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.
Doug Myers is a digital content producer for CBS Texas. A longtime journalist, Doug has worked for four newspapers in Texas and Louisiana and for three television stations in Texas. He has also spent time as a digital content manager for a national trade association and as communications director for a state agency.
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/ CBS Miami
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A London‑bound passenger was arrested Monday at Miami International Airport after federal officers found more than 130 pounds of vacuum‑sealed marijuana – 60 bundles in all – packed into two suitcases, authorities said.
Begum Mulazimoglu, 22, of London, is facing a first‑degree felony charge of trafficking in cannabis after she was taken into custody before boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight to Heathrow Airport, according to an arrest affidavit. Mulazimoglu appeared before a judge on Tuesday.
Suitcases flagged during outbound check
Begum Mulazimoglu, 22.
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Miami-Dade Corrections
The Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office said a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer flagged two hardsided suitcases during an outbound inspection after detecting a strong odor of marijuana.
According to authorities, Mulazimoglu claimed ownership of the bags and had about $1,000 worth of U.S. and British currency – $330 in U.S. dollars and £530 in British pounds (about $713 USD) – in her possession.
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Affidavit details marijuana discovery
An arrest affidavit said Homeland Security Investigations notified the Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office after the passenger was detained with the two marijuana-stuffed suitcases at the airport.
An X‑ray scan revealed 60 bundles, 30 in each suitcase, weighing a combined 59.74 kilograms (131.7 pounds), along with two Apple AirTags hidden inside, the affidavit said. The bundles were sealed in black nylon vacuum‑packed bags.
Federal prosecution declined
An Assistant United States Attorney declined federal prosecution, according to the affidavit.
The Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office was notified, and Mulazimoglu was provided a meal before being taken into custody and transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The property was impounded at Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office headquarters.
