Stephen Ross has plans

Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

-Ross intends to hire a star.

If he hires a coach, his plan is to hire a proven name — someone such as Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher, Jon Gruden or someone else who might be available. That coach will have final say over all football matters. He would pick his GM and have final say over everyone in football operations.

So obviously that coach would replace Sparano and have the choice of replacing Ireland.

-Ross doesn’t want the next hot offensive coordinator to run the Dolphins as his signature hire. He doesn’t want to give someone else’s assistant general manager the keys to the organization to pick players and hire a new coach.

“We can’t afford to take that gamble,” the source said. “The guy we hire to run this team won’t be learning on the job.”

-Ross wants a franchise quarterback at the helm in 2012. He is said to be committed to veer away from any attempt that would add a “caretaker” quarterback as a potential starter. He is said to be tired of watching the Dolphins field backups disguised as starters.