The current state of the Dolphins began approximately fifteen years ago, towards the end of Don Shula's tenure as coach, as Dan Marino's skill level began to badly deteriorate. All the true management culprits that participated in the team's downward spiral are now gone, with the sole exception of Jeff Ireland. The false Messiahs (Jimmy Johnson, Nick Saban), the incompetents (Cam Cameron, Dave Waanstedt) and the "over-the-hills" (Don Shula, Bill Parcells) disappeared a long time ago. Ireland critics need to be aware of the pent-up emotion misdirected at him. Ireland is taking the brunt for fifteen years of terrible Dolphins decisions. It's terribly unfair.
What was the tragedy over the past few weeks during the free-agency period? Ireland wisely refused to overpay. He learned his lesson after bad experiences with Gibril Wilson, Karlos Dansby (a solid linebacker but certainly not worth his exorbitant salary), Ernest Wilford, and Brandon Marshall. Is this a crime? Not wanting to add to already-excessive dead cap space? I think not. Ireland did make a few lower-level free agent signings that should provide depth with little effect on the salary cap structure. I share his belief that football teams are built from the ground up via the draft. The core reason for the decline of this football team are, without a doubt, horrific drafts since the mid-1990s. Ireland is known as "Superscout" in NFL circles and I am confident in his ability to find good players in the draft. If not, he will lose my support rapidly. His first draft without Parcells was an excellent one.
What of the QB situation? Many fans, especially the same ones who cried over Kyle Orton last year, have little to support their collective whining. Matt Flynn? Totally unproven. Seattle signed him to a huge contract with a $10 million guarantee. Good luck to them. Putting all their eggs in one basket. If Flynn fails, the Seahawk salary cap will take many years to recover. Joe Philbin, the NFL coach who probably knows Flynn best, refused to take such a chance. Peyton Manning? 36 years old and history of four neck surgeries. One sack hit away from retirement (or worse). The Broncos can keep him. Matt Moore is a solid NFL QB. David Garrard is an excellent backup (recall that the Bears and Colts fired their respective GMs because they didn't have competent backup QBs last season). I'll take my chances with the Moore/Garrard combination for the present time. If the Dolphins can draft Ryan Tannehill in the upcoming NFL draft, so much the better for the future. Next year, 2013, will see a college class loaded with talented young QBs. One additional year without the QB of our dreams (or fantasies) won't matter. By the way, franchise QBs don't just fall out of trees. Let's stop the "we have to get a franchise QB" nonsense. It doesn't work that way. Never has.
This is a rebuilding year for the Dolphin offense, make no mistake about it. I am strongly suggesting we give Ireland more time to see how things play out. His trade of Brandon Marshall to the Bears was brilliant, getting two third-round draft choices for an overrated troublemaker. The final chapter to the 2012 season is a very long way from being written.
The last time I saw such NFL fan rebellion was in the late 1970's, when NY Giants fans held up a hugh banner that said "Fifteen Years of Lousy Football. We've Had Enough!!!". How many Super Bowls have the Giants made since then? Hang in there, folks.
Flynn has $10 mill guaranteed over 3 years. Only makes $6 mill this year. That is not huge money. Not even close to huge. They just paid an old, injured David Garrard half of that. Throw in Art Hicks $1.2 mill base salary this year and they could have got Flynn for peanuts.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your article is fine. This notion that Flynn got huge money is 100% false. He didn't!
take back what I said, another flaw in your article. This is NOT a rebuilding year. Read the quotes Philbin, Ireland, and Ross have put out in the last month, they have gone out of there way for over a month to state this isn't a rebuilding year. Either they all are 100% lying (which I doubt) or die-hard fans (much like yourself) tell yourself that to help you sleep at night. If this is a rebuilding year why did they give big money to Paul Soliai for only 2 years? He isn't locked up long-term@ He will be gone by the time the rebuilding is complete. Should have let him walk and just rebuild through the draft and filled his position at a cheaper rate.
ReplyDeleteSaying its a rebuilding year and the actions they have taken go against that.
And Ireland's problems are NOT his signings and cuts. His problem is he is a liar, treats players poorly, and nobody likes him. To the fact that current players (according to multiple reports) are telling other players around the league NOT to come to Miami. That has nothing to do with handing out contracts or drafting players. That is a problem he cannot fix anymore. It is a toxic cancer inside this organization.
You are wrong Mike. So wrong. Somebody DOES like Ireland! Mr. Ross! Actually, I think the biggest thing that has upset fans this offseason is that we were PROMISED they would do WHATEVER it takes to get a franchise QB and they failed miserably. Now I worry that they are going to try to trade up to #3 and reach for Ryan Tannehill.
ReplyDeleteMr.Ross....lol. The bumbling fool who hires celebrities to be his friend. The one person who has a worst personality than Ireland who has no clue how to run a football team.
ReplyDeleteNo need to trade up for Tannehill. He will be there at 8. Holmgren and the Browns aren't stupid enough to take him there. Holmgren is already talking Matt Barkley anyway, he was 2 days ago. Probably should get an NFL fine for doing so but he doesn't care.
Matt Flynn got a huge amount of money for an unproven QB who has done nothing in the NFL. Sometimes the gamble works (Jake Long), sometimes it doesn't (Kevin Kolb). Guaranteed money shouldn't be paid to a player based on reputation alone. The Dolphins are not in a position, right now, to take such chances. I'm not privy to the private conversations of Ross/Ireland/Philbin but if Philbin offered to vouch 100% for Flynn and put his job on the line by insisting on paying him, I bet Ireland would have done so. Obviously Philbin wouldn't vouch for him. Enough said. We will know by the end of 2012 whether Ireland and Philbin were right. Perhaps Philbin should get more of the blame if Flynn eventually turns into a top QB. There is a report, which cannot be validated, that the Dolphins had a team of their top scouts scrutinize films of Flynn and come to the conclusion that he wasn't worthy of such a contract. He's no John Elway or Andrew Luck, universally thought of as "can't miss" QBs.
ReplyDeleteDavid Garrard is a stopgap, no doubt. Nobody mistakes him for a Hall-of-Fame QB. He just gives the Dolphins another option. Unlike Flynn, he has made the Pro Bowl in the past. We will see if Flynn can make the Pro Bowl at some point in his career. Much of a QB's value in in his years of NFL experience, even if the physical ability is diminished by age or injury. Garrard can be a very valuable asset in that regard. The way the Dolphin OL appears at this moment, Matt Moore is at serious risk of another concussion.
I said this is a rebuilding year for the Dolphin OFFENSE. The term "rebuilding" is a dirty word in the NFL because it doesn't sell tickets (quite the opposite). If the Dolphin brass denies this, they are lying. Philbin will likely try to shift to a West Coast Offense, a transition that will certainly take more than one season. The Dolphin defense is in much better shape and, unfortunately, will carry the burden of keeping the Dolphins competitive in 2012.
Ireland is "a liar, treats players poorly, and nobody likes him"? LOL. That can be said of virtually every NFL executive. As a matter of fact, that can probably be said of most bosses in every business. Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick etc. were all accused of the same things. So what? There are players telling others not to come to the Dolphins? Do you honestly believe that players listen to that garbage? Money is always the overriding factor. The Kansas City Chiefs have a horrible reputation as a football organization and look how many free agents they signed this offseason. Scott Pioli, Chiefs GM, is well known to be a paranoid psychotic (did you see the ESPN report about the Chiefs?). Didn't affect their business this offseason, however.
Let just see how things play out.