”Close but not cigar moment’ with Bills has Phins brass high on team
The Miami Dolphins deserve a ton of credit for hanging in and almost beating the Buffalo Bills 30-27: No doubt! Despite the morale victory, the Phins have a record of 2-6 and on the speed track to missing the postseason and extending their streak without a postseason win by another year. The Dolphins currently have a 4% chance to make the postseason, 1% less than the Titans who beat them Week 4. The best pay per heads have only the Browns, Jaguars, Patriots, and Raiders with worse odds to get a playoff game.
Miami should be sellers at the trade deadline whether they keep this regime or not, but reports are that the top brass is high on this team and will look to add talent instead. Instead of adding future ammo to rebuild this team, it appears the Phins will again be a year late and a dollar short on moving off players.
For what?
What rationale is driving this decision?
Media massage or legit hope?
Well, the reports are that the upper leadership is high on this team and think they are close to success.
Are the Phins really close to being a top team?
A 3pt loss to the Cardinals and Bills, who stripped down their team in tool year while we are only a few years removed from historic draft capital and supposed to be at our peak, seems a really thin rationale. The Bills dominate this division, but they are a step down from the Chiefs, Ravens, Lions, and Eagles of the league, so we are at least two steps down from them.
Vikings are 6-2 with Darnold, Bucs 4-4 with Mayfield, Commanders 7-2 with a rookie, Broncos 5-4 with a rookie, Steelers 6-2 with Fields and Wilson, and Colts 4-5 with Flacco and Richardson. But we are 1-3 with Tua and 1-3 with our backups. How close are we really? We are the oldest team in the league, again after all those draft picks, have plenty of holes, and Tua struggles to stay healthy, so on many levels we aren’t close.
I knew Ross would keep this thing rolling on a close game. And I sorta’ get it from his perspective given his age, tight relationship with Grier, and all the money tied into this build, but I don’t see this direction offering long term success.
This appears to me a Hail Mary image massage to lessen angry fans seeing another letdown by trying to get as many wins as they can, even at the cost of future potential, to save this regime, most notably Chris Grier. It appears Grier knew what he was doing when he extended McDaniel and Hill: lock in tons of money to make his return as palatable as possible in case of disaster.
Some teams are about winning, and others aren’t
I don’t know what’s in the heart of Ross, if he wants to win or not. But, if we don’t look to the future after six seasons of Grier culminating in this ugly season and this thin roster, then it doesn’t matter what’s in Ross’ heart because the actions will have us falling short next season and likely for a long time to come.
I expect us to keep Grier and everything else intact except for a little pruning to give some meat to angry fans. Heck, I bet even resign Liam Eichenberg.
I hope I’m wrong, but I expect the powerful Dolphins media wing to push tons of ‘hopium’ all over the few wins we get and push that ‘with a little tweaking’ next year will be our year.
I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of getting hustled.
