The move for Cutler will have affect on both 2017 & 2018
With few options, Gase made a desperate move to save 2017 with Cutler
After last season’s playoff birth with rookie Head Coach Adam Gase at the helm completely exceeding expectations, the bar for 2017 was fairly high.
And since the NFL is a win now league, those expectations seemed to prompt Gase to make some bold moves to match or exceed 2018. One of those bold moves re-inflated expectations after the deflating injury of Ryan Tannehill. Now that move, along with many others, are crashing down on Gase, the Franchise, and the fans like a ton of concrete.
A Head Coach must be able to see the big picture and make decisions based on the long term good of the team. Desperation is never in the mix with good moves. But let’s be fair–and let’s hope–that there’s still time for Gase to learn this. Sophomore slumps can even happen with coaches… fingers crossed.
While the PPH bookie services weren’t betting on the Dolphins winning the Super Bowl this season. Many fans were at least hoping for the Fins to build off last season and play meaningful games in December.
Whether proved true or not, this disastrous season of 4-7 has a whiff of finality for Gase’s tenure and this regime.
Maybe the Offseason will lessen the stink of disappointment… maybe not.
Gase wasn’t served well by appointing Cutler starter without any semblance of competition
In hindsight, 2017 went rotten the moment QB Tannehill went down.
It’s not to say Tannehill would or wouldn’t have made all this ugliness better, but maybe if Gase had seen the writing on the wall, and not reached with Jay Cutler, expectations would have been less and 2017’s failure wouldn’t be so crushing.
It’s obvious now that Gase and this team could have used another year of marination to build upon. This was a waste of mulligan, because 2018 will be full of unwanted pressure. Unlike 2017’s bad luck, next year’s pressure is warranted because of poor choices.
Gase has been given a lot of leeway since he has come to Miami. Last season, things seemed to be headed in the right direction. But with the Dolphins in last place of the AFC East, having lost 5 games in a row, Coach Gase’s job could quickly become in jeopardy if it gets ugly early in 2018.
And the Cutler signing will minus 10 Million dollar less in cap space for the team to work with, making the job of Gase even harder.
Long distance talent evaluation hasn’t been a strong suit of Gase
But I’ll go out on a limb and say this: I think there’s an extra negative effect, beyond lost cash. Cutler was brought in as the starter. He bypassed a long time Fin in Matt Moore, who is club house favorite, without even a hint of competition. This isn’t about whether Moore could have actually won or even made the competition close. All a player asks for is a chance to compete. All Gase’s talked about was competition being key and that the best players play. Players would have every right to question his message and his ability to evaluate talent going forward… until proved otherwise.
All in all, whether you like it or not, Gase will get a free pass this season from the only man that matters: Steven Ross. Gase’s failings can be overcome by winning and the money mitigated with some cuts. However, this leeway will be quickly rescinded if he can’t get this team back on the fast track to success.This pressure will go a long way to either breaking Gase and his regime, or in making them rethink things and making better choices going forward. Either way: Go Fins!!!