Digging Into the Chan Gailey Hire

M.J.

4 years ago

Chad O’Shea was fired after calling one of the greatest Dolphins 4th Qtr drives ever

When the Miami Dolphins decided to end the tenure of Offensive Coordinator Chad O’Shea Phins fans were shocked, to say the least. After the unbelievable performance against the Patriots in Week 17, O’Shea’s future in South Florida appeared bright. But, Brian Flores felt he could make an upgrade, so the unexpected happened and Gailey was hired.

With this regime, you have to keep your head on a swivel.

For Phinsnews, the most relevant question now is why did Miami hire Chan Gailey, not why they moved on from O’Shea. But you can bet with the sports betting software sites if Gailey doesn’t meet expectations the second-guessing of why O’Shea was let go will receive a long revisit.

This all starts with Fitzpatrick…

Fitzpatrick is contractually locked into playing for the Dolphins in 2020… That is IF he decides to play. Fitzpatrick could just as easily retire. Even though he had the 8th best QBR in the NFL, it was a brutal season on his body. At 38 years old (mid-way through next season), there’s no way he signing up for another ‘season of beatings’. So, bringing in Gailey, picking up a key Free Agents or two more than planned and using the draft to build around Fitzpatrick is the obvious plan.

But the first order of business is getting Fitzpatrick to believe he can have real success if he returns.

Rehashing what we know about Gailey

We all know that Gailey is a very experienced OC, one of the first to push the spread offense in the NFL, and a former head coach. That’s an excellent resume and it trumps O’Shea’s by a longshot. Also, and maybe more importantly, he has three crucial ties to the Dolphins. Gailey recruited Brian Flores out of High School, was Miami’s offensive coordinator 2000-2001, and coached Fitzpatrick with the Bills and Jets. So Chris Grier, Brian Flores, and Ryan Fitzpatrick are as familiar with Gailey as they are with O’Shea. This makes Gailey a comfortable move all the way around.

Okay, now that we’ve got the well-traveled info out of the way, let’s dig a little past the surface.

Was the Gailey hire all about Fitzpatrick’s feelings?

The obvious reason we hear for the change at offensive coordinator is to entice Ryan Fitzpatrick to come back for another season. Brian Flores has proclaimed his love of ‘Fitzmagic’ (can you blame him?) and wants him to lead the Dolphins in 2020…

… And I also wonder if it might even be for 2021 to complete the trilogy if all goes well this season?

Certainly, the ‘obvious reason’ is a strong component. But the move to hire Gailey isn’t just about getting the ‘Return of Fitzpatrick’ with a coach and system he likes, though.

Personal success is built around team success.

The complexity in the O’Shea and Patriots system is a double-edged sword

Long suspected flaws in the Patriots offensive system were on full display this year. The Patriots offense is brilliant in the flexibility derived from its complexity… but its complexity is too complex for many players. This is especially true for rookies who are expected to contribute immediately. Brian Flores’s move at OC came about in part because these flaws don’t jive with Fitzpatrick’s limited window of opportunity that is forcing the timetable of success to speed up.

If Brian Flores is bringing Fitzpatrick back he intends to go for the brass ring this year. That means rookies must contribute out of the box to improve the team’s talent level. It also means Flores believes that some of the 2019 players are better suited in a less complex system as well.

How Does this move affect Rosen?

How does the new spread offense affect the elephant in the room, Josh Rosen?

Armando presents one way of looking at it. But there is a flip side to this coin. Rosen had a different offense every year in college and he did well enough to get drafted 10th Overall. Maybe the better system fit for Rosen will be one step back and two steps forward. The spread often provides easy reads for QBs due to forcing clearer matchups.

Despite the conjecture from many, all I hear from Flores is that Rosen is progressing. Most see it as spin, but the same was said about the ‘tank’. Maybe it’s time to take his word on this one a little sooner?

The only failing of Rosen’s I’ve ever heard Flores speak publicly on is in the speed going through progressions. Let’s remember Tom Brady sat for a year and a half and then was essentially a game manager for almost a decade before he broke. So, it’s no wonder that Rosen struggled to master this offense behind a disastrous O-line in half a season.

I’m not saying Rosen is the next Brady, but if slow progressions are the primary issue… well, it’s no wonder.

Tua, or whoever Miami draft at QB, the spread will speed up their development

Now, I’m also not saying they won’t draft a QB. The chances are very good they do. But even if they do, whoever they draft would struggle early just like Rosen. If Miami does draft Tua, he won’t play this year due to injury. And given how tough it is to get a hold of the Patriots system, that means Tua wouldn’t really be ready to win until at least 2022. That’s too far down the road.

This move speeds up the timetable for any rookie drafted… as well as Rosen.

Added bonuses to the system change

Miami’s strongest offensive unit is the receivers. They will be able to maximize this talent now.
The O-line will benefit due to the defense being less able to crowd the box.
The running game will see a pick up with more space.
Modern football is now about space and speed. Teacup football has its place, but big plays and passing are the best ways to find success.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though

We have witnessed how good the Patriots system is and its fruits were showing with the Dolphins offense at the end of 2019. I was willing to wait the 3-4 years to let this thing come together. For good or ill, only time will tell, Fitzpatrick’s success altered the course of things. Now he must deliver more than a few feel-good moments to make this adjusted course worth it. I get this direction, I do. Flores and Fitzpatrick have earned my trust. But, the stakes have been raised for 2020 to make the ‘Fitzmagic Ride’ worth it. Go Phins!!!

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