Is Front Office So Desperate They Go ‘Jeff Ireland’ In 2018?

Front Office must say NO to desperation moves and use the CAP wisely

Dolphins win or lose on what Front Office does now. This is their time!

The Miami Dolphins Front Office has a ton of work to do this off-season. The next three months are critical to the Phin’s success throughout 2018. Despite no games being played before August, the team will win or lose this season based on what the FO does now.

Nevertheless, most pay per head sites already have the Phins with a dismal 75-1 chance of winning the Super Bowl next season. In case you don’t understand odds, that means the money guys think we’re going to have another ho-hum year… or worse.  So only the most die-hard fans are predicting the Phins to be relevant next season. But then, what do we know?

This negative expectation, plus the disaster of 2017, a frenzied fan base, and owner Steven Ross expecting results like–or better than–2016 is a mountain of pressure on the Phins leadership to win.

The Phins have A LOT of positions that need serious upgrade.

We know the reasons for this dour view are legion. But the key ones are rather simple:

1. FO has failed with their blue chips to acquire players who succeed in the Phins system.
2. Coaches have failed to develop players that the Front Office does acquire.

Given the past 6-10 season, there is a lot of animus between fans and franchise. The perfect atmosphere exists for the trifecta (VP Tannenbaum, GM Grier, and HC Gase) to make desperate moves to save their skins. And just like Jeff Ireland, if those ‘go for broke’ moves don’t pan out, then the Dolphins fans and franchise will be left holding the bag for years to come.

Imagine if Ireland & Quesy hadn’t tried to make Jordan into what he wasn’t to justify the pick?

Front Office must find diamonds-in-the-rough, not highly flawed “gems”

Miami’s crucial needs are well defined:

• Offensive Lineman (at least one starter, two if James leaves)
• Linebacker (cover ability is essential)
• Tight End (complete, both blocking and receiving, Red Zone threat)
• Wide Receiver (slot: assume Landry gone /deep: assume Parker fail)
• Running Back (assume Williams gone)
• Defensive End (assume Wake demise)
• Quarterback (real backup/development behind Tannehill)

That’s a mouthful for sure. And that doesn’t even include a bunch of other areas of concern such as resigning DE Hayes and CB depth.

PhinsNews has talked about how this regime needs to learn from their past mistakes and not double-down on dumb moves. But we have also talked about how the Phins have made plenty of good moves with their back-end contract and draft picks.

Can, and will, this regime learn from their past errors? Will they continue in what they’ve done well… BUT also add to it:

1. Not overpaying sub-par players because the FO didn’t prepare well enough
2. Go bottom-barrel shopping at positions that they are devoid of starter talent in
3. End up going ‘Full Monti’ in a blockbuster move that ends up a blunder

Above all, desperation is a dangerous trap… it will catch you ever time.

For example, coming off shoulder surgery, desperate Dolphins pushed Jordan to gain a lot of weight fast! And maybe even gave him the ‘roids that got him busted.

For every ‘mega-move’ like Eagles with Wentz, there’s a dozen failures

Will Phins trifecta overplay their hand as they did with Tannehill down?

The Front Office must be professional, always putting the organization’s future first. No more hi hos of double middle fingers in the air with an Ireland special. On the other hand, we Phins fans should be sober in our expectations as well. Every issue with this roster won’t be fixed to perfection this off-season.

The odds for the 2019 Super Bowl are already up on various PPH Bookie service websites. It’s no surprise that the Patriots are the current favorite at +500. Neither should we be surprised that the Dolphins are at +7500… 7^th worst in the NFL.

The recipe is simple for keeping this regime around in 2018. Just prove they are at least competent in every area. All three, Grier, Gase, and Tannenbaum must avoid just one season of having a complete screw up in any area of their game. First, they need to slowly build this roster over the next 2-3 years. Equally important, Gase needs to show he can run a tight ship with low penalties, low offensive turnovers, and a controlled locker room. If they just do those alone, even without a ring under their belt, they will be the best regime since Shula… And then, if they can do this, then we can start demanding another ring.

But first they must put the franchise’s future ahead of their careers and do what’s right for the LONG term health of the team. I’ll say again, desperation is a dangerous trap… it will catch you ever time. Go Phins!!!

What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts on how Miami should attack the off-season?