Is the Grier/McDaniel Regime in Freefall!?
It looks like the rats might be fleeing the sinking ship!
The Miami Dolphins once again flopped hard in a big moment, losing to the Green Bay Packers 30-17 Thanksgiving night. Now it seems the tea leaves are saying there’s something not jiving with Chris Grier and the Dolphins staff and the Miami players and the staff. A real free for all seems to be brewing and the next step appears to be a breakup. Likely a few more losses will cement the divorce.
What to make of the rising dysfunction
Unbelievably, we had linebacker Jordyn Brooks call the team soft after the Packers loss. This was just two weeks after former Dolphin safety DeShon Elliot called the Phins soft. Cracks are forming everywhere. The rumor mill now has unnamed players complaining about how he handled the cold weather. Can you take these rumors as gospel? No. But at the same time, I can see these rumor being true as well. One thing you can bet with the best pay per heads is that all these reports are pointing to a new era of dysfunction if the Phins keep losing.
And on top of this, we found out this week that Grier never notified either McDaniel or Weaver about the Shaq Barrett situation and both coaches found out about it at the podium through the media questioning them about it. If McDaniel is in charge of the team, shouldn’t he get this info? And if not, then certainly the coaches shouldn’t have found out at the podium so they can look foolish. Clearly, Grier wasn’t being a team player or civil. Maybe all the hype about Grier being a ‘nice guy’ who ‘only wants to serve the coaches’ isn’t how it really works or who he really is.
Heck, last year Grier mocked fans concerns about the offensive line and when the fans were proven right, he simply doubled down this year. Now, given the collapse of this team you can almost hear the rats scurrying down the gangplank.
History has too many trends now
Last year, when Vic Fangio left the Dolphins, we found out he didn’t know who was coming to his practice field. Grier would sign guys and send them to practice without ever telling Fangio, who would see new players show up without ever getting a chance to plan his practice with them in mind. All we were told to focus on was that Fangio wasn’t good so good riddance, he never wanted to be here anyway, and some players let out to the media that he ‘wasn’t a nice guy’. Then we heard from Ron Jaworski a close friend of Fangio that plenty of Phins players were lazy.
Given how we are seeing the defense respond this season and how ‘soft’ is the buzz word from the players themselves, maybe Fangio wasn’t the villain.
Maybe the villain was higher up the totem pole.
Grier must go!
Grier has always been a guy to lay the blame on others and skate free of punishment. It seems McDaniel and Weaver are now down range of his aim instead of Fangio, Boyer, Gailey, Flores, Gase, and Tannenbaum. This isn’t’ to say any one these guys are innocent, but maybe Grier has been a far bigger problem than the media narratives purported. Every time we enter this phase of failure reports start rising to cut someone down, but it never seems to be about Grier.
You notice that?
It’s almost as if he is made of Teflon… or he’s a master in the arts of media assassination.
Well, I for one hope the Teflon Don’s days are numbered.
If just one good thing can come from the Dolphins 2024 Season it would be Grier getting his pink slip. Go Phins!!!
One of these days they will stop running the team by commitee. You need a coach that will tell the GM go get me a good LB or whatever. That is the way the strong teams work. Look at Balt. or now San Diego Or KC their coaches rule the roost. I could see the mistakes as they happen in the team even going back to Dan Cambell. There is no future here.
MJ,
Another disappointing season. Like I have said in earlier responses, management is the problem! Lots of good players. Any other HC worth his $ like Reid, Tomlin, Harbaugh, Payton, etc., would have this team with a winning record and in the thick of the playoffs. Grier needs to go! He has made some good pics, but constantly under mines and blind-sides the coaching staff. He is “cheap” and when we draft good players after 3 years he lets them walk. He is the single biggest problem, but he is a “yes” man all the way. How long will Ross put up with him? I hope Ross can make the tough decision and replace him after 25+ year with the team. Ross is still a problem. He is seen as a “snake in the grass” and not trustworthy. I say promote Marvin Allen Asst. GM if he is still here. Allen came from KC and their scouting division. He was very instrumental in the Chiefs drafting Mahomes. Give him a shot. He knows the organization and the players. Lastly, I think McDaniels needs to go! He is a fine OC, but does not appear to be a HC. We have heard too often about the team being “soft”. Even ex-Dolphin greats like Larry Cszonka are saying we are not physical enough. Not sure how this guy runs his practices but it feels like Philbin all over again. McDaniels is a “professor” but not a HC, drill sgt., diciplinarian. Even the players who once hailed his name are now questioning preparation and moves. We need a fire sale top down. I don’t think this team will win or be competitive until some real changes at the top and coaching are made. With 5 games left I predict a 2-3 record with the typical December “swoon” and epic collapse. Final record maybe 7-10. Trade Hill for a 1st round pick, grab a good looking young QB to back up Tua cause he is not going to last. Then go OL or interior DT with our 2 first round picks. A “soft” rebuild is needed. Right now we are loosing the battles in the trenches. I said going into the season I did not think we did enough to replace the talent we lost. Huge mistake #1 giving Tua a new contract. Should have exercised his 5th year option period! Then the money saved could have gone to help the OL and DL/Edge. Maybe we could have kept Van Ginkel? Big mistake #2 Going with Skylar Thompson as our back up QB and not signing a more proven capable veteran. Thompson is not NFL caliber! These two massive mistakes were made by McDaniels, Grier, and possibly with input from Ross. This has proven to be an epic failure Only Kamala Harris failed worse! Maybe we could look to college ranks for HC, however, these generally don’t work out as the NFL is different beast altogether. I will barely follow this team the rest of the season since I know how this will end. I would be interested in getting your input and Jimmy too. Hope you had otherwise a Happy Thanksgiving Holdiay and enjoy the Holidays Season!