Why Phins Fans Shouldn’t Be Worried

M.J.

5 years ago

Phins have the right foundation with Ross COMPLETELY out of football decisions.

Reports are Jim Caldwell will join the Miami Dolphins

Most Phins fans were ecstatic when Mike Tannenbaum and Adam Gase were fired…

… But the fan base is split on Ross’ decision to keep Chris Grier and make him the ‘big man on campus’.

Grier’s choice for a new Head Coach has done little to bring confidence.

While it’s technically a rumor, Brian Flores will be the next Miami Dolphins Head Coach. The choice has stirred up worries that the ‘failure model’ of the last two decades is still the blueprint in South Florida.

This isn’t the case.

While I’m on the fence about the top end of Grier and Flores’ acumen, I’m not worried in the least…

… Let me explain.

For me, ‘worried’ is a regime that’s a total $%!& storm and puts us in a worse position than when they started…

… like every Phins regime has over the last 18 years.

The biggest problem with the Dolphins the last two decades is they’ve neither won anything relevant, found a quality quarterback, or stocked the team with enough talent that the next regime to build on.

Year after year, it’s been the worst of all worlds for the Dolphins fans.
Convoluted and incompetent leadership has wasted two generations with desperate ploys to win now. Thankfully, this failed model is no longer in effect.

Here’s a recap of the last 20 years to set a baseline :

‘Wanstache’ Era: The Dave Wannstedt (HC) and Rick Spielman (GM) regime marred by poor coaching decisions, HC overruling the GM on draft selections, and the short-term rent of Ricky Williams for blue chip picks.
Nick Satan Era: Nick Saban (HC) and Randy Mueller (GM) duo was a disaster. Two poor drafts and signing Culpepper over Brees were key issues. Culpepper never fully recovered from his knee injury and was benched after his fourth game. Saban then slithered out the door with the Dolphins a disaster.
Cam Cannot Era: Cam Cameron (HC) and Randy Mueller (GM) had one ugly 1-15 season together. They missed out on a ton of talent in the draft for Ted Ginn and the Ginn family.
Barnum & Bailey Bill Era: Tony Sparano (HC) and Jeff Ireland (GM) AND Bill Parcells (VP) was a convoluted mess held together by Sparano’s ability to lead players. Poor drafts stacked up and Parcells ran for the hills when Steven Ross took over ownership. The cloak and dagger pursuit of Jim Harbaugh that went public led to an awkward extension of Sparano… which ultimately ended in his firing, anyway. Ross’ image was now tarnished to prospective coaches and his cancerous meddling metastasized.

And unbelievably, the Dolphins slid to new lows over this decade

‘‘ Era aka ‘The Queasy Years’: Joe Philbin (HC) and Jeff Ireland (GM) ushered in a new low of talent acquisition and acceleration of Ross’ intervention by overruling Ireland to pick Philbin. Though the team produced mediocre win totals, good players left and were replaced by stiffs. ‘Bully Gate’ ravaged the team inside the locker room and in the media as Jeff Ireland, Dawn Aponte, and Joe Philbin played an idiots version of Game of Thrones. The cherry on top of this pile of turd was the Dion Jordan debacle and Ross refusing to allow prospective GMs the authority to fire ‘Queasy’ … So, he scrapped the bottom of the barrel and hired his friend/lackey Mike Tannenbaum.
Blown ‘Gaseket’ Era: Adam Gase (HC) and Chris Grier GM (year two) and Mike Tannenbaum (VP) continued the mess of a command structure. Ross continued sticking his nose into things by overruling Tannenbaum to pick Gase over a veteran HC and refusing to hire a vet DC in Year 2. Despite big misses with blue-chip picks and high priced FAs, they brought in some fine talents. Big mistakes and issues though devoured the promise of 2016. Blown Gaseket Era seven-step program for failure: Ross offering Gase control over the roster and intervening more and more, bad luck, big misses in talent acquisition, the inability of staff and players to get along, poor financial decisions and talent evaluations, and the mantra of retooling to win now rather than rebuild.

I’m out of breath after that one!

With the bar so low, this new regime just needs to be average to outdo the last 20 years.

You can make a sure bet with the
pay per head sites like www.AcePerHead.com that the current building plan is a 180 u-turn from any of the last two decades. I can’t help but think of George Costanza’s plan from Seinfeld to do the exact opposite of what he normally does as a sure blueprint for success.

These are the reasons why I’m not worried… no matter how this regime plays out? Simply installing off a coherent plan will make this regime’s build end up superior to what we’ve seen to anything in the new .

Ross will NOT have final say on football decisions. This alone should give every fan hope.
Grier’s ability to draft is still a mystery, but it’s 100% certain he likes to be patient with his draft board. No more wasted pick to trade up for the Carroo’s and Jordan’s of the world. Also, the Brandon Marshall and Ricky Williams trades that screw the future for a mad dash through the tulips are out.
We will build through the draft and the expectations are to lose early. This will allow the regime to be patient. Fact: We dive hard in 2019 for a low pick to get a QB in 2020. This will offer our best chance to finally find a quarterback since Marino.
Quarterbacks acquired from the draft are the #1 priority while we hold to #2.
The Head Coach will be a Head Coach and not a hybrid calling plays from the sidelines.
The GM and HC are willingly married… no shotgun marriages this time around.
High-priced Free Agent splash signings are gone with the wind. We will have a roster built with CAP responsibility.

This rebuild may take two regimes, but the direction is right

Chris Grier, Marvin Allen, Brian Flores, and Jim Caldwell as Offensive Coordinator / Assistant HC will without a doubt bring stability. This single, long missed aspect will create a strong step forward. Add in CAP space free of poor contracts, young talent, an owner just writing checks, and a proper command structure and you have a dysfunctional franchise pulling out of a nosedive.

This is a half a decade project folks… there isn’t a quick solution. Maybe this regime is just warming the seat for the next one? If they are even competent in this then they have done their job.

Odds are this regime will struggle to find wins. Reality is most regimes flop. But if they do and are replaced a few years from now, and Grier has drafted as he did over the last three seasons (B Grade), this roster will be attractive to another General Manager and Head Coach. That is if Ross has truly learned his lesson on non-intervention.

As weird as it sounds, this would be a big win for us.

But if Grier can find a Top 12 QB to go along with the regime steading the ship, Flores may prove to do more than just bench warmer. Flores has a lot of excellent qualities and he will be given a rare luxury in the NFL: time to learn on the job, make mistakes and grow with his team.

Jim Caldwell is worth his weight in gold to a young coach

Let’s not forget the value of having Caldwell (if this truly ends up the case). While he isn’t an elite coach, he has elite experience and is a man of outstanding character.

This group of leaders is the most coherent assembling we’ve had in a long time.

I don’t know how high the ceiling of this regime will reach. No one does at this point. But I know for sure that using this blueprint, instead of the one used over the last twenty years, will raise the floor and lift this Dolphins team out of dysfunctionality. Go Phins!!!