http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000...-part-ways

 

I was expecting Miami to fire their GM, not "agree to part ways" with him. But telling Jeff Ireland goodbye while keeping Joe Philbin was smart.

 

In other news, Mike Sherman was fired as Miami's OC.

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LOL, Jeff Ireland isn't getting fired just like the Falcons didn't "fire" Mike Mularkey....yet in both cases both franchises wanted the bums out. 

 

Oh, and Joe Philbin sucks. 

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LOL, Jeff Ireland isn't getting fired just like the Falcons didn't "fire" Mike Mularkey....yet in both cases both franchises wanted the bums out. 

 

Oh, and Joe Philbin sucks. 

 

Philbin deserves another year because the Dolphins were one game away from the playoffs.

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Philbin deserves another year because the Dolphins were one game away from the playoffs.

 

Whether Joe Philbin deserves another year or not,  what happens if the best G.M. candidates want to hire their own Head Coach and that's something they insist on as part of their contract?

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Whether Joe Philbin deserves another year or not,  what happens if the best G.M. candidates want to hire their own Head Coach and that's something they insist on as part of their contract?

 

Well, if you want to be a GM you don't insist on anything.

 

Actually, having to accept Philbin gives you more job security as a GM. If Philbin succeeds, great, everybody is happy. If Philbin fails you have the advantage of not having been able to pick your guy, so you get a few extra years to see how the team does under the guy you hire.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

They've essentially been putting a sweet sound system and a paint job on a $500 car with that team in an effort to manufacture a playoff run. It's no surprise that he is gone. I like Joe Philbin but that team is a season away from collapsing under its own weight and he'll be gone. Build through the draft, folks. Expecting free agents to all match expectations and be the pillars of a team is Fools Gold. 

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Well, if you want to be a GM you don't insist on anything.

 

Actually, having to accept Philbin gives you more job security as a GM. If Philbin succeeds, great, everybody is happy. If Philbin fails you have the advantage of not having been able to pick your guy, so you get a few extra years to see how the team does under the guy you hire.

  

I agree with you regarding non-top level GM candidates.   IMO though,  a top level GM candidate would be better off waiting for a better opportunity to open up than accepting an opportunity in which the Head Coach doesn't have a winning track record in that position.   This in addition to the GM candidate having significant doubts about the HC moving forward. 

 

It's realistically possible accepting Joe Philbin would lead to more job security.   But I can easily envision a scenario that Philbin lasts two more seasons.  If that happens,  my guess is the GM wouldn't have the type of time frame that might be needed to build the franchise with the Head Coach of his choice.   

 

Stephen Ross seems to be an impulsive owner.   A few months ago,  Ross gave Ireland a contract extension after the Dolphins got off to a fast start.    Fast forward to today,  Ireland's services are no longer wanted by Ross.

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Stephen Ross seems to be an impulsive owner. A few months ago, Ross gave Ireland a contract extension after the Dolphins got off to a fast start. Fast forward to today, Ireland's services are no longer wanted by Ross.

 

Question: If Miami went to the playoffs, would Ireland still be employed?

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Question: If Miami went to the playoffs, would Ireland still be employed?

 

Very likely.  

 

The shutout loss on the road against the Bills and the home loss to the Jets in the regular season finale probably are the difference why Jeff Ireland and Mike Sherman were shown the door.

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I agree with you regarding non-top level GM candidates.   IMO though,  a top level GM candidate would be better off waiting for a better opportunity to open up than accepting an opportunity in which the Head Coach doesn't have a winning track record in that position.   This in addition to the GM candidate having significant doubts about the HC moving forward. 

 

It's realistically possible accepting Joe Philbin would lead to more job security.   But I can easily envision a scenario that Philbin lasts two more seasons.  If that happens,  my guess is the GM wouldn't have the type of time frame that might be needed to build the franchise with the Head Coach of his choice.   

 

Stephen Ross seems to be an impulsive owner.   A few months ago,  Ross gave Ireland a contract extension after the Dolphins got off to a fast start.    Fast forward to today,  Ireland's services are no longer wanted by Ross.

 

I'm sure you are correct in pointing out that any potential GM candidate needs to consider the owner when applying for the job.

 

But GM jobs are so few and far between and come up relatively rarely I don't think many guys feel they can say no when offered the position.

 

I don't know that there are many (any?) "top level" GM candidates who can dictate their terms of employment. If there are there are certainly options an owner can look to. It's not like a GM candidate can point to a record of accomplishment. A GM candidate is selling himself as an agent of hope. The owner has to have a certain amount of blind faith when hiring. Because you never really know.

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.

I'm sure you are correct in pointing out that any potential GM candidate needs to consider the owner when applying for the job.

 

But GM jobs are so few and far between and come up relatively rarely I don't think many guys feel they can say no when offered the position.

 

I don't know that there are many (any?) "top level" GM candidates who can dictate their terms of employment. If there are there are certainly options an owner can look to. It's not like a GM candidate can point to a record of accomplishment. A GM candidate is selling himself as an agent of hope. The owner has to have a certain amount of blind faith when hiring. Because you never really know.

 

Using Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell as an example,  for whatever reason (s ) he decided not accept the Jets offer last winter for their GM job.    It's realistically possible Caldwell would have agreed to become the Jets GM if he didn't have a chance to land the Jaguars or another GM job last winter.   Yet,   it seemed like Caldwell had major concerns about accepting the Jets GM job.  

 

Granted,  there's risk to turn down a GM job,  in waiting for a better opportunity from another team.   However,  if you accept the GM job and the organization has too many pitfalls to overcome,  the GM probably won't get another NFL GM opportunity. 

 

I respect both viewpoints on this topic.  Having said that,  if I was in the position of a highly regarded GM candidate,   I would stay with my current organization unless an opportunity that I feel right about presents itself.

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Using Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell as an example,  for whatever reason (s ) he decided not accept the Jets offer last winter for their GM job.    It's realistically possible Caldwell would have agreed to become the Jets GM if he didn't have a chance to land the Jaguars or another GM job last winter.   Yet,   it seemed like Caldwell had major concerns about accepting the Jets GM job.  

 

Granted,  there's risk to turn down a GM job,  in waiting for a better opportunity from another team.   However,  if you accept the GM job and the organization has too many pitfalls to overcome,  the GM probably won't get another NFL GM opportunity. 

 

I respect both viewpoints on this topic.  Having said that,  if I was in the position of a highly regarded GM candidate,   I would stay with my current organization unless an opportunity that I feel right about presents itself.

 

David Caldwell did not want to interview with the Jets. Shad Khan told him to do that to make sure he really wanted the Jaguars job. So if he was not hired by the Jaguars, I guarantee you he would have waited for another team to fire its GM while staying in Atlanta.

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This is a few years too late. Ireland was awful. 

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Live long and prosper \\// 

This is a few years too late. Ireland was awful. 

 

Worse than Gene Smith and Matt Millen?

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For what it's worth,  the Fritz Pollard Alliance has major concerns about the Dolphins organizational structure and direction:

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...phins-job/

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Related to this discussion,  Chiefs Pro Personnel Director Chris Ballard elected not to be interviewed for the Bucs GM job.  While Ballard probably is concerned about moving his family again,  it's possible that Ballard would view the Bucs GM situation differently if he would have had total control in Tampa.  It will be interesting to see what transpires with Ballard in the next couple of years:

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...nsas-city/

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For what it's worth,  the Fritz Pollard Alliance has major concerns about the Dolphins organizational structure and direction:

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...phins-job/

 

That Dolphins organization has been a mess for awhile and Ross' ownership, if anything has continued those issues. 

 

Which is fine with me. Dolphins fans are typically frontrunners anyway. 

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That Dolphins organization has been a mess for awhile and Ross' ownership, if anything has continued those issues. 

 

Which is fine with me. Dolphins fans are typically frontrunners anyway. 

 

  It gets back to the Jaguars 62-7 playoff win over the Dolphins in the 1999 season,  which in reality the Dolphins have never truly recovered from.

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  It gets back to the Jaguars 62-7 playoff win over the Dolphins in the 1999 season,  which in reality the Dolphins have never truly recovered from.

 

I'd love to believe that to be true, as the 62-7 game was certainly one of our best moments as a Jags franchise, but its probably not the case. 

 

Not only did the Dolphins have a winning record in the next 4 consecutive seasons following that fateful 1999 season, 5 of the next 6....but they also won their very next playoff game than next year 23-17 vs a pretty good Indy team over a pretty good QB....

 

It was starting with Saban's failure in 2006 or 7 that really started their fall that they've not recovered from. 

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I'd love to believe that to be true, as the 62-7 game was certainly one of our best moments as a Jags franchise, but its probably not the case. 

 

Not only did the Dolphins have a winning record in the next 4 consecutive seasons following that fateful 1999 season, 5 of the next 6....but they also won their very next playoff game than next year 23-17 vs a pretty good Indy team over a pretty good QB....

 

It was starting with Saban's failure in 2006 or 7 that really started their fall that they've not recovered from. 

 

From a tangible standpoint,  what you mentioned is the case.

 

I'm looking at the situation more from the Dolphins no longer had the people in place at the most important positions in the football component of their organization.   The Dolphins never got to the point that they looked like they could go deep in the playoffs.  Eventually,  their overall roster declined and the losses became more frequent.   To the point that they went 4-12 in 2004 and have only had one playoff team since then.  

 

While it's possible Ryan Tannehill will prove to be the long term solution at QB for the Dolphins,  the position has been problematic for them since Dan Marino retired.    Since the OT playoff win you mentioned in the 2000 season,  the season after Marino retired,  the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game.  

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