FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It is critically important to have an awareness of where you stack up with your competition, especially when competing for the same job — or in the Miami Dolphins’ case, prospective coaches.
One-fourth of the teams in the league are searching for a new coach, and according to numerous people with insight on this NFL job market, the Dolphins have what is viewed as a “middle of the pack” opening when it comes to the eight vacant head coaching positions.
To be clear, there are pros and cons to the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos and Dolphins’ head coach openings.
Some of teams (Broncos) might come with an unstable ownership or leadership group situation.
A handful (Texans, Raiders and Vikings) feature expensive, but top-shelf quarterbacks. Others (Jaguars, Dolphins, Bears) possess young quarterbacks who have upside, but need some refining.
A few (Giants, Raiders, Bears and Vikings) will come with new general managers. Some (Dolphins, Jaguars, Broncos) feature GM’s that will likely be on the hot seat if the new coaching staff doesn’t produce wins immediately.
While the Dolphins are in a destination location, and have an owner in Steve Ross who will spare no expense to improve his organization and team, concerns have been raised about the selling points of the Miami vacancy.
With Ross’ advanced age (81), and impending divorce, there are concerns about when he’ll eventually transfer ownership to New York businessman Bruce Beal Jr., who has the right of first option to purchase the franchise.
Also, the perceived lack of stability that general manager Chris Grier has in his post as the team’s top football executive has turned some prospective candidates in this cycle off.
According to a source, the concern is that Grier, who is once again part of the Dolphins’ search committee, could be replaced in a year or two, and then a new general manager could want to pick their own head coach.
Ross has said he prefers to hire first-time head coaches and typically wants his coaches to be on the younger side, which might explain why former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson (53) and former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell (67) are in the mix for other openings, but seemingly not Miami’s.
Also, the organization’s supposed commitment to Tua Tagovailoa as the team’s starting quarterback, and face of the franchise could be problematic because it would force the hand of the next head coach.
“The Giants didn’t go into their process telling teams Daniel Jones is their guy,” said a candidate who spoke to multiple teams about openings this cycle. “They asked, ‘What would your plan be at quarterback?’ ”
At this point, it is unclear what Ross and Grier’s private stance on Tagovailoa is. But publicly the team has expressed a desire to build around the 2020 first-round pick, and that could lead to a prospective coach moving another team ahead of Miami on their list.
The biggest concern the Dolphins could face in the coming days is whether their top candidate — whether it’s Buffalo offensive and defensive coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier, San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Dallas offensive or defensive coordinators Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn, Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown and Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph — would pick the Dolphins over another job.
Another factor entering the equation in this search is Ross’ push for improving diversity in the NFL’s positions of power.
A year ago the Dolphins were one of two franchise’s that had a minority at general manager and head coach, accompanied by Washington, which has Martin Mayhew as general manager and Ron Rivera as coach.
Ross is one of the league’s biggest advocates for diversity, which gives Joseph, Frazier and Brown a legit shot to replace Flores, if they interview well and provide an impressive presentation that outlines their four-year plan to turn the Dolphins into a perennial winner.
For Joseph, who spent one season with the Dolphins as Adam Gase’s defensive coordinator before becoming Denver’s head coach (12-21 record in two seasons), and Frazier, who coached Minnesota to a 21-32 record in his four seasons, the top concern for Miami has to be who will handle the offense and who will develop the quarterback for these defensive-minded coaches.
That was one of the factors in Miami’s decision to move on from Flores, and it could be the main factor in determining who replaces him.
