Let’s be clear, transparent, and direct about the state of the Miami Dolphins.
There’s something wrong with this franchise’s front office structure.
The constant confusion and dysfunction that persists from the people in positions of power for the Dolphins is a turnoff when it comes to hiring people for leadership positions.
And that’s why owner Steve Ross has had a troublesome history of hires.
What we are seeing during this NFL hiring cycle to replace Brian Flores, who was fired after producing back-to-back winning seasons three years into a rebuild, seems no different than what we witnessed nine years ago when Miami struggled to find a replacement for former general manager Jeff Ireland.
The Dolphins eventually hired Dennis Hickey after three others turned down the job. Then Hickey basically got “deboed” for the job two seasons later when Mike Tannenbaum, who Ross wouldn’t interview for the general manager opening, was hired as vice president of football operations because he upstaged Hickey while being a consultant for Miami for a season.
Ross’ history of making bad hires — and the franchise’s affinity for power struggles — makes it tremendously challenging for Dolphins fans and media members to not conclude that this latest process doesn’t have disaster written all over it.
Let’s take a look at some of the concerns candidates might have about the Dolphins’ head coach job:
A decade-plus of dysfunction
Whether it’s the Ireland-Tony Sparano beef, the Dawn Aponte power struggle, Tannenbaum snaking Hickey for the top football job, the Adam Gase and Tannenbaum power struggle, or Chris Grier’s recent dust up with Flores, the one common thread about the Dolphins is the franchise’s leadership was submerged in some level of dysfunction.
At this point Ross has to take ownership for it because those power struggles have all happened under his watch as team owner.
Job stability isn’t a selling point
Ross turns 82 in May, and has a prospective buyer in place already, which means he could sell to New York businessman Bruce Beal, Jr. in the next few years. An ownership change usually results in a cultural change for a franchise, and that might mean a lack of patience with the newest head coach hire.
Nobody takes a job without having guarantees on job stability. But Flores’ entire five-year contract was guaranteed and that didn’t stop Ross from firing him.
Grier’s footing in the organization isn’t firm
There’s a running theory in NFL circles that the reason Grier survived is because Ross couldn’t stomach firing one of the league’s few black coaches and few black general managers in the same offseason. If that’s truly what saved Grier from being purged, it means he needs to knock it out the park in 2022 from a performance standpoint in free agency and the draft.
If his performance as the team’s top football executive is part of the reason next year’s team struggles don’t be surprised if he’s replaced. And everyone knows a new GM wants to hire their own head coach.
The AFC has a ton of upper-echelon quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Derek Carr and Lamar Jackson all reside in the AFC. Deshaun Watson’s begins his second season of trying to force his way out of Houston, but there’s no guarantee he’ll land on another team.
And it’s possible that Aaron Rodgers could be coming to the AFC if he leaves Green Bay for Denver, which is being speculated because of the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett, his former Packers’ offensive coordinator, who was named the Broncos coach last week. That’s tough sledding for any team trying to become a perennial contender.
Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t have top-tier NFL arm strength
Tagovailoa has spent the past two seasons showing he’s worthy of being an NFL starter, but his lack of arm strength could force his next coach to use a limited playbook because the former Alabama standout can’t make every NFL throw. Whether it’s the serious hip injury he suffered in college or just a lack of velocity on his throws, his limited arm strength is no longer debatable.
Players like Chad Pennington, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kurt Warner and even Drew Brees have carved out respectable NFL careers without possessing a cannon for an arm. But Miami will need to continue investing in the run-pass-option style of offense that Tagovailoa thrived in at Alabama for this to work. What if the next coach doesn’t want to run an RPO-based offense?
Next coach might be encouraged to inherit assistants
There’s usually a handful of quality assistants on every staff, even on losing teams. For instance, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was originally hired by Sparano and retained by Joe Philbin and Gase. However, that was their choice.
Miami’s next hire might be encouraged to keep key members of Flores’ defensive staff, like defensive coordinator Josh Boyer and secondary coach Gerald Alexander, to ensure that there isn’t a ton of collateral loss from the coaching change. But every head coach should be allowed to build their own staff, and forcing their hand could be a turnoff to candidates.
Offensive line needs to be rebuilt
The next coaching staff must accept this job with the understanding that last year’s offensive line handcuffed the entire team because of their limitations. The Dolphins offensive line not only struggled opening up running lanes, but protection was also a major issue.
The only reason they avoided leading the NFL in sacks was because Tagovailoa has stellar pocket presence, and a quick trigger. The hope is that a veteran offensive line coach can get the best out of Austin Jackson, Michael Deiter, Solomon Kindley, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hunt, the five early round draft picks who have struggled in their first few seasons.
Many of Miami’s top players are free agents
Emmanuel Ogbah, the team’s top defensive lineman, tight ends Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, linebacker Elandon Roberts, running backs Duke Johnson and Phillips Lindsay, and defensive back Nik Needham are all expected to become free agents. While the Dolphins have a league-leading $65 million in cap space, re-signing these key contributors could eat up a substantial portion of the team’s budget.
The Dolphins only have 44 players under contract. The draft and undrafted rookie free agents will add another 20 or so players. That means the Dolphins must sign roughly two dozen free agents before training camp in July, and hopefully upgrade the team’s talent base.
Back-to-back coaches fired at conclusion of third season
Two straight Dolphins coaches didn’t make it to a fourth season. Gase was fired at the conclusion of the 2019 season with a 23-25 record and one playoff berth. And Flores got fired at the conclusion of the 2021 season with a 24-25 record, having produced the franchise’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 2002-03.
At this rate, it’s difficult to say what can guarantee the team’s next coach makes it to his fourth season. Philbin made it to a fourth season — and got fired after four games for starting out the 2015 season 1-3.
An impatient fan base
The Dolphins’ two-decade long ride on the mediocrity merry-go-round has negatively impacted the fan base. Dolphins fans have come to expect drama and disappointment. There’s an entire generation of South Floridians who have never seen the Dolphins win a playoff game.
The tide needs to turn in Miami before another generation of fans forget that the Dolphins were once the NFL’s winningest franchise. It’s always the next coaches job to turn that tide, and when he doesn’t, anger and venom usually comes his way.
