It’s extremely important to be aware of where you’re superior to your competition, especially when you’re vying for the same job—or, in the case of the Miami Dolphins, potential coaches.
A quarter of the teams in the league are looking for a new coach, and according to many people versed in that NFL job market, the Dolphins have what’s considered “the middle of the pack” when it comes to eight. vacant head coach positions.
To be clear, there are pros and cons to head coach openings for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, and Dolphins.
Some teams (Broncos) may experience unstable possession or a leader group situation.
Some (Texans, Raiders, and Vikings) have expensive but top-notch quarterbacks. Others (Jaguars, Dolphins, Bears) have young quarterbacks who have potential but need to be developed.
Some (giants, raiders, bears and vikings) will come with new general managers. Some (Dolphins, Jaguars, Broncos) have grandmasters who are likely to find themselves in a hot seat if the new coaching staff does not win immediately.
While the Dolphins are at their destination and have an owner in Steve Ross who will spare no expense to improve his organization and team, concerns have been raised about the Miami vacancy outlets.
With Ross’s age (81) and a looming divorce, there are fears when he will eventually turn ownership over to New York businessman Bruce Beal Jr., who has first choice to buy the franchise.
In addition, the perceived lack of stability that general manager Chris Grier has in his position as the team’s top football executive has alienated some potential candidates this cycle.
The worry, the source said, is that Grier, who is back on the Dolphins’ search committee, could be replaced in a year or two, and then the new general manager might want to choose his head coach.
Ross said he prefers hiring new head coaches and usually wants his coaches from a younger team, which may explain why former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson (53) and former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell (67) is in the mix for other discoveries, but doesn’t look like Miami.
In addition, Tua Tagovailoa’s alleged commitment to the organization as the team’s starting quarterback and face of the franchise could be problematic as it would force the hands of the next head coach.
“The Giants didn’t interfere with their process by telling teams that Daniel Jones is their guy,” said the nominee, who spoke to several teams about opening this cycle. “They said, ‘What are your plans as a quarterback?’ ”
At this point, it is unclear what Ross and Grier’s personal stance is on Tagovailoa. But publicly, the team has expressed a desire to build around a 2020 first-round pick, and that could see the future coach move another team ahead of Miami on his roster.
The biggest issue the Dolphins may face in the coming days is whether their top choice will be Buffalo offensive and defensive coordinators Brian Daball and Leslie Fraser, San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, coordinators attack or defense of Dallas by Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn, Los Angeles. Rams assistant coach Thomas Browne and Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph would have preferred the Dolphins to another job.
Another factor influencing this search is Ross’s desire to improve the diversity of leadership roles in the NFL.
A year ago, the Dolphins were one of only two franchises to have a minority as general manager and head coach, accompanied by Washington, where Martin Mayhew was general manager and Ron Rivera was coach.
Ross is one of the league’s biggest proponents of diversity, which gives Joseph, Frazier and Brown a legitimate chance to replace Flores if they do well in the interview and deliver an impressive presentation outlining their four-year plan to turn the Dolphins into a perennial winner.
For Joseph, who spent one season with the Dolphins as defensive coordinator Adam Geise before becoming head coach of Denver (12-21 record in two seasons), and Frazier, who coached the Minnesota to a 21-32 record in four seasons, Miami’s main concern should be who’s going to run the offense and who’s going to develop the quarterback for these defensive-minded coaches.
This was one of the factors behind Miami’s decision to move on from Flores and could be a major factor in determining who will replace him.
