Dolphin Direction

As even the most casual sports fan probably knows, the Miami Dolphins have made quite a splash this offseason. Forgive the pun, but the Dolphins, who entered the offseason with the third highest cap space of any team in the NFL, have overhauled much of their roster during the past two months. A once dominant force under Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, Miami’s team was a perennial contender throughout the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s. However, those days are long gone now and the last decade and a half have been marked by mediocrity in the form of missed playoffs, disappointing drafts, and countless regime changes- including ownership. The differences between the different eras in franchise history are clear and aptly described by one word: stability. Most involved with the NFL would agree that the most important places of stability are ownership, front office (namely general manager), head coach, and quarterback. Ask any Dolphins fan and they’ll likely agree those positions have more closely resembled a revolving door than the franchise’s first 25 years.

The most recent names to fill those positions are Stephen Ross, Jeff Ireland, Joe Philbin, and Ryan Tannehill. Ross has been under the microscope since he bought the team in 2008. His first move was to bring in coaching legend Bill Parcells as VP of football operations, who brought Jeff Ireland with him from Dallas to be the team’s GM. Since Parcells’ departure in 2010 Ireland has been the primary personnel decision maker. Many fans, fueled in large part by the South Florida media, have used Ireland as the chief scapegoat for recent failures. Regardless, he has received Ross’ full support and in 2012 the two endorsed the hiring of new head coach Joe Philbin. The trio’s first move as a unit was drafting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the first round of the draft. The team surprised many last season with 7 wins in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. And Tannehill showed promise in his 16 starts, especially considering it was only his second as a quarterback (he was a wide receiver until 2011).

So that brings us to today. While it’s hard to defend keeping the core of a team that achieved less than satisfactory results in recent years, the Dolphins’ offseason upheaval has led many to point out, “Championships aren’t won in March and April.” Moreover, Joe Philbin has suggested that building a team through free agency isn’t a recipe for success. However, many of the players Philbin inherited did not fit the offensive and defensive schemes he had begun to implement and several available free agents did. The driving force behind the spending binge Miami went on was steered by urgency. Vacant stadium seats led Stephen Ross to apply necessary pressure on both Ireland and Philbin to win now. And that’s exactly what this team aims to do.

With the mindset of win now in place, Ireland and the rest of the front office brain trust went to work trying to fix team deficiencies and plug up holes on the roster. Priority number one: providing playmakers for Ryan Tannehill and an offense that lacked explosive plays. Ireland’s solution was to throw money at a young, but proven, and elite deep threat receiver Mike Wallace. In the days and weeks following the team added seam-threat tight end Dustin Keller and versatile slot wide receiver Brandon Gibson. Priority number two: enhancing a defense that was good, but not good enough to slow down Tom Brady. With the Dolphins chasing the division front running Patriots, Ireland and Philbin know that until they can stop New England’s All-Pro quarterback, they’ll be shooting for a wild card playoff berth every year. Every team’s goal is to win the division, win the conference, and then win the Super Bowl. Miami has their eyes set on goal number one. That’s why they replaced solid veteran linebackers Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett with rising stars Danelle Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler. While the four players had similar production last season, the team’s defensive coordinator, Kevin Coyle, prefers blitzing linebackers as part of a more aggressive scheme. Both Wheeler and Ellerbe bring that element to the table as they have displayed a proven knack for getting to the opposing team’s quarterback. The Dolphins and their fans just hope this year that quarterback is Tom Brady.

While they’ve shelled out more than $50 million dollars in contract money and added several household names to their roster, Miami is far from done making noise this offseason. The Dolphins have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds of this year’s draft. With some speculation of trades, most believe Ireland will keep his picks and hopefully add 5 solid contributors to the team. After the draft the team will return to free agency to fix any remaining roster deficiencies.

If you follow the team, or even the NFL, with any regularity you probably already know most, if not all, of these things. Whether you’re a Dolphins fan or not you’re probably skeptical because you’ve heard this song all too many times in the past 15 years. Let me be clear, I’m in no position to tell you that you’re right or wrong. Only one man is, and his name is Ryan Tannehill. Sure you’re not surprised to see a quarterback given significant responsibility for his team’s success, but some aren’t willing to take it to this extreme. Last season, the rookie flashed moments of greatness, but not enough consistency to carry the team when they needed him most. This is understandable because he’s in his first season and didn’t have much talent around him. No I’m not suggesting that he needs to become a top 5 QB by next season or the franchise is doomed. I am, however, pointing out that he has no more excuses. He’s been through a full 16 game season and gotten through his lumps. His receiving core is now almost as good as any in the league. Additionally, he’ll have the same position coach and coordinator continuing to instruct him in the offense. No one is expecting him to lead his team to the Super Bowl in 2013, but as a young signal caller with promise, and all the tools to succeed, will he be the next Joe Flacco or the next Chad Henne?

Everyone in Miami is getting excited for next season. With a new logo, new uniforms, several new star players, and possibly a renovated stadium on the horizon, it’s an understandable sentiment. I’m not here to poke holes in it, or rain on the parade of a success-starved fanbase, but the fate of the franchise hinges on a 24-year-old gunslinger from the lone star state. That’s why they call them franchise quarterbacks.