Salguero: Ireland told his job is safe

Let's be honest here: a LOT of people thought we should keep Long, even if it meant franchising him. A LOT of people also thought we should have made more of an effort to replace him. This was 20/20 foresight, not hindsight. A blind man could have called that one.

 

Jordan does start at DE at times. So does Odrick. It depends on the package Coyles is running. Some of Vernons sacks came up the middle, not at DE. Also Jordan gets used in coverage down field at times to cover receivers and has done a very nice job. His versatility is why is used differently.

The coaches keep Jordan on a snap count as they do most of their rookies. Jordan also plays some ST.

You really don't know what you're talking about in this thread. Jordan wasn't even drafted when Starks was franchised.

 

Wallace is making a salary of $27M over 2 years, including his $11M signing bonus. His salary is a whopping $1M this season. Team friendly deal. The only way he makes a total of $60M is IF the team decides to pick up the option for the last 3 seasons after next season. Doubt it happens.

 

So you think this team is winning in spite of its coach?, there's no leeway for being in the middle of a playoff hunt in his 2nd year amidst a lot of adversity, it's indicting in your opinion when a young team young Qb gives up some leads?

 

I've read that during the offseason Ireland made Jake an offer that would of paid him as an elite player...the pric didn't want to be here, been saying it for two years.

 

Well, it's winning and losing at about the same rate. And is a lucky bounce (or Antonio Brown foot) or two away from being the same team it was last year. I think this team has the talent to be better, so no, I'm not very impressed by 7-6, even if it does mean we are in a playoff race in a down year for the AFC. I think clock and game management has been very suspect. Playcalling has been mediocre at best, and although Philbin has apparently delegated that to his coordinators, he is still ultimately responsible for it. The poor and very flat performances against Buffalo and Tampa coming off a bye and a de facto bye were not a sign of good coaching IMO. I think Dion Jordan has been disturbingly underused. I think the emphasis on keeping Tannehill in the pocket may have cost us some some games. I think both short yardage playcalling and execution has generally been pretty poor.

What are the things you think Philbin has done so well?

 

A lot of people wanted to keep Long. But I don't particularly remember many posters wanting to franchise him to do so, especially given his injuries and declining play. Most seem to want him back on a contract that rewarded health and performance.

I also realize that a lot of people thought more of an effort should have been made to replace him. That's one of my criticisms of Ireland also. But that really wasn't the point.

 

In a sense, yes. The team is underachieving, and I don't think there's any indication they're getting better.

 

Our schedule this year has also been a lot tougher. Philbin can't make the defense stop the opposing team on their final drive. It comes down to execution.

Coming into this season many thought the same record would indicate improvement based on schedule. We are at or exceeding expectations.

 

Everything is execution. The coaches primary job is to drill the players so that they execute. Good coaches have teams that execute. Bad coaches are the ones whose teams don't execute.

The schedule hasn't been all that tough. NE isn't what they used to be and only one loss is attributed to them. The Falcons are much worse than expected. The Jets and bills are bad, but their records are slightly better than expected due to the general weakness of much of the AFC. Indy and Cincy are solid teams and a little better than average, but not much more than that. The Ravens and Steelers are very average. Cleveland is belwo average. Last year's Texans, Niners, Pats and Seahawks were all at least as good, if not better, than anyone we have played this year. Only the Saints even arguably fit into that group.

 

I firmly believe 10 years down the road Ireland will be regarded as the worst person in Miami Dolphins team history. It might not be fair, and he might not have been intrinsically the worst person to even be employed by the team, but factoring in his personality I think he will be regarded as the worst overall.

 

Man..I think some folks are good at analyzing certain parts of the game, schemes, coaching, personnel..its not always easy to project performance relative to your talent level in the first year of really putting it together..and who's responsible for what.

Do I feel we had the talent to outplay the bills and the bucs..yes...so my conclusions that I'm proposing are this..the flat performance I saw when we played the bills was because of a home crowd that was too sparce with no energy to not have an effect (yes, I believe we have a huge disadvantage to overcome),the buc game was the game right after a week of the distraction being at its highest level..so you just don't know.

Should a great coach been able to motivate in those two circumstances, maybe, maybe not, all teams lose games during the season that their talent level shouldn't...it's a long season and I think that teams understand their position more than we think, if a team doesn't feel the need to win that week, the subconscious will take over and infect the team..the jets beat the saints, the jets beat the pats for example.

I take a new coach and I expect improvement from year one to year two in performance and win total, I don't put ultimatums like they have to make the playoffs, I just expect to see a higher level of play across the board and win totals..

At this point I do believe we have seen a defense underperform to a degree, until recently, and there are three games left to see if the ascension from that point that I saw, will continue, if this team wins out, I think you have to give it to them that they have improved from last year, and their win total is 10..

Your defense of that is probably, well, with the talent we have, we should of had 12 wins?, and you may be right, I just can't pinpoint what variables play out during a season that might combat the contrary to what your suggesting in the 2nd year of a rebuild..

I think when you get rid of Jake long..Brandon Marshall..Reggie bush..Vontae Davis..Sean smith..Karlos Dansby..Kevin Burnett..anthony Fasano..your core players, it is a rebuild, I'm not sure expecting no flubs during a season in their 2nd year with a lot of new players, a lot of youth is realistic..

I think if they win out, it will have proven you wrong, if they don't, I would like to revisit..

 

People have loads of dumb opinions, it's quite possible you are right.

 

Why do I have a hard time thinking he is a bad person...maybe he's not media savvy, but what examples do you have that he's a bad person??
He's a father of three girls who have autism, I'm not sure you know the mental compassion, the love and patience you have to have to go thru life..

All I care about is his personnel record..imo this is his third year, I've said from the get, in the middle of the third year we should revist what he has in players since Parcells left him with some bad pieces, including a coach he didn't hire, well the team has arrows pointing up, so I'm gonna wait til the end of the season to break down every transaction and then compare those to some other top GMs record.

 

Qbs with great leadership and exp plays a major factor in how a team executes, when you find the right guy,everyone else will step in line, when that guy displays the factors that show the team that he is the man, those players will elevate their play and follow suit.

 

DJ,

I'm pretty sure Ireland is a good dad. I'd like to hope I'm a good dad too. I would be an absolutely abysmal NFL GM though. Being a good dad has nothing to do with success in the NFL. When I say worst person, I'm not saying he's intrinsically a bad person. I'm saying I think he will be regarded as the worst Miami Dolphin amongst players, coaches, front office personnel in terms of his impact on the franchise and just overall fan opinion. Some of it might not be fair. It will have a lot to do with being a dick head of epic proportions as well as not very good at his job, along with being present for some embarrassing scandals, one of which was 100% his fault. He will be regarded as a joke of a GM. Not as bad as Millen, but just as embarrassing in the eyes of fans. I could be wrong of course. Especially if he keeps his job and manages to turn things around. Anything is possible.

 

Fair enough, but that is really more a defense to my criticisms than an affirmative explanation of what you think Philbin has done so well.

Not to belabor this, but I think a good coach gets his team to play at home regardless of the crowd. Sure, a big crowd is nice, but if a coach's defense to a lousy performance is to blame the home crowd, that is a very bad sign. I think the whole bullying thing was a huge opportunity to close ranks and motivate the team with an us against the world attitude, and I think that opportunity was largely lost.

Yeah, there was a lot of personnel turnover. But it's pretty clear to me that Philbin was on board with all of that and may have even been the driving force behind it, so I don't really accept that as an excuse.

 

I don't see how anyone can think this team is underachieving considering that this team has 6-7 win talent on the team. If anything, this team is overachieving to their talent level. This team has maybe two offensive linemen that would start on other teams in the league, and that position is the biggest reason this team isn't winning more. There isn't much you can do scheme wise when your offensive linemen are losing one on one match ups and getting beat off the snap. You can't make chicken soup out of chicken poop.

 

That's probably true to some extent. But if the argument is that he needs a great QB to get the team to execute, that isn't much of a credit to the head coach.

 

I do not agree with that.

 

Nor do I.

 

Pythagorean projections before the season projected 7 wins for this Dolphins team. They have 7 wins with three games to play. So, they clearly have not underachieved.

I think too many of you bought into the idea that this team was going to arrive due to the free agent signings, most of which have busted instead of boomed. This team's problem is personnel, and it has been for years now.

 

No, it has nothing to do with the free agent signings. I do not agree with Pythagorean projections. Watching the games there is only one team where Miami looked out talented.

Talent difference in the NFL isn't that big. People think it is a huge thing. However the difference between the Seahawks and the Jaguars isn't that big. Looking at the Dolphins talent and I think they could be an 11 win team. Looking at the season with better coaching they could have been an 11 win team with their schedule.

 

Phillip Merling, Chad Henne, Pat White, Sean Smith, Koa Misi, Brandon Marshall, Daniel Thomas, Jon Martin, Jamar Taylor. I can't remember the 3rd rounders off the top of my head but I'd say the 2nd rounders have been hit/miss, and I'm too lazy to go back and check 31 other GMs to see how many have done any better but if you're saying the drafting has been bad then doesn't that require you to show that other GMs are routinely producing better results?

I don't think anyone on this forum could even come close to matching Ireland or any other GM, that's ridiculous but it's not surprising. I'm sure there are people who think they can call better plays than Sherman or make better substitutions than Coyle as well. That's the funny thing about sports, everyone is an expert, people who have never played, coached, scouted, or even interned on the pro level think they can go out there and get the job done. WADR people like that tend to take their opinions waaaay to seriously.

 

In the last 6 years the Dolphins have never had 11+ win talent...not even in 08 when we won 11 games. This theory that coaching has held back Ireland's teams from being some juggernaut is laughable.

 

This year they had the talent to win 11 games so far in the 13 game season. 4 of the 6 games were not lost due to lack of talent and 7 out of the 7 games won wasn't because coaching did such a great job with terrible talent.

 

1. I did not say bad. I said hasn't been terrible overall but his 2-3 round picks have been disappointing as a whole.
2. If you don't think that, then you have not been following the draft discussions predraft or the draft chats. I am not claiming to be someone uniquely gifted in this regard. If you paid attention to the draft discussions better, you would know there are several poster here whose hypothetical picks have been better overall than what Ireland has done.
3. I was not talking about Sherman's play calling or what Coyle does. Don't know why you want to bring it up. It is another topic. I have not been one to claim being able to do better at either FTR.
4. I am sorry to hear you have such a low opinion of yourself. I've long thought better of you.

 

They were lost due to lack of execution at key moments in the games. Is EVERY time a player gets beaten by an often equally talented opponent the fault of the coaches?

 

Is it under achieving, or issues that 31 other teams have throughout a season?

Man I'm having a hard time with this...I guess I'm not able to discern the difference between a young teams growing pains, and what should be expected from a coach if he indeed is the right guy.

I do know this, if we win out, I think your going to have to rethink everything you know about the dolphins.

 

No, but when a player gets beaten by an equally talented player, the problem isn't talent.

 

No, but good coaching can make a difference.

 

Do you not think that an inexperienced Qb who is developing from the pocket, who is learning to become a leader, can make the rest of your team look unpredictable and who seem to not be able to execute on a consistent basis.?

 

And consistent qb'ing..

He has stabilized over the last month, the team has responded..

 

Actually, I think we had the talent to win 12 games so far. Only the NO game seemed like we were out-talented. And even that is not as clear as it looked. The Saints have a huge home field advantage, especially in a prime time game. The Saints team we played and that Carolina played this past week is a very different one than the one that got crushed in Seattle or the one that lost to the Jets in NY or the one that just barely escaped Tampa with a win. We didn't lose to the Pats based on talent. We dominated them in the first half and had numerous terrible calls go against us that were pretty much the difference in the game.

 

Sure, it can add to that. But much of the inconsistency has been on the defensive side where Tannehill obviously is not to blame.

 

Maybe the coaching has been making a positive difference in the close games we've won.
Could the development of Clay, Egnew and Sims have anything to do with the coaching of Dan Campbell??
Could the development and marked improvement of Jimmy Wilson and Nolan Carroll have anything to do with Lou Anarumo and Blue Adams? Could the development and improvement of OV have anything to do with the coaching of Kacy Rodgers? Has the fact that Sam Brenner been able to go from unheralded UDFA to a rookie starter late in the season, able to make a good accounting for himself and showing long term potential have anything to do with Jim Turner and Marco Rivera?
It seems like some here would have us believe the players have improved and developed in spite of the coaches.

 

If two players are indeed equally talented, neither is going to win every matchup.

 

All possible. I have no doubt the coaches have played a role in the development of these players. But you can't assume they are the only coaches who would have developed them or that they developed them faster than others would have. It may well be that another TE coach may have had Clay playing like this last year and Egnew a star this year. We don't know. In either case, I don't think Philbin is likely to be the guy who caused whatever improvement those guys have made. That is generally the position coach and not the HC.

With any GM there is an expectation that the players he picks will develop and improve. A GM is not expected to be able to fill a whole draft with NFL-ready stars. If the players could be developed they have the talent. Some guys are harder to develop than others, and coaches may be deserving of credit, but that is their job.

 

Kacy Rodgers is awesome