Jeff Ireland's position with Dolphins stronger than ever

Jeff Fisher is going to coach the Rams now. Fine. So the Dolphins lose in that chase. Owner Stephen Ross is left with a black eye because it's the second time he tries to land a coach and fails. So he loses, too. Dolphins fans wanting the certainty of having a tried and experienced head coach also lose.

So the winner in all this?

Jeff Ireland.

Ireland has emerged from a 6-10 season and a coach search in which the team's leading candidate went elsewhere more powerful than ever. Ross picked Ireland while dispatching Tony Sparano. He picked Ireland over Carl Peterson -- because he said Peterson would not join the team to oversee it and Ireland. And Ross picked Ireland over Fisher, keeping the GM as the unquestioned decision-maker over the club while stiff-arming Fisher's desire to have that power.

Jeff Ireland won.

Recognizing this, I asked Ross about Ireland Friday and the owner's words were glowing:

“I think he’s done an outstanding job of creating the team we’ve put on the field the last four years. We’ve got a lot of capability going forward, and I believe we will win moving forward. He has a passion about it. I enjoy working with him. He’s ambitious. He’s bright. He’s a very good GM.”

Ireland's foundation is stronger now than it has ever been. He is stronger than when he answered to Bill Parcells. He is stronger than when he and Sparano were in the proverbial cone of uncertainty after the 2010 season. He is even stronger now than he was in the spring of 2011 when he got a contract extension.  I've been telling you for some time that Ross truly does appreciate Ireland. But now there's tangible proof Ross prefers Ireland to a star head coach wanting power over personnel.

Ireland wins.

Comments

[Tim in Tampa]

First!

[Tim in Tampa]

Dolphins play the Rams next year.

We is gonna whip Jeff Fisher's butt!

[Tim in Tampa]

Zimmer has connections to the Dallas Cowboys.

Watch him get the nod.

[DevilsAdvocate]

The only thing Ireland has won is more enemies.

[Tim in Tampa]

In summary - Cowher will never be an option.

[Tim in Tampa]

Armando sir - any word on Mike Nolan's thought process?

Thanks

[finsfan72]

HOW???

Jeff freaking Ireland...REALLY?

How did an IDIOT like Ross get to be a billionaire?

[Toga Phinz]

We lost what - 3 or games this year in the 4th quarter. Change those and we would have been in the playoffs. Thats not a talent problem, thats coaching. I think it was a good call. What stack of amazing talent did Fisher assemble with the Titans? It would have been great to have him as coach but not at the price of losing a good evaluator of talent.
The only thing that really bothered me with Ireland was his arrogance in certain player situations. Hopefully the more time he spends away from Bill the better.

[PriceMaster]

When Ireland lays the franchise tag on Henne everybody in this blog, with the exception of me, will be looking to off themselves.
It will be one of the happiest days of my life.
It will be one of the worst days of your life.
Anyone that needs assistance with thier suicide hit me up I'm happy to help.

[finsfan72]

Peter King, Jay Glazer and the rest of the NFL are absolutely right about our owner.

He is a JACKASS!

[PA Phins Fan]

Does Ireland have pictures of Ross and smoe sheep? There is no other explanation.

[Fintasy]

And Ross's illogical attachment to Ireland is precisely why I and my friends will not buy tickets.

[Eric M. Payne]

Whomever the coach, the most pressing need is to trade up for RG 3.

Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, and even Belicheck are just the guys on the sidelines watching the star QB carve up to other team.

Their impact is MUCH less than that of the QB. Where was Belicheck's genius in Cleveland or in the pre-Brady era?

[PriceMaster]

We have 7 FA's and 6 draft picks.
Who are we going to trade?

[GetterDone Phins!]

Chip Kelly needs very strong consideration. I'm not usually for college coaches, but he's one of those exceptions you see once in awhile.
He is an offensive genius like Harbaugh. He would likely retain Nolan who was a former Duck & might welcome working with Kelly.

Tony Dungy also said he thinks Chip Kelly could be a good NFL HC.
Think about it Ross & Jeffy!

[PriceMaster]

Last year you were all crying because you wanted Mallet.
Why not offer NE our 1st round pick for Mallet?
Anyone other than me think of that?

[IlDux]

ROSS: YOU'RE A MORON
IRELAND: GO FK URSELF!

[Dfins006]

Ireland over Fisher? Heck yeah!! Any time, any day...

[LUIS FROM PR]

Pricemaster...not a bad idea but NE wont do it with a division rival like Miami..but who knows

[NY "G"]

If we cant make the deal for Luck i would without hesitation move up and draft WR Blackmon.

We need impact players. We don't have Impact players. The Impact QB is out of our grasp as we sucked so much, we couldn't even suck enough to get that #1.

With that... Blackmon will bring us back to being competitors and we SURE do NOT want the Pats, Jets or Bills to move in and take him. If they do, we are sunk for the next 15 years.

Regardless who is throwing the ball his way, that kid can jump 11' and has arms reach and hands to bring in the rock.

Watch for yourself below.

Sport Science: Justin Blackmon
http://youtu.be/_97kBZqj270

[(null)]

He has to have some pictures of Ross naked in his possession. That's the only logical explanation.

[Anthony]

Cross off the top 5 HC candidates if they’re keeping Ireland.

[Bob Greasy]

I don't understand Ross' loyalty to a guy who has only proven successful at assembling a 6-10 team. Looks like Miami is going to suck for several more years now.

[miamiman99]

i like the Mallet idea!! why not he's a year smarter!! Your not getting Griffin or Luck. We need a coach like Zimmer with the Conviction to run a team and be a leader of Men!! His wife past and the man was there coaching and doing what he loves,, i think he would be the best choice!! philbin is running a rough life right now and i dont want the back up to Rodgers Henne could run their offense.. Remember Scott Mitchell he worked out right??

[Armando]

"Ross prefers Ireland to a star head coach wanting power over personnel."

Fisher is a star head coach? A man with 6 winning seasons in 17 years and no superbowl wins?

Hey mando, do you really believe that?

[Jeff Suckland]

Let me see if I have this right. Jeff "Freaking" Fisher has about 30 years of football experience.

Jeff "Sucking" Ireland has all of 10 years experience.

But Ross wants Jeff "Freaking" Fisher to be Jeff "Sucking" Ireland's little biach?

I'm done with this team. but I just can't let go.

[Jimmy Jam]

Ditto llDux at 3:20

I used to have so much fun looking forward to watching the Fins throughout the 80s and 90s. I really didn't lose hope until two years ago. Now the only reason for anyone to watch the Fins is for the same reason they might slow down to look at a car wreck on 95.

Incompetence at the very highest level.

And Zimmer? Why? Nolan's defense was ranked higher!

Get ready for more of the same, gentlemen. Dumb and Dumber might as well hire Wayne Fontes and admit it already.

[Jeff Suckland]

Jeff must give good BJ's

[Anthony]

Clearly Fisher was the best available.

[Jeff Suckland]

Wayne Fontes....LOL....you taking a brother back now.

[tony in miami]

Mr. Ross, Play the only fact in football:
One Team Must Win --Fire Ireland-
The Other Must Go Home.--Keep Ireland--

[Anthony]

Jeffy knows where the hooka moms are.

[Jeff Suckland]

The broader question is WHY DO WE ALWAYS LOSE OUT ON THE CHASE?

[Dfins006]

I would like for the Fins to get someone like Chip Kelly or Rob Chudzinski.. We need offensive minded coaches.

[Clam]

Why not offer NE our 1st round pick for Mallet?
Anyone other than me think of that?

Posted by: PriceMaster | January 14, 2012 at 03:17 PM

You do realize it takes two parties to make a trade. We can't just assume they will make that trade.

You do realize that Ireland brought Mallet in pre draft for a couple of days, and passed on him. I wonder why? I don't know, but he did his due diligence and didn't want him at #1 or #2 so its not so likely he gives up a #1 now. Maybe had you had the benefit of being at Mallets personal workout with the team you would have passed too?

Did you ever think about that?

[Jeff Suckland]

Who have we actually got into a scrum with in which we came out with the ball?

We always lose because of Ireland. What is this morbid fascination Ross has with Ireland?

Part of me thinks Tuna left because of Ireland. Isn't that Tuna's signature move? When the higher ups start to limit his power he quits?

[Jeff Suckland]

Glazer is saying they didn't even try to get Fisher.

[Jeff Suckland]

Ross might be one of those vulture capitalists I've been hearing about lately.

[Jeff Suckland]

Glazer saying they didn't even call the man back after he said lets do this thing.

[stan]

Marty Schottenheimer has the patience to deal with this circus.

[Tee]

Anyone ever think that maybe after the interview with Fisher they decided he WAS NOT the man for the job. We all can sit around and have our opinions but how many of you have even talked to or laid eyes on Fisher before. His resume is not overly impressive. Perhaps, Ross, Ireland (and Peterson) ame to the conclusion that he wasn't the tikect (especially for 7 mil a year) and I personally see nothing at all wrong with that

[NY "G"]

Too Funny...

Tim Tebow Pumping Up The ESPN Commentators

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mE9ot0-uLI

[Courtney anthony]

Ireland will be our downfall

[NY "G"]

I wounder what Vickey is doing for dinner?

[ralph ortega]

Maybe Ross didn't just pick "Ireland over Fisher" but picked having a GM of his own choice over having a new coach who insisted on GM duties

There's been plenty of nfl coaches who were terrible in the GM role.

[cosmodo]

I'm beginning to believe that Ross is going to be a meddling owner like Jerry Jones. He's going to take a more active approach toward football operations and he needs a yes-man in a GM. Case in point, he put the kabash on the Orton deal. In hindsight, it was smart - but it was his decision, not Ireland's. And it was Ross who called the Bengals about Carson Palmer, not Ireland. And let's not forget that he's going to make the decision on the head coach - not Ireland.

And that's fine. He bought the team so he has the right to make any decisions he wants. But we're not fooled into thinking that he kept Ireland because he thinks highly of him. We fans don't buy it. Ross just need a pencil-pushing yes-man and fall guy if his decisions flops.

[cosmodo]

The only thing Ireland has won is more enemies.

Posted by: DevilsAdvocate | January 14, 2012 at 02:56 PM

Excellent point, DA. When his time with the Dolphins is over, his NFL days are over. He doesn't have pappa Parcells anymore and no team would touch him.

[Carlos]

Ross needs to be fired as Dolphins owner, whether or not you agree in the intent to hire Jeff Fisher, hiring him was this teams main focus this offseason and they failed misserably AGAIN!!!!! ,

Now if Ross wanted Fisher so badly , it must've been because he had great respect for the man, but he didn't want to give him control over Ireland ??? Are you kidding me ?? Thats the reason he didn't get the sign ?? To keep control to a man who at best could be described as an inexperienced GM ? (IMO Ireland is not worthy of the job much less the huge confidence Ross has placed in him). The decision to deny Fisher to have the last decision makes Ross an inept and a fool by his own measure of goals.

Now, who can we expect Ross to hire ?? A coach that says yes to anything the owner meddles into, thats our only option now, we are in the same ranks of teams with meddleing bosses, same as Dallas, Oakland, Washington, etc. in a nutshell teams that have suffered the frustration of non-football people making the big decisions.

So its easy to see that this franchise will keep being mediocre for the next decade at least, or till Ross sells this team, or when the dolphins fan base forces him to leave the decisions to people who understand the business, how do you do that ? I really don't know, but a change at the top is the only chance the Dolphins have at being good again. Thats why Ross has to be fired as an owner !!

[Vicky]

My dinner plans? Well, I'm going to have some meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts, along with a big glass of V-8, and then I'm going to down a shot of whiskey and plunge two fingers down my throat to induce vomiting.

When I've managed to puke out the entire contents of my stomach (right down to those foamy gastric juices at the end) I'm going to get on my hands and knees and lick my vomit off the floor and scoop up the chunkier parts with my fingers and put it in my mouth.

Thank you for asking!

[TJ Fin Fan]

I have to give credit when credit is due....the only person that didn't jump on the Fisher is Miami bound train is Armando. So cudos for that, I was reading the hype but thinking, why isn't Armando jumping on board with this story. Now that Fisher is gone, I'm not sure where to go. Bring in a defensive minded coach, but Nolan and the crew did just fine after a shaky start. Bring in an offensive guru and just say thanks for the year Daboll? And the last man standing from the trifecta is Ireland? Geesh, the life of a fin fan. Anyhow, Ross/Ireland just NEED to get this right and have a solid draft, otherwise, the confusion and circus will just continue. Easier said than done and no track record of making this a quick turnaround.

[cosmodo]

Excellent article on Ross's ineptness.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Miami-Dolphins-lose-again-with-Jeff-Fisher-St-Louis-Rams-new-head-coach-011312

[Phins78]

Pricemaster, you understand that Miami has the ability to resign it's own free agents right?

[Jeff Suckland]

Matt Moore (first four seasons) 35 games played

59.1 completion percentage
32 TD's
26 INT's
5,137 yards
80.1 QBR

Eli Manning (first four seasons) 57 games played

54.7 compeletion percentage
77 TD's
64 INT's
11,385 yards
70.55 QBR

BY COMPARISON

Tom Brady (first four seasons) 47 games played (MINUS THE 1 GAME HE PLAYED IN 2000)

61.8 completion percentage
97 TD's
52 INT's
87.7 QBR

How the heck is Eli and Matt not equal based on STATS and FACTS? Furthermore, how the heck should Eli be up there with Tom "Freaking" Brady?

The retard Manning is second tier.

[Phins78]

Dude seriously? Our downfall? You have to be up to fall at all and Miami hasn't been relevant since Marino was here So I'm afraid you missed the downfall, it was a long time.

[Phins78]

Ago

[Jeff Suckland]

Forgot Tom's yards. 13,919. And he played 10 less games than Eli did.

[JL Raleigh]

And, I don't see a problem with Ireland winning. I do think Miami's roster is strong...just a few holes that can be fixed with this draft and free agency. What they lack, and have have lacked since Marino retired, is a true star at QB. Until that happens everything else is moot.

[Jeff Suckland]

I wonder if Ireland caught Ross in the bathroom with little boys? Not accusing, just asking a hypothetical.

[Phins78]

No way, this is priceless. Is Glazer really saying the Phins didn't go after Fisher? Is this true?! We're being told by the media that the owner screwed up but now he may not have been sold enough on Fisher to chase him? Wtf is going on? Love it if this is true.

[New Coach Wanted]

56% of Dolfans say not getting Fisher is a minor issue and not that big a deal.

Only Armando and a minority of "name-brand" consumers think Fisher going elsewhere is a big loss.

Armando previously said Fisher told the Rams Thursday he was picking them and they kept it quiet. He then somehow blames the Dolphins for demanding an answer on Friday rather than just waiting. What? The Dolphins should have just remained in the dark even after Fisher had made his choice Thursday and lost any chance to get a candidate they wanted? That makes as much sense as Armando pushing for Winston Moss now.

Anyone with a clue already knew Fisher was picking the Rams and had known so since last week.

This is a non-story that just keeps getting pushed to drive up views.