Miami Dolphins Fail To Land Top Quarterback: Should Ireland Be Fired?

Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland finds himself under fire yet again. Just a mere month ago, Dolphin nation was optimistic that the long standing quarterback conundrum would be solved by Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn. For those of you living underground, Ireland was unable to lure either player to Miami.

At times during the quarterback chase, the Dolphins were considered favorites in the Manning sweepstakes, and then later the Flynn sweepstakes. Personally, I think Ireland takes too much blame for failure to land either quarterback.

It was clear once the Manning chase began that the quarterback didn’t have legitimate interest in the Dolphins. Trading star wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Bears for two third-round draft picks didn’t help matters. It appeared Manning kept the Dolphins in the mix out of respect for Dan Marino, who remains a close friend to Manning.

After Manning officially dropped Miami from contention, they moved all their attention to Flynn. The Dolphins seemed poised to make Flynn a Dolphin. The Dolphins put Flynn through a physical the morning of his visit, and many speculated a deal was imminent.

I think Ireland played his cards really well with Flynn. Many thought Flynn would get a contract of about $12 million per year over five-years. Early on the Dolphins were reportedly low balling Flynn, and by doing that drove his market way down to his reasonable $19 million price tag over three-years.

If the price tag was reasonable, how come Ireland could not seal the deal? In a call to a disgruntled fan, owner Steven Ross explained that he didn’t think Flynn was significant upgrade over incumbent starter Matt Moore.

"“[Ross] goes, ‘If my coach wanted Matt Flynn didn’t you think he would be here?'” Lawrence said. “‘If my coach said I want Matt Flynn as our starting quarterback next year he would be here, but I couldn’t pay Matt Flynn $8 million to come here. If I end up getting him, it’s a gamble … and I’m still drafting a quarterback. I’m still looking for another option.” The fan told the Sun-Sentinels Izzy Gould."

If that truly is the reason behind the Dolphins not signing Flynn, then I am 100% fine with that. The staff likes Moore, and signed cheap veteran competition in the form of David Garrard.

The Dolphins are not done searching for a quarterback. With the eighth pick in next month’s NFL Draft, the Dolphins are likely to take a long look at Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill does have a connection to the new Dolphins staff, with his college head coach Mike Sherman serving as the offensive coordinator in Miami.

Tannehill, though inexperienced as a quarterback touts experience in a west coast offense, ability to throw outside the numbers, and has leadership qualities.

If Ireland doesn’t land a quarterback in the draft that is labeled as a “high ceiling passer,” than his job would likely be in jeopardy. I think Ireland has made some good decisions in his time as General Manager, and has had a solid draft history. The problem with Ireland is the most newsworthy thing he has accomplished was when he asked Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant if his mother was a prostitute in a pre-draft interview.

In four years on the job that should not be the lasting memory of the teams fans. I think Dolphins fans need to see how the draft plays out before they call for Ireland’s removal. Tannehill could become the quarterback that Dolphins fans have longed for the last 13 seasons.

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