Joe Philbin, Jeff Ireland not safe
Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins collapsed at the end of the season with embarrassing losses to two division rivals in the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, and there is little doubt that the 2013 season has been a disappointment for this squad. They were supposed to make the playoffs as a Wild Card, but they fell short of those goals. The ball was on their court, as they controlled their playoff destiny against two teams they should have beaten. However, they looked under-prepared and poorly coached in both losses, and they managed to score just seven combined points against the Bills and Jets.
Big changes could be coming in South Beach, and the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero reported as much earlier this morning. This report was followed up with a report from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Ryan Tannehill no longer likes offensive coordinator Mike Sherman as much, and that’s significant since the main reason why Sherman got the Dolphins OC gig is because the Dolphins wanted Ryan Tannehill. Sherman is Tannehill’s former head coach at Texas A&M, so the fact that there is reported friction between them isn’t a good sign.
Rapoport was asked by a follower on Twitter if Joe Philbin is “safe” with the Dolphins, and Rapoport replied, “no one in Miami is safe.”
It’s a statement that rings true and is most likely backed up by a wealth of inside knowledge. Following two horrendous, must-win games in which the Dolphins looked like deadbeats, Philbin is far from safe. While I am leaning towards thinking that he will stay, he is definitely not a lock. And despite his contract extension early in the season and the apparent bond that he has with owner Stephen Ross, Jeff Ireland definitely isn’t safe either after an offseason that included a whole lot of money spent and questionable returns.