A big thank you to David Garrard

[Landshark]

Here's a nice piece written by my friend Hal


Consider this: thanks to the cheapness of the Jaguars (Luke McCown better?  Really?) David Garrard is clearly the top quarterbacking option available.  He’s known this since week one and he’s also known that the first team to lose a starting QB for the season, was going to be calling him.  That team happened to be the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins called, and reportedly made a decent monetary offer.  And David Garrard firmly, flatly said no.

We, the fans of the Miami Dolphins, should be thanking David Garrard for passing on the opportunity to join the team.  And no, NOT because of any desire on my part or anyone’s part for this team to “Suck for Luck” for the remainder of 2011.

We should be thanking him for a much different reason.  A reason with implications reaching far beyond the next 12 games and even the 2012 draft, and therefore, far more important to the long-term health and potential resurgence of the Miami Dolphins’ franchise.

He just showed the entire football world two things.  The first is simple: how far the Miami Dolphins have fallen.  Bad enough that a would-be rookie NFL head coach turned down the opportunity last off-season in Jim Harbaugh, but now David Garrard is unemployed and telling us no?

Garrard is a solid QB but far from a Hall of Famer.  Think he’d turn down the Colts if they came calling?  Fat chance.

The second thing that this should be showing Stephen Ross: if he cares in the slightest about improving the performance of his investment on the field (granted, I have my doubts about that), he’s going to need to clean house after the off-season.  BOTH Sparano AND Ireland need to be sent packing.

Otherwise, he’s going to get the very same “Thanks, but no thanks” from prime head coaching candidates and/or personnel men that Garrard just gave Ireland.  And most first-tier free agents are going to have the same answer when and if the Dolphins come calling with Jeff Ireland still calling the shots (and subsequently, whatever third-tier coaching candidate the team has to settle for who will be given the task of improving the on-field performance).

We might even get that same answer from Andrew Luck if we have the number one pick.  After all, John Elway and Eli Manning had that same message in the past when they perceived that a poorly-run team was holding the first pick.

Garrard just sent you the message, Mr. Ross.  A little bit louder than before, and hopefully loud enough for you to heed it.

You need a new coach AND a new general manager.  Rearranging the desk chairs on the Titanic like Wayne Huizenga did after the 2003-2004 season isn’t going to cut it.