Ireland told by Ross his job is safe

[MikeO]

Well, we spent a ton in the offseason and had a lot of draft picks?

Did we really spend a ton? I mean we went into last offseason with around $35 mill in cap space and go into next offseason with $20+ mill in cap space. All he did was get rid of the older guys and replace them with younger players. Ireland could have broke the bank and spent every last cent ....he didn't! He saved a lot of money.

We signed Wallace, Wheeler, and Ellerbe to large contracts. And he put in an out clause with Wallace so after year 3 Miami can cut bait and take almost no cap hit (ie cut him or rip up the deal and give him a new one)..it was only a 3 year $35 mill deal in "real money."  And we probably got Ellerbee at a good/fair price as he has been spectacular this year. I mean Gibson and Keller didn't get big money, Keller got a 1 year deal for pete sakes that was nothing special at all. And we gave Hartline an extension not like we broke the bank for him, in fact with how he is playing we got him at a good price.

[Downunder Dolphan]

To be honest, it doesn't really surprise me.

Draft day, many thought Ireland was drafting for his life, yet what happened seemed to indicate the exact opposite. The picks of Jordan, Dallas Thomas & Sturgis didn't tie in with someone thinking his ass was on the line - they all looked like medium-longer term replacements of existing players with cheaper, younger ones, like he knew he was safe. The only sign of panic was when there was a run on cornerbacks and he suddenly traded back in, other than that it was the usual Ireland crap shoot...

Which brings me to the next point. If Ireland is replaced internally by someone like Aponte, will there really be much difference? The last few years our trading and drafting has seemed to have as much to do with managing the cap as improving our player list. Aponte seems to be joined to the hip to Ross, and more recently Philbin to Aponte - would someone like Bill Polian even consider coming into the organization if he is told by Ross he has to work with Aponte & Philbin, no ifs, no buts, and no option to review and remove either of those if it's not working? I doubt it.

People are sick of seeing regimes change every few years (god knows I am) but under this Aponte-Ireland regime at some stage either things have to improve dramatically or they have to change. We are currently at a crossroads - 7 wins now with the potential for a winning season and even a playoff birth which is great, but there are also a hell of a lot of Ireland's high draft picks and trades that are either total busts or playing elsewhere which is simply not acceptable.

The end of this season will have to be the launch point for a sizable, noticeable improvement next season, or the sense of futility will not only remain, it will be even worse. There is no middle ground here - Aponte will be no better than Ireland, Philbin is now too closely linked to her anyway. If they succeed great, but if they fail again in my opinion they all have to go, or we're just doing the equivalent of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. 

[MikeO]

According to the Miami Herald this morning the Fins will have $38 mill in cap space this offseason. If they cut Dimitri Patterson they clear up more cap space as well. Here is the tidbit....

More reason for hope: The Dolphins have just $106 million in cap commitments (including dead money) for 2014, well under the projected cap of $126 million. They also have about $18 million in unused 2013 cap space that can be carried over.

That adds up to $38 million in space for this upcoming offseason, and they can clear even more space if they cut Dimitri Patterson (which would be a $5.4 million saving) or ask him to take a pay cut after he played in only five games.

So, Miami will be big-time players again this offseason in free agency. The key people Miami has to re-sign are....Grimes (probably use the franchise tag), Starks OR Soliai (not both), Carroll and Clemons who will be cheap signings.

[fyo]

I'd look to keep Patterson if the docs say he'll be healthy.

[Landshark]

I'd look to keep Patterson if the docs say he'll be healthy.

Not at $5.4 million. 

[EKnight]

Based upon how the past few years of offseason acquisitions have gone, it wouldn't matter if they had $200 million. Haven't been impressed with a free agent signing in three years at least. -EK

[MikeO]

I'd look to keep Patterson if the docs say he'll be healthy.

No way. We drafted Taylor and Davis for a reason. They were nagged by injuries all year you hope they are ready to step up next year. Plus we can re-sign Carroll for probably half of what Patterson is making and he has been playing great so far

[MikeO]

Based upon how the past few years of offseason acquisitions have gone, it wouldn't matter if they had $200 million. Haven't been impressed with a free agent signing in three years at least. -EK

Yeah the Brent Grimes signing wasn't good. Not 1 good signing in 3 years though right...

Give me a break!

[Landshark]

Yeah the Brent Grimes signing wasn't good. Not 1 good signing in 3 years though right...

Give me a break!

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut from time to time.  That being said, I'll give him credit for Grimes and Ellerbe as well as the Reggie Bush trade. 

[EKnight]

Yeah the Brent Grimes signing wasn't good. Not 1 good signing in 3 years though right...

Give me a break!

I'm so sorry I overlooked Grimes, what with the general underperforming play that Dansy, Burnett, Wallace, Naanee, Columbo, Incognito, Will Allen, Garrard, and Ocho (no plays there) have produced. They seem to spend a disproportionate amount of money on players who don't produce compared to other teams.

Even Ellerbe has been ranked fairly low (40/52 at his position) so far this year. Not exactly a free agent success story with this regime. -EK

[MikeO]

^^If you don't think Ellerbee is playing well you are lost. Those rankings you have to take with a grain of salt.....I can find you rankings that have Tannehill has the 7th best QB in the league this year which I know will have your troll head explode! So either all the rankings count or none of them, you can't cherry pick them. Ellerbee has had a fantastic year I don't care what some silly rankings say. Watch the games, he is a big key to this defense and front 7.

Ireland has been at his best with the late round draft choices, no doubt (Clay, Jones, Matthews, Hartline, Clemons, Soliai, Bess). And while his free agent signings have been questionable, Ireland can lay claim to the best FREE AGENT signing in the league in the past decade getting Cam Wake out of Canada and paying him what we got him for in 2009.

But to say he has had only 1 good free agent signing in 3 years is laughable and silly. It's a statement that can't be taken seriously. Last year alone he had 3 good signings with Grimes, Gibson, and Ellerbee. I mean come on 

[EKnight]

^^If you don't think Ellerbee is playing well you are lost. Those rankings you have to take with a grain of salt.....I can find you rankings that have Tannehill has the 7th best QB in the league this year which I know will have your troll head explode! So either all the rankings count or none of them, you can't cherry pick them. Ellerbee has had a fantastic year I don't care what some silly rankings say. Watch the games, he is a big key to this defense and front 7.

Ireland has been at his best with the late round draft choices, no doubt (Clay, Jones, Matthews, Hartline, Clemons, Soliai, Bess). And while his free agent signings have been questionable, Ireland can lay claim to the best FREE AGENT signing in the league in the past decade getting Cam Wake out of Canada and paying him what we got him for in 2009.

But to say he has had only 1 good free agent signing in 3 years is laughable and silly. It's a statement that can't be taken seriously. Last year alone he had 3 good signings with Grimes, Gibson, and Ellerbee. I mean come on 

A 2009 signing isn't in the past three years is it? I'm aware that Wake is an absolute beast and likely the best player the team has had since he was given a full time role. That's why I said past 3 years. I'll give you Grimes. Nice pick up. I think you're giving Ellerbe far too much credit. A LB on the 23rd ranked defense against the run, who is arguably being outplayed by Wheeler, so he's not even the best LB on his own team, isn't something I'd get too excited about. He's been an average player; some strong games, but he's had a few stinkers in there, too. The Herald has run a few stories noting how frequently he misses tackles. So...spectacular, as you called him? Not so much.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/12/06/3800048/dannell-ellerbe-finally-settling.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/15/3756243/miami-dolphins-run-defense-struggling.html

Tell me you didn't really mention Gibson?! He played what- 6 games before he went on IR? Never cracked 100 yards, never hit double digits receiving, but he's a "good" signing? Oh wait- I suppose in respect you your boy Mike Wallace, he DID look pretty good.

C'mon, seriously, I'm not on the "fire Ireland" bandwagon, but he has made a mess of player acquisitions for quite a while now, and there's a reason that so many people want him gone. -EK

[MikeO]

For a #3 WR Gibson is a great signing. He was playing way above what Miami is paying him before he got hurt. 3 TD's in 6 and a half games and moving the chains on a lot of 3rd down. For a #3 WR playing limited snaps to score like that and do what he was doing...I will take that. I don't expect a #3 WR to have 100 yard games.. 

If you think Wheeler is better than Ellerbee....once again you know little about football. That's a silly statement all around. It's a laughable statement. Laughable!

Look you aren't a fan of this team and you think everyone sucks and have a clear anti-bias when talking about the Fins. Even after wins (like last week) you say Miami was "lucky." You are NOT objective in the least.  Trying to have a "rational" and "intelligent" conversation about this with you is impossible so why bother. Good day!

[EKnight]

And you believe that no matter how bad they play, they're great, and any player that you love (ie, Wallace or Miller) can do no wrong, no matter how bad they are. So we're at a stalemate.

Be that as it may, Ireland's recent track record for free agents is not good. You can argue with me all day and night, but no one is going to believe that he's any good. Why do you think fans flew a banner plane in front of Ross asking him to fire the guy? I'm definitely not in the minority on this one, no matter how much you wish I was. -EK

[MikeO]

And you believe that no matter how bad they play, they're great, and any player that you love (ie, Wallace or Miller) can do no wrong, no matter how bad they are. So we're at a stalemate.

Be that as it may, Ireland's recent track record for free agents is not good. You can argue with me all day and night, but no one is going to believe that he's any good. Why do you think fans flew a banner plane in front of Ross asking him to fire the guy? I'm definitely not in the minority on this one, no matter how much you wish I was. -EK

Nobody said his recent track record was good. If you read my fuckin posts I clearly stated his late round drafting has been his strength not his free agent signings. But he has had more than 1 good signing in 3 years that's all I said    Saying he has had only 1 good signing in 3 years is silly and comical. He has had more than 1 in 3 years....that's all I said! And I'm right on that.

And nobody said Ellerbee is going to the hall of fame, but he was a good signing! There is a middle ground between Hall of Fame and being a good signing. He was a good siging. And by the way "rush defense" isn't a stat totally for MLB's. DT's have something to say in that too.

And this Lamar Miller and Mike Wallace "love" you say I have for them. Jesus fuckin christ, WTF are you talking about? Yeah I liked drafting Miller in ROUND 4....not Round 1, or 2, or 3...in ROUND 4 he was a good 4th round pick!! And he is good enough to let Reggie (always injured and overpaid) Bush WALK (who missed last week and is going to probably miss tomorrows game too with ijnuries)! If that proclaims "love for Miller"....then so be it. He's a 4th round pick for christ sakes I don't know what "love" you think I have for him. I liked a 4th round pick for crying out loud....get the fuck over it.  On Wallace, I liked the signing and I still do. I told you a year before they signed him they were going too.....and for 3 years $37 mill it's a good deal. You can hate the guy (as others can) but they aren't tied to him long-term and he is playing this year for only $3.25 mill. You can debate signing him over Jennings or Welker...you can't debate that they got him at a fair price and have an opt out after 3 years is a "good thing". They didn't tie themselves to him long-term and fuck their cap up!