Musing about Mueller

We all know what the Miami Dolphins record is, anyone who doesn’t really shouldn’t be reading a blog about the Miami Dolphins…or football in general. As you go around the league in search of answers, opinions, and speculations on not only why, but what comes next, you will find that just about everyone has is musing about Randy Muellers’ future.

Randy Mueller has been in Miami for 2 years now. Hired by Nick Saban, he would have been fired at the end of last year, had Saban stuck around. Instead, Saban quit and Randy became the GM in more than just name. He received the control of the franchise. The team, its players, and the responsibility of it’s future.

It did not take him long to make his presence known. Head coaches are the face of the organization, the guys on the field on Sundays. The guys who hold the job of preparing the team. They don’t get to “buy the groceries” as Bill Parcells once said. So the men who stand above them, usually quietly make their moves and if they work, the Head Coach gets the credit, and if they don’t, then he stands to lose his job. Randy Mueller made some bold moves this offseason. Good or bad, he stands front and center to take the heat.

Mueller started his time off with the releases of Randy McMichael, David Bowens, Jeff Zgonina, and Kevin Carter. He replaced them with cheaper versions. Cheaper usually means “not better”. On the defensive side of the ball, he got little.

Many will point to last years draft as a total failure. Highlighted by the selection of Jason Allen with the first pick in the draft. Make no mistakes, there is not one fingerprint belonging to Randy Mueller in that draft, or for that matter, in that off-season. This past years however is all his.

It is hard to say what Mueller would accomplish with money to spend instead of having to cut salary to get under a cap…a common practice for the Dolphins since the 2003 season. Overpaid talent and high-priced veterans have eaten away at the teams makeup. This coming off-season, the Dolphins could be between 20 and 31 million dollars under the cap before contract restructures and possible departures of Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas.

But will he be around?

This past off-season brought in Jay Feely to replace the traded Olindo Mare who left for a 7th round draft pick. In hindsight it was a good move as Feely has been consistent and Mare at one point was kicking his way out of New Orleans. He replaced the high salaried Randy M, with low end David Marten and the production has only slightly been worse. Salary to salary comparison vs. production and Marten may actually come out on top.

The changes don’t stop there, and at that point in the off-season, Randy was only getting started. The Dolphins, in many eyes, made a mistake in the handling of Daunte Culpepper as well. Inevitably cut, Randy tried to play hardball and force Cpepp to take a trade, Cpepp balked and got his wish for release. Trent Green had arrived a week before and that too is looked upon as a monumental error by most.

Still, that was not enough. Mueller brought in some 3rd tier talent and castoffs from other teams. But his most scrutinized move of all outside of the draft, was Wes Welker.

In a short 2 years, Wes Welker became every fans favorite. He was the little guy that could, and more importantly would. A free agent at the end of the season, Nick Saban did not try and resign him prior to the season. Instead, Welker would become a free agent shortly after the hiring of Cam Cameron and the retention of Mueller. Welker was the guy that fell through the cracks during the transition. The New England Patriots would pull the “poison” pill card in their attempt at signing the number 3 wide receiver. Offering Welker a 31 million dollar contract, all guaranteed if Welker played more than 2 games in Miami this season. Randy Mueller would not put his team in that kind of position and would refuse to match the offer. The Patriots however would reverse that course and instead of using the “pill” would offer a trade instead. A 2nd and a 7th round pick. The Dolphins would be guaranteed a 2nd through the FA terms. Not seeing a possibility to “match” the Patriots offer, Mueller took the deal, and New England restructured the terms of the contract to 18 million instead. To some, Mueller looks like a fool for what Welker has done in New England…more importantly…for New England.

You would think however, that at this point it would be enough….not so….the draft was still a short time away.

The draft of course was scrutinized from the moment that the Dolphins announced the pick to be Ted Ginn Jr. over much heralded QB Brady Quinn. The managment staff was booed by fans, criticized by the media. John Beck would be taken in the 2nd round and after a shaky first start this past weekend, it remains to be seen if he is the answer to the Miami carousel of quarterbacks over the last decade.

Mueller has made no moves that have become completely successful, but has yet to make any moves that have proved to be 100 percent unequevocilly disasterous either. The team has become younger and because of that inexperienced. His failure to address certain areas of need for other areas of need are glaring in an 0-10 start. Fans want a victory. Just one.

As fast as Ted Ginn ran back a punt for a touchdown, as fast as John Becks release is, so might Randy Muellers’ tenure as the Miami Dolphins General Manager. Someone, at the end of this season will fall on the sword and answer for this mess. Right or wrong, and wether they deserve the blame or not. Right now, everyone owns a piece of it, from this year back through the last 10. Everyone does. Do they own enough to take that fall? That is the question that Wayne Huizenga will be asking in about 7 weeks.

Randy Mueller has made some questionable moves, but some of those moves are at least looking promising. Ginn, Beck, Satele, Mauia, Wright. Heck, even Jason Allen looks like he might just be improving…maybe. There is a long way to go before this team becomes a contender. You do that with youth. You do that with draft picks. Chris Chambers sits in San Diego, a remarkably better team than the Miami Dolphins who are facing their own struggles under new coaching. His abscence gives the Dolphins another 2nd round draft pick. It gives Randy Mueller another chance to get this team younger with promising talent…only if of course, he lasts long enough to make it. In Muellers’ first draft officially in charge, he has 6 starters on the field out of 10, Ginn, Beck, Satele, Mauia, Wright, and Fields. That is not a bad draft by any means. It also begs to the reason why this team is what it is now. 5 men are starting because the Dolphins did not have 5 positions locked up at those spots in the last 5 years.

Feely, Fields, salary cap, youth, Satele, extra draft picks, and possibilities vs. Porter, Ginn, Beck, inexperience and depleted Depth. Too early to tell, but Mueller may not last long enough to be here when we find out. That might be the biggest mistake of all.