Back In Business…Time To Get To Work

So what does one week of vacation really do to a person?  Relax them?  No.  Especially when that vacation is spent visiting family.  It’s more of a go here, go there type of thing.  Does it set you back?  You bet, aside from the 10 pounds of extra weight that has seen fit to lay claim to my waste, I have managed to fall behind in my quest for daily off-season Miami Dolphins and NFL news and rumors.  So while I should be exercising to shed those pounds, I think I will get my fingers used to typing again.  Here is a look at what is going on around the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, and other bits of information you may want to know.  Dolphins news is at the bottom.

FSB is growing.  For all your fantasy sports news, continue to check out FantasyCPR, Joe who has taken the lead over there has a radio show as well and things are going very well for them.  In addition, you can now catch up on all the recent and not so recent rumors from around the league at Fansided.com.  The daily list of news and rumors from around the NFL will definitely benefit those of you keeping track of signings.

FinsRadio.net is back this Tuesday night with Dave Gray of TDMMC.  Join them tomorrow night at 8:00 PM Eastern time as Finsradio begins it’s off-season Tuesday night shows.  

Has the coaching carousel got you confused?  No fears.  After a week away I too found myself scratching my head and trying to figure out who is in and who is out.  SO…here is where things are at right now.

The NY Jets have hired Baltimore DC Rex Ryan for their HC spot vacated by the firing of Eric Mangini.  Ryan is likened to a young Bill Parcells…by Bill Parcells.  

Continuing their ass-backwards approach to running a football team, the Cleveland Browns went out and fired their GM Phil Savage and their HC Romeo Crennel, then they hired Eric Mangini and saw GM Scott Pioli and Tom Heckert pull out of the interview process.  Both citing that you don’t hire a coach before a GM.  So the Browns had a coach and no GM.  Eric Mangini recommended his old friend George Kokinis away from Baltimore.  Now they have a coach and a GM…it still remains to be seen who gets to fire whom when the Browns fail miserably.

A little late to the party, the Kansas City Chiefs finally hired NE scouting guru Scott Pioli a little over a week ago…then on Friday, Pioli canned Herm Edwards.  It is rumored that the Chiefs are looking towards Mike Shanahan to take over the coaching gig…Mike needs to coach at least 2 years before leaving and finishing his AFC West coaching job with the Chargers.  He has coached the Raiders and Broncos and now possibly the Chiefs.  Note to Mike…there are other teams in the league.  Pioli by the way is the son-in-law of Dolphins own Bill Parcells.  

Detroit canned Rod Marinelli after going winless last season and now have turned over their franchise to former Tennessee DC Jim Schwartz.  Schwartz will take over what has become arguably the worst franchise in the NFL…with Arizona headed to the Super Bowl, the Lions are pretty much alone…at least Al Davis is still running things in Oakland.

Speaking of Davis, Al has not given the word to interim HC Tom Cable whether he will be hired as the HC or replaced.  So for now, there is no coaching change…of course Davis may not be aware that he hasn’t made a decision.

Tampa Bay surprised a few when they fired HC Jon “Chucky” Gruden and immediately replaced him with Raheem Morris.  Morris who a month ago was the defensive backs coach was promoted to defensive co-ordinator and then to HC.  Talk about a meteoric rise.  Morris has made his first big hire.  He hired former Miami Dolphins interim HC Jim Bates as the teams new Defensive Coordinator.

Denver fired long time coach Mike Shanahan and replaced him with NE Patriots OC Josh McDaniels.  McDaniels immediately hired his own brother.  Denver is putting faith on the young assistant who had the luxury of Randy Moss, Tom Brady, and Wes Welker.  In Denver he gets what could be better RB’s and Brandon Marshall…at least Marshall and Moss have the same mouth.

And you thought it was over.  That is really on the half-way point…o.k. maybe we are 3 quarters of the way through.

In St. Louis, the Rams canned Scott Linehan who just signed on with the Detroit Lions as the OC.  They replaced him with interim HC Jim Haslet, then fired Haslet much to the ire of the players, and hired NY Giants DC Steve Spanuolo.

San Fran canned HC Mike Nolan in the middle of the season and promoted Mike Singletary to HC.  They opted to keep Singletary and named him the permanent HC after the season was over.

In Seattle, Mike Holmgren said enough.  He informed the media after their loss to the Dolphins that he would be taking a break after the season and then see if he wanted to coach again after that year off.  The Seahawks named Jim Mora, Jr. the heir apparent and when the season ended followed through with that promise.

In Indy, the Colts cried as HC Tony Dungy hung up his whistle.  After all the hugs and a very long and boring Jim Irsay farewell introduction that had the networks breaking for commercials, the Colts hired from withing giving the HC job to Jim Caldwell.

For now that is where the NFL stands with it’s head coaches.  For now, no one else appears on the chopping block, but of course as long as Al Davis is in charge, there is always the possibility of a few firings to get the juices flowing.

In Miami...I know, it’s about time right?  Bill Parcells told NY reporter Gary Meyers that he will “not take another dollar from the Miami Dolphins” in regards to talk that he is jockeying for a new contract.  Parcells said that he has more money than he can spend….I have an idea of where he could throw some.  Parcells appears content with new owner Stephen Ross and refers to him as “Steve”.  He said the two have some learning to do about each other but it appears that Ross has given the Tuna full control and resources….just like Wayne.  Which is what Bill wanted all along.

The Dolphins have apparently tendered WR Brandon London.  London confirmed to a local paper that he was tendered by the Phins.  The tender is likely on the low side as London is still very raw.  It does however make it clear that the Phins have him in their future plans….at least until they find someone else.

Samson Satele may not be going anywhere after all.  The rumors flew that Satele could be on the trade block after a so-so season at Center and with the struggles of the Oline this season it seemed apparent that the Phins would try and get bigger.  Apparently that means Satele needs to eat more.  The Phins have requested that Satele move up from his 295 playing weight to around 305 to 310.  Shouldn’t be too hard.  

Satele also apparently played a good portion of last season with a torn labrum.  The extent of the tear is not immediately known…by me…but the tear would hinder some of his movements.  The labrum is in the shoulder area and was the injury that Drew Brees had which kept Nick Saban from signing him…opting instead for…no I will not say it.

Former Miam Dolphins players Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong are among the 5 finalists for the NFLPA Executive Director job vacated by the early and surprising death of former Union chief Gene Upshaw.  The NFLPA is trying feverishly to fill the slot so that the league and the union can begin work on the new CBA which expires after the 2010 season.