Miami Dolphins could have biggest off-season of change in recent history
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins will today begin what could be a franchise defining off-season as the 2018 season comes to a close in Buffalo.
When the Miami Dolphins season ends today the team will officially enter the off-season but this off-season could be one of the biggest changes this franchise has gone through in recent memory. In fact, it could be even bigger than when Bill Parcells cleaned house.
Stephen Ross will make decisions today that could redefine his football team or he could stay the course in some areas for another year but one thing is increasingly becoming certain, changes are on the way.
Over the past month there has been plenty of speculation on the direction that this team is heading but one thing has stood out, they haven’t headed in the right direction. Stagnant and mediocre on offense and sometimes putrid on defense, there is no question that Miami is need of change. This year there could be a lot of it and frankly, with Ross now 78 years old this may be his last chance to blow it up and start again.
Recent rumors have Adam Gase on the outs after today’s game but those rumors are unconfirmed. You can read that here. Another year and a new quarterback could give him another season or two to turn it around. You can read about that, here.
If Ross decides to make a couple of changes the domino effect could be lasting for this team and it starts at the top. If we look at a bullet list of what could happen over the next few days, weeks, and month, the changes could be incredible.
- Mike Tannenbaum fired
- Adam Gase fired
- Matt Burke fired
- New VP of football operations hired who could fire Chris Grier
- New head coach
- New coaching staff on both sides of the ball
- Scouting department changes after the draft
- Ryan Tannehill cut or traded
- Ja’Wuan James not re-signed
- DeVante Parker released
- Danny Amendola released
- Robert Quinn released
- Cameron Wake not re-signed
- William Hayes not re-signed
- Andre Branch released
- Free agent quarterback added
- Quarterback drafted in April
Those are a lot of changes made to a team in one off-season. It is a complete overhaul of philosophy and personnel. A potential change in defensive scheme and offensive mindset that could impact players like Kenny Stills down the road.
Everything starts at the top and trickles down. A new VP who has the power to make wholesale changes can afford to change players quickly and set up a rough season in 2019 while they retool the way they envision the franchise. It also potentially sets up another three-year rebuild without a lot of hope for instant competition.
Related Story. Can a new quarterback give Gase more time in Miami?. light
However, the Rams and Eagles took this approach and a different system got almost immediate results. Do the Dolphins have a core group of players that a new coach and new position coaches can make into top game changers? That is hard to say because only Xavien Howard has stood out as a player who has made that jump.
On the other hand, things may stay relatively the same with Grier and Gase staying, Tannehill staying another season, and some of the players mentioned being restructured. One thing is for certain, the next few days are going to be telling and what direction this team is heading towards starts with the future of Adam Gase.