The Miami Dolphins have completely rebooted their franchise over the last several months, and it's created a lot of intrigue around the league. With this being their second full-on rebuild in less than a decade, it's hard not to have skepticism about whether owner Stephen Ross really has a handle on things.
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, some NFL executives believe that the Dolphins' issues start with their owner.
In his yearly piece speaking with anonymous NFL front office executives, Ross was made a target of one particular comment that no fan wants their owner to be associated with.
"The problem there is that they have an absentee owner and some really empowered people in the front office, including the president." One executive said. "If you’re the GM, that’s a tough situation.”
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross blamed for franchise's struggles by NFL executive
While Ross deserves plenty of criticism for his tenure as the Dolphins' owner up to this point, calling him absentee misses the mark. Ross has spent plenty of time and money on the franchise since becoming the majority owner nearly 20 years ago, and his decisions this offseason clearly show that he knew major changes needed to be made.
I assume the anonymous executive called him an "Absentee" owner because of how long he allowed former general manager Chris Grier to run the show in Miami, despite his obvious shortcomings. However, that always seemed more about being loyal to his employees and an attempt at showing patience, something many other organizations struggle to do.
Was he wrong to let Grier stick around for as long as he did, especially as fans have watched new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan dismantle the roster he built? Absolutely, but it's not due to a lack of care or interest.
The point made regarding some members of the front office being too empowered is a fair criticism, but it does seem Sullivan and the new head coach, Jeff Hafley, will be given the bulk of the decision-making power. The way they have purged the roster of almost all traces of the previous regime's mistakes proves that Ross isn't holding onto the past, instead allowing them to create a path to future success.
Whether rival executives like it or not, this rebuild feels fundamentally different than their last. With a GM and HC duo that are fully aligned, and an owner willing to give them whatever tools they need to succeed, fans should at least have some hope that things will be different this time around.