There are names on the Miami Dolphins GM interview list that should be met with universal applause, but most fans know the tricky part is for Stephen Ross to actually hire one of them.
On the other side of that list are names that should be considered decent options, but in reality, they are not, at least not for the Dolphins. After nine years of mediocrity under Chris Grier, Ross is once again in charge of fixing his football team, which has many fans bowing their heads in defeat.
Troy Aikman was the best thing Ross could have brought into his organization. A set of outside eyes that could help direct him onto the right road. The question is, will he listen to the advice? Especially if they believe Mike McDaniel should be replaced as the head coach?
Mike McDaniel's retention is part of a larger problem the Miami Dolphins can't seem to avoid
Stephen Ross could have told his head coach that his future in that job would be up to the next GM. That didn't happen. He isn't officially returning, but the signs are there, and he will be involved in the search for the new GM, not as a decision maker, but as the coach. Why would you do this?
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported on "X" on Tuesday that the GM prospects he has spoken with have not been told they must retain McDaniel, but there are three names on the list that might suggest Ross desperately wants them to.
This is where the Dolphins can't get out of their own way. Three members of the 49ers staff will be interviewed. All three were in San Francisco when McDaniel was there. Ross may look at this as some sort of continuity, but instead, it sets the team up for keeping the wrong coach by hiring a GM who has a relationship with him.
Another question is what exactly will McDaniel's role be? He can't be involved directly with the interviews, as it would not be a true representation of a potential GM's opinion on the coach if he were in the room.
The Dolphins owner has the opportunity to send fans a direct message that they are finally going outside the organization for a fresh perspective on how to build the team. People who don't have direct ties to McDaniel can evaluate him as a coach, not as a person.
In the middle of all this is Champ Kelly. Kelly has not been fired and will not be reassigned. He will also interview for the GM job. He should be interviewed, but he shouldn't get the job.
Ross needs significant change, not just a roster makeover. He needs eyes that have never been in his building before, a GM that doesn't have previous ties and thus potential loyalty to the head coach. The next GM should keep McDaniel as the HC at this point, as this isn't about firing him as much as it is about having the decision to do so.
2026 is going to be a roster reset of sorts. There will be a lot of dead money, a lot of roster turnover, and a schedule that currently stands as the second-toughest in the NFL. The GM must be able to watch how his coach operates, how he transitions and moves from week to week. That can't come with a prejudice of already knowing him.
The three guys in San Francisco are not horrible choices. The 49ers have had far more success since Ross bought the team than Miami has, but the optics of hiring a new GM with direct ties to McDaniel sets that GM to be bound by the coach's success.
If Ross were to go in this direction, his GM choice would be tied to the fate of McDaniel in the court of public opinion, right or wrong. Ross has to do better. He needs to get it right. He needs to step away from Dan Marino and Tom Garfinkel and listen to Brandon Shore and Aikman. Those are the only voices that should be in his ear during this process.