Facts show that Jeff Ireland hasn’t done a good enough job

Dec. 04 Opinion 19 comments ---Bill

The Miami Dolphins loss on Sunday has been seen by some as a moral victory.  Unfortunately, the only thing left for the Dolphins may be moral victories this season.  The Dolphins battled the Patriots the entire game, but ultimately fell short of winning.  Sadly, now that we know this season will end like the 3 before it, the Dolphins have fallen short of making the playoffs for four years in a row.  Since the start of the 2009 season, the Dolphins are 25-35 and barring a 3-1 finish, they’ll finish below .500 for the 4th season in a row.

There has been A LOT of arguing between Dolphins fans about the job that Jeff Ireland has done in Miami.  But let’s face it, we are ALL Dolphins fans and we are arguing because we love this football team and want them to win Super Bowls, right?  We want them to be competitive on a yearly basis.  So please, read the rest of this post knowing that we are all on the same ‘team’ here and we all want what is best for the franchise we love.

I’m writing this, knowing full well that it won’t make me any friends over at Davie.  I will say that the Dolphins are a first class organization even though their public relations with fans can sometimes leave a bit to be desired.  No one at Dolphins headquarters is trying to lose, they want to win as badly as us.  How do I know that?   Simple: Winning sells tickets.  And right now, the Dolphins are SEVERELY hurting in the ticket sales area.  It is in the organization’s best interest to put a winning product on the field.  It makes the fans happy, which in turn sells more tickets, merchandise, and orange carpets (sorry, couldn’t help myself).

HOWEVER, there comes a point in time when you have to face the hard realities of a situation….You have to know that if you try the same thing over and over again, but continue to get the same results, something must change.  So today, I’m going to lay out some facts (not opinions) on why Jeff Ireland has simply not done a good enough job and why he should not have the chance to use the assets the Dolphins have in the upcoming offseason to rebuild….again.  Look at it this way, if you were a mutual fund manager on Wall Street and for 4 consecutive years you posted no gains (or negative gains) for your investors, you would probably not get a chance at a 5th year, right?

Lets start at the beginning, when Bill Parcells came to Miami, he brought Jeff Ireland with him to be his General Manager.   No one seems to know how much influence Parcells had over the draft and free agent decisions during his time in Miami, so we really can’t draw facts from his time here.  Parcells left before the 2010 season, so that is where we’ll start our discussion.  (cont’d on page 2, click below)

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  • jason rodriguez

    Ross can’t keep ireland after this last off season. The team he put together this yr is a joke. Ryan t. Should’ve never been drafted at #8 they should’ve traded back if that’s who they wanted. Sherman needs to be gone after the season also his play calling is horrible. He has no clue how to run an offense. Back to ireland I can’t believe he’s been givin this many seasons to get his act together. He’s destoyed my team I’ve. Loved since I was a little boy! He’s a classless gm and players around the league don’t even want to come to miami cause of ireland. The sooner ross realizes this guy can’t see the forest from the trees the better. If ross keeps him for this off season I’m done caring so much about my football team. Its kinda funny that rich players don’t want to live and play in miami. Its not buffalo its miami and if players don’t want to come here its cause of ireland and nothing else. We have the money to fix this problem not to mention the draft picks. Ross if u care about being a contender in the next yr or 2 then cut ties with this guy. I can’t go 10 more yrs like this!

    • PhinNation

      Absolutely agree Jason!

  • stan

    they should have change last year now we are in no mans land with 2 yr coach new GM Ross needs to pull his head out his ass

  • ralph

    4 years or more is enough.Time for Ross to fess up and say he fired the wrong person.I wish we could bring in John McKay from Atlanta.He was the back bone in building the Buc’s during their super bowl run and now he is the Falcons team pres. He just knows talent and how to manage money.

    • PhinNation

      Agreed Ralph. There are a lot of quality replacements out there. Time for Ross to cut ties

      • Brewbear

        WAY past time

  • michael mcbride

    No, shit! The fins don’t have real running backs, wideout, and pass rushers! And is no Luck or RG3. But he should be given some help.

  • Miami Jules

    I agree with ridding the Phins of Brandon Marshall, but other than that I agree with the rest of your post. Ireland would’ve gotten rid of a player who would’ve failed the way he has. I am no fan of Ireland but I will keep my comments on him or any other extra-curricular activity until after the season.
    The other day, while at my local Publix, I came up to the cashier (he must’ve been no more than 18) and told him he resembled Ryan Tannehill, to which he replied… Who” We are losing fans in droves and we are failing to capture the new ones. It used to be almost sacriligious to not know the starting QB for Miami, but how can I blame these kids, who have seen everything ridiculous associated with our hometown team. Remember when the cicus came to town the first year Ross was the owner? Celebrity owners, Salsa music during time out breaks? Did Ross really think we are all about South Beach, image, and don’t know our football? I happen to be a rather good Salsa dancer but Salsa during time outs is as odd as playing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Ross eventually got the message and has become all about football and I say this because fair is fair.
    Fans feed from the team and the team in turn feeds from the fans. We have the world champion basketball team in town so how long is a fan to wait until saying enough heartaches and I bettrer learn what in the world the “pick and roll” is. Miami is (although it doesn’t look it right now) and forever will be a FOOTBALL town, hell, the best high school players in the country come out of our very schools.
    I admire your candor in writitng this article even though you know it isn’t the polical thing to do. Great enjoyable reading and all very true.

    • PhinNation

      Thanks Jules, always appreciate your comments! I agree with getting rid of Marshall, but only if you have a reliable backup plan and Naanee and Ochocinco were not a good enough plan in my opinion.

      You are 100% right, the team needs to turn things around on the field, then fans will come back, buy tickets, and the team will create a buzz in town. that is what’s needed: winning.

      • Samantha2012

        You know what’s needed? Losing!
        We pick 13th next year. Another horrible slot. In fact, one might argue that the whole reason we’re in this position is because Henning installed the wildcat, which created cheap wins, and resulted in a poor draft the following year. What we really needed at that point was a couple losing seasons. But the pressure in Miami is always, win no matter what. The opposite of great is good.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dennis.swanton Dennis J. Swanton

    I have been a phin fan since 1974 and have suffered through the past 16 years. I am one of those delirious fans who think the 1972 team is going to happen again or atleast the 1973 team is. The Dolphins for some reason have made bad decision after bad decision. Now my favorite player of all time is Dan Marino, but when Jimmy came to town he should have moved on. We put a band aid on a bad wound. We had bad cap problems, players who were either over the hill or had no fire drafted players with bad reputations. Jimmy left because he saw a light at the end of the tunnel and it was a speeding train. Than we had to suffer through the Wanny Years who also wifffed on drafts. We gave the reins to an average QB Jay Fiedler and kept on making excuses. Than we traded for a heartless pot head. I can go on and on. The problem is for some reason ownership makes a choice that they think can fix the problem Johnson, Saban and Parcells. But the choices we make to fix the problem do not want to hang around to make the tough choices to fix the team. Than we are kept with underlings or reaches who have no clue on how to do anything. This team needs to be gutted from the top down. which is a shame because I like Philbin he has made some tough choiices. We have to bring someone in here to fix this, that person needs to understand that this team needs a deep deep cleaning. Like with Clorox. We need someone who can not leave after 2 years (or pay a steep price) and than we are left with a Ireland, or Wanny. I have never wanted a bad season. We need to lose the next 4 games.
    THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT IRELAND NEEDS TO GOOOOOOOO.

    • PhinNation

      Great comment Dennis and I agree that Ireland needs to go

  • Henry

    Ross please go get Scott Pioli and save the Dolphins future. At least hire him as a consultant if you can not fire Ross.

    • PhinNation

      Scott Pioli would definitely be a name to consider!

  • Samantha2012

    This has to be the worst article I’ve ever read.

    Instead of a comprehensive analysis of Ireland’s performance, compared to other average to very good teams in the league, which is what I was expecting when I clicked on this link from twitter, I get another self-promoting, malcontented rant. And I say this not even liking Jeff Ireland.

    First of all, what in the world do random teams like the Broncos and Texans have to do with our team? Other than their record in one year, is there any similarity that justifies the comparison to them and not any of the other 31 teams? Even if you brought up Atlanta, I could see that at least, because they were rebuilding and didn’t have a QB.

    Regarding the keen analysis of the Brandon trade…why is there no mention of what we actually got in that trade and how those players have performed??? And why is there no consideration for reasons other than talent (like Marshall didn’t want to be here or deal with a rookie QB). Why is there no mention that we didn’t get rid of Marshall until it was clear Manning wasn’t coming and we would likely end up with a rookie in the draft?

    Garrard – are you really counting him as a bad free agent pick when everyone loved him and he fit in Miami perfectly and ran our scheme better than Matt Moore, just because he got injured?

    The Draft – is my brain on drugs or did I just read that after framing your article prior to this point to debate 2010 only,..you’re now starting at 2008 because it’s convenient?

    Sorry, I didn’t even bother with page 3.

    Put it all in a spreadsheet and do your research and get back to us.

    • PhinNation

      Thanks for reading Samantha, always appreciate feedback. Please let me know where this article is self-promoting? And since you did not read the entire article, you failed to see that over 90% of Dolphins fans want Ireland out of here. I’ll address each of your concerns below:

      Results – We did not pick random teams, we took teams that had a worse record than the Dolphins after the 2010 season. The point was to show that with good decisions and management, teams can improve quickly (i.e the Texans improving from 6-10 in 2010 to 11-1 now). Atlanta is an interesting team to bring up, they started rebuilding at the same time as the Dolphins/Parcells/Ireland did in 2008. Where are they now?

      Brandon Marshall Trade – I hope you are kidding. First, we gave up 2 second round picks for him and got back 2 thirds, which is a loss in value. One of the 3rd rounders is for next April’s draft, but you’re right, we should have talked about the one 3rd rounder from that trade that we already used…it was Michael Egnew, who hasn’t so much as dressed for a game this season. Sorry for the missed analysis.

      Just because the Phins drafted a rookie doesn’t mean you take away his best target unless you have a viable backup option. That was the point. Naanee and Ochocinco were not viable backup options to replace the production of Marshall.

      Garrard – Really? He was signed as a free agent WHO DIDN’T PLAY IN 2011 because of an injury…and we are supposed to not find it as a failure when he gets hurt before the season starts? It’s a failure, plain and simple.

      Draft – We wrote about pre 2010 and prefaced it by saying that Ireland was at the minimum a key influencer in those drafts…THEN we analyzed the last 2 drafts where he was the man in charge.

      We are happy to accept criticism, we are not perfect. But when you fail to read the entire article it is hard to justify a logical response.

      • Samantha2012

        Ok, sorry if I used a broad brush with the self-promoting thing. But I’m just weary of clicking on links and not getting the analysis I’m looking for.

        1. Regarding the Texans, I need to point out that they were way more stacked at talent than Miami was. Having a losing record does NOT mean you’re rebuilding from scratch. They had two (2) pro bowl players in Andre Johnson and Arian Foster. Those players were NOT acquired during your years of analysis. They were acquired in 2003 and 2009. Arian Foster, btw, was an acorn – completely undrafted.

        The current Texans team leaders right now are Johnson, Foster, and JJ Watt. So Watt was a nice recent draft addition to an already solid roster. By the way, you might ask, could the Dolphins have drafted Watt if he’s so good? The answer is no, because in both 2010 and 2011, The Texans picked 5-8 spots ahead of us.

        So if anything, looking at the Texans shows how long it actually takes to rebuild. They seem to have started in 2002. How long is that, 10 years? In 2011, the Texans burned up 2 second round picks on Brooks Reed and Brandon Harris. Are they both superstars yet? If they were drafted by Miami, the pitchforks would be out already.

        2. Brandon Marshall trade – Egnew was highly rated by all the scouts, and still is. If he doesn’t pan out, then get back to me. Plus we have another pick. I agree with your criticism of Naanee and Ochocinco.

        3. Draft – Your words, not mine: “What does that say about the job that has been done by Mr. Ireland SINCE the end of the 2010 season?” I’m just holding you to that standard. Stick with that timeframe if that’s the yardstick.

        I apologize I still haven’t read page 3, but I’ll have to do that another time.

        • PhinNation

          Thanks for stopping by Samantha, appreciate the debate. I’ll try to counter again:

          1. The Texans did have more talent in 2010, but the Dolphins weren’t rebuilding from scratch at that point either. I understand that different teams were at different stages, but we are seeing no improvement in the W/L standings with Mr. Ireland in charge. The same holes exist, which shows me he has not built an adequate roster. The Texans are a talented team, but what about the Bengals? They drafted Dalton last year and went to the playoffs? They were rebuilding. Many teams do it quicker than the 10 years you mentioned with the Texans. Look at the Redskins this year. They made a bold move to go up and get RG3. Again, I like Tannehill, just making a point.

          2. Egnew was a 3rd round pick and hasn’t so much as dress for a game this season. I hope he turns out to be good, but right now he has to be viewed as a complete bust. Considering the recent draft history, I just don’t have faith that the other 3rd round pick can be turned into a productive player.

          3. On page 3, I went through the last 2 drafts. I lreally like Pouncey, but I hate taking a center that high. Beyond that? Daniel Thomas has shown very little, his yards per carry average is terrible…Clyde Gates is gone…Charles Clay has not been consistent at all…Jimmy Wilson is a special teams player who struggles mightily in coverage on defense.

          This year, I like Tannehill and MIller. Jon Martin has a lot to prove and Olivier Vernon is good on special teams but is invisible rushing the passer….and Egnew has caught as many balls as I have.

          I give Ireland credit for getting guys like Lane and Thigpen as undrafted free agents, BUT those guys should be complimenting the higher picks that produce above average to Pro Bowl players.

          • Fin Fan From Toronto

            Bottom line: Ireland has done more wrong than right and still has backing from upper management for far too long. Aside from Bess, Carpenter, Wake and a couple picks – he has failed and it showed this year with his FA acquisitions as pointed out here.
            I for one did not like ridding of Marshall and Davis – for basically nothing. Not addressing the WR need was his biggest knock for me. I’d like to see Jennings over Bowe or Wallace here next year.

            Samantha – I appreciate you taking the other stance (as most here want to see a refreshed GM) but you failed in every aspect of your rebuttal: Garrard, draft and Marshall. Please go back to the Kim Kardashian forum, where your responses are most appreciated.