With the interview taking place today in Davie of the Packers OC Joe Philbin, the Dolphins might be searching for more than the head coach.

As reported by various South Florida outlets, Joe Philbin has been a key part of Matt Flynn's (potential free agent QB from Green Bay) development.

It is possible that this is a marriage that might prove successful.

This would not be the first time a coach or personnel man has brought in a QB to lead a team to the playoffs.

This would not be the first time this has happened on the Dolphins.

In 2008, the Dolphins had Josh McKown penciled in as the starting quarterback to eventually give way to Chad Henne.  As soon as Brett Favre landed in New Jersey with the Jets, Chad Pennington whom was drafted by Bill Parcells became expendable.

During the 2008 season Chad Pennington led the Dolphins to their only playoff appearance in 7 years thus proving the marriage between Parcells and Pennington a success.

Fast forward two years, with Todd Haley at the helm as coach of the Chiefs and his boss Scott Pioli.  Piloi after arriving from New England, acquired Matt Cassel after a successful non playoff 11-5 record in New England while Tom Brady was on IR.  Matt Cassel went on to lead the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010 and a division win. 

So, is it a possibility that Philbin might bring a possible franchise QB with him from Green Bay?  It is easier said then done.

Standing in the way of the Dolphins is every quarterback hungry team.  Teams such as Seattle, Washington, San Francisco, and the Colts (if they don't go QB in the draft) all have a need at QB.  

In addition, some teams realize that two QBs are better than one such as: Houston, Arizona, Dallas, and Kansas City.

Can the Dolphins entice the Packers should Flynn accept a franchise tag?  Sure they can.  Is it worth picks?  It all depends.  It depends on need and what needs can be met in the draft at the 8th or 9th spot.

In my opinion, Flynn is unproven and has experience in less than a handful of games.  His price will be high as a free agent because he can start right away in almost any system.  However, if Philbin is ultimately named the head coach in Miami, then Flynn would be a logical choice at QB before the draft takes place.

What do you guys think?

Thank you fellow Dolfans for reading!

As many Dolfans are waiting for Fisher’s answer of what team he will coach, I thought it would be interesting to get a few takes from RamsHerd.com fellow blogger Derek Pease. 

I had a quick conversation with Derek this evening about Fisher and the Rams and got his side of the story. 

Here is what he revealed to me:

1.) What is the latest news with the Rams and Fisher?

“ Kroenke is really putting on a full court press.  The thought is the Rams are waiting on hiring a GM so that Fisher can pick who he wants to work with.”

Derek goes on to say:

“Rams are trying to use this (full control/established GM) as an edge over Phins.  Both owners have the money, so that is not the issue.  Sources in St. Louis say that Fisher would like to work with a proven owner, which may give the Rams the edge."

However, "Rams and Dolphins are in different places progress wise.  While the Rams have a QB, the Dolphins as an entire unit are further along than the Rams."

Lastly, Derek mentions: “It also sounds like Kroenke is going to ask for a quick decision, which could or could not be a good thing.”

Rams fans, like the Dolfans are worried in St. Louis in that if the Rams don’t land Fisher it could mean trouble in the future such as relocation, when they require major renovations to their Dome stadium to remain a competitive venue. 

For the Dolphins, it means another another interview of inexperienced coaches and maybe missing the playoffs again…

We thank Derek Pease for his insight on the state of the Rams in the Fisher talks!

As the Miami Dolphins are in C.Y.A. mode, something they lost sight of by not firing Sparano last year; they have a back up plan!

Joe Philbin, the Offensive Coordinator of the defending super bowl champion Green Bay Packers will interview in Wisconsin on Saturday.

Philbin according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, does not call the plays in the Packer Offense, but is in charge of play design and instrumental in the development of one heck of a quarterback in Matt Flynn.  Remember, Matt Flynn, the guy most Dolfans watched on
while the Dolphins wrestled with 3rd and 6 on offense; torch the heck out of the Detroit Lions D in snow flurries and a slick field. 

I really like this opportunity to interview Joe Philbin. I think it shows a lot of continuity with current play caller Brian Daboll.  While Daboll is more of a spread option with a ton of misdirection, Philbin has experience with the West Coast Offense. 

I think Philbin as coach would come in and focus on the offense and possibly could bring in a free agent QB such as Matt Flynn to run a very powerful offense.

On the other hand, we could have another Cam Cameron as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel just mentioned on Twitter.

Another sticking point is the fact that the Packers are poised to be in contention past next weekend and quite possibly not conclude play as they hope to win the Super Bowl.  That means Philbin is unavailable to hire until 1 month from now.

So is this a good possibility? 

Feel free to shoot me a line on twitter: @DolphinMick

Happy Coaching Search Everyone!

This reminds me of the days when you are asking a girl out and she wants to take time to think about it.  Here the Dolphins are that boy asking a girl out and Jeff Fisher is that girl.  The one that can bring much happiness.  You are secretly hoping it happens and she accepts your invitation to go out...so you wait that night while she is getting called by other guys.

There are so many crazy twists and turns to this whole "chase".

Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network is of the belief that Fisher will end up in Saint Louis.

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that Fisher is leaning toward Miami because he does not "love" Bradford as much as people might hope.

Armando Salguero reported that the Dolphins Stephen Ross absolutely needs to win this sweepstakes.

On the St. Louis side, Tony Softli, a former NFL personnel man, mentioned through his sources that Fisher is basically not sure until he meets with Rams on whether or not he's leaning toward Miami.

What we know is that Fisher is in St. Louis now, interviewing, having some ribs, watching the snow fall, and envisioning what it would be like as the top guy in St. Louis with 40 million dollars in cap space.

What will happen?  Who knows.  We will surely find out if it is Miami or St. Louis or some mystery team...Dallas.

Jeff Fisher has interviewed or is interviewing today with the Miami Dolphins.  I am not going to jump out and say that the interview is progressing to an offer.

It is too early to tell.

Armando Salguero pointed out in his blog today that Carl Peterson is involved heavily in all interviews.  This is a welcome sight right?  King Carl and his Fan Vision contraption and his killer handshake and smile to close the deal?

Fisher is seen with Carl Peterson via photo by David J. Neal that he posted today on twitter.

Does Jeff Fisher decide on Miami or St. Louis? 

I would go to St. Louis because of the better BBQ and a quarterback if I were Fisher. 

However if Fisher opts for Miami, the nice ambiance, beach, and restaurants are definitely a hot sell.

Seriously though, Fisher has been brought in to do one thing and that is for the Dolphins brass to make it look like they are serious about winning, fail to land a coach, and then sign a no-name blaming that the market for coaches has minimal good candidates.

The organization will sugar coat it and name the next coach in the next three weeks after Ireland decides on a coach that "can lead" the Dolphins to a championship.

Oh boy....here we go again...

I am hopeful, but painfully optimistic that Jeff Fisher is not coming to Miami except to play the Dolphins in the future.

Just to quickly update Dolfans that are glued only to the bowl games.  I can't blame all of you.  It has been a very entertaining day for draftniks and college football fans.

According to the lastest blog and report by the Miami Herald's own Armando Salguero, Jeff Fisher will in fact interview for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job.  He is also set to interview for the post in St. Louis. 

What is not known yet is when and not many details are available through Salguero's source.   

Of course Armando makes his case for why the Dolphins should land Jeff Fisher.  He makes his case that the Dolphins in the past have failed miserable with Cameron and Sparano.  Failed because the results were not there.  Coaches with inexperience is what the Dolphins have done and ultimately failed.

Salguero challenges the Dolphins to pursue Fisher or risk hiring or settling on the next coach a less experienced or unproven winner...a re-tread basically. 

The pressure is on everyone involved and we will see if Salguero or Jason LaCanfora are correct in their assessments of both situations.

I believe the Dolphins will interview Jeff Fisher.  Will they land him?  It will take a lot.  But Salguero floats the idea to us as the reader that Ross is offering the keys to the organization.


I am cautiously optimistic and waiting for the Salguero post that will explain his post and poke holes in his post that Fisher really really doesn't like Miami and will be the Rams coach.

Or it quite possibly looks to be an exciting few weeks in Davie!  We will see! 

A lot of us Dolfans are sitting on a tablet or iPhone waiting to see what our dear insiders Armando Salguero, Ben Volin, and Omar Kelly have to say about the Dolphins head coaching search. 

All I have done today is watch bowl games and watch my twitter feed.

This morning Jeff Ireland in a press release issued this exact statement:

"Steve Ross and I have a plan in place that is designated to insure that we identify and interview an outstanding set of candidates for the head coaching position. The process will be thorough, it will be in compliance with NFL policies, and will provide the best possible result for the franchise. "

"That search has begun and there is no designated timetable; it will be conducted in a manner that gives us the greatest opportunity to hire the individual we feel is best suited to become the team’s head coach. Steve and I are excited to embark on this process, and we are confident that it will result in the selection of an outstanding individual who will return the Dolphins to their long-time status as one of the most successful teams in the league. "

To summarize as the candidates are interviewed, the Dolphins will share with the media and fans who the candidates are if the candidate and the team feels comfortable.  This search has no particular time table.  Dolphins will be thorough in their approach and not make a hasty hire.

Fine. 

Here are the early known candidates:

Mike Pettine: New York Jets Defensive Coordinator (An interview might be taking place as we speak in New Jersey)
Dave Toub: Chicago Bears Special Teams Coordinator (Will interview in the next couple of days)

Todd Bowles: Current Interim Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins (Interview said to have taken place today to satisfy Rooney Rule, but 2-1 since taking over for Sparano).

While the candidate list is not complete, more candidates will be interviewed and I expect the Dolphins to look across all levels of experience and for them to pick the guy that has chemistry with Jeff Ireland.

Fan perception today in an earlier poll by Armando Salguero on Twitter is that recently fired Bill Polian is the preferred choice at GM.

Fans are also grapling with the shocking and appauling report also by Salguero that Gruden at some point was offered the reins of the organization by Stephen Ross over dinner and control over player personnel and coaching hires. 

So, where do we stand as Dolfans?  Who do we want?  What will the best coach bring to this team?

We know that fans are clamoring for Jeff Fisher, Bill Cowher, and Jon Gruden.  Let's get over it.  We are 6-10 and don't have a QB!

Despite a very disappointing overall 6-10 season, the Dolphins finished things the right way. It is rare this season that any PR move the Dolphins have made was a good one however the organization gave Jason Taylor a classy goodbye in his final game.

Whether it was memories throughout the game, Ross speaking highly of Jason pre game or watching his team-mates carry Jason to the locker room after a big victory against the rivalled Jets, Jason Taylor was able to go out on his own terms and the right way.

After a brutally boring first half the Dolphins were able to manage their first 4rth quarter come back win to defeat the Jets and send them home without a playoff birth.

The game was filled with emotion both for JT and hatred for the Jets.

This game could sum up the 2011 season as a whole as it got off to a brutal start however they were able to finish on a nice strong suit.

With that being said there is no reason to get too excited in Miami as there are many questions left to be answered this off season.

As of right now the Dolphins and Panthers are set to have a coin toss for the 8/9 th pick in the draft neither being a very attractive position.

And then there is the obvious being the Head coaching search this team has to go through. My guess if I had to be one like we have mentioned before would be Brian Billick but there will be many names thrown around and we will have to just wait and see.

The people upstairs for the Dolphins have A LOT of work to.

It’s December 30^th and 2011 is coming to and end, the Dolphins finish 2011 with another losing season and maybe questions to be answered this off season. With that being said the Dolphins must have one New Year’s resolution to hopefully build a bright future for this team.

If I could choose one New Years resolution for this team it would be to draft the first 1^st round quarterback since Dan Marino. There is a little twist to my resolution as I do not want to settle for Landry Jones or Ryan Tannehil or even the impressive yet elderly Brandon Weeden.

The Folks in the head office for the Dolphins need to be bold for the first time in I cant even recall how many years and no matter what find a way to make sure Robert Griffin the third or Andrew Luck is a Miami Dolphin. While wishing for Andrew Luck might be a stretch, it is time for a bold move by this organization. If Luck is off the board Ireland must do whatever it takes to get a top 3 pick and select RG3.

Ireland a former Baylor Bear should know exactly the type of talent and upside RG3 has and should not blink twice to do everything within his means to make sure the Dolphins can find a franchise QB. The wait has gone on long enough.

Be bold in 2012, make it happen, there is no price you can overpay for a franchise QB.

Hopefully 2012 will be a great year for all you and a great year for our Phins. 

Jason Taylor was drafted out of Akron in the 3rd round with fellow longtime teammate and brother-in-law Zach Thomas out of Texas Tech.  Taylor and Thomas began the rebuilding efforts by Jimmy Johnson as he tried to put his stamp on the team.

Jason Taylor is a 6 time pro-bowler with a 3 time all pro 1st team selection on defense.  Taylor has endured the Jimmy Johnson era, three years of mediocre performances, the Wannstedt era (a time of boring football), and the Saban and Cam Cameron seasons with no playoff appearances.

So when the Dolphins had just finished the 2007 season at 1-15, brought in another new era with Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, and Jeff Ireland; Taylor who had seen enough truly wanted to mull over his future given his knack for entrepreneurship and marketing himself. 

Taylor spent much of the Spring and Summer of 2008 working not with his teammates in the harsh and humid heat of Davie, but instead in an air conditioned dance studio in Los Angeles.  The new regime did not approve and thus shipped him for a 2nd round pick to Washington where Taylor worked for a rookie coach anyway and had an insufferable season. 

Taylor then returned to Miami only to be denied after a subpar 7-9 season for the Dolphins.  Same regime.  Same people in charge.

This year, with Parcells gone, but Tony Sparano given more control on personnel he brought in Taylor to provide in lockerroom leadership.

Taylor has recorded 7 sacks this year when the outside linebacker position sorely needed a boost to bring about the threat of a pass rush.  He will be missed if the Dolphins cannot find those sacks elsewhere in the draft.  I am not saying this, but Armando Salguero pointed this out in depth in his blog as of yesterday.

Jason Taylor based on numbers is an all-pro.  Based on leadership is a true professional. 

However, as much as I truly appreciated Taylor's hardwork on and off the field, I can't say that he made the difference when it counted.  I know there was a win here or there where he had an interception return for a touchdown or a sack to end a game. 

But, where was Taylor when it counted?  Jets-Dolphins Monday Night Football dubbed the "Miracle".  Where was Taylor?  Barking at Jets fans and not making plays on the field?  Why didn't he sack the heck out of Testaverde.  Stop the run.  Stall the Jets drive that decided the game?

Where was Taylor when the Patriots drove the length of the field in 2002 after Ricky Williams first season and a sure playoff contender backed by the play of Fiedler and company? 

Where was Taylor this year at 0-7? 

It is possible that Taylor made the Dolphins worse when it counted.  He played so hard that his feet were sore, his hands were mangled, his shoulder was battered and bruised that he had to check out on key plays either mentally or physically? 

I am sorry, but Jason Taylor as much as we want to crown his as the ultimate team guy did not help the Dolphins win when it counted.