I'd take Barry Jackson's reporting over Mike Florio's speculation. I think those two reports make sense. If Long is going to be re-signed, he's probably going to test the open market, or at least the post-season, pre-FA collusion season. Reggie Bush probably isn't going to be resigned.
Christ I hate Florio. He even puts in his article "That said, not many teams are negotiating new contracts right now, so the perception may be inaccurate." He's as bad as that Simcha Jacobovich guy.
In this case what he's reporting is that multiple guys around the league are raising an eyebrow at how the Dolphins aren't re-signing any of their own players and that they've concluded it's because Ireland is on the outs. He's reporting their opinions, not his own.
it sounds as if Ireland is getting a free pass, if we havent signed any of our players and many of them walk , wontthat create mores then we can fill ? Ireland must go just because we beat a bad team doesnt makes us a playoff team. its funny how people on that website are saying we are going places , Really ? ok I will give him a pass for the dline but hell miami usually brings in guys through out the year to see if we can get a good pllayer who sometimes slips through the cracks. why in hell did we pass on the good tightends and the cb from tampa who is with the Pats now ?
I'd much rather buy into this speculation than the other, but logic tells me he's probably retained. Sadly...
To me that was the only sign pointing to him not being retained, but unfortunately it could also mean that he's just an incompetent gm who failed to negotiate any deals to lighten the load of a 7 starter free-agent off-season. Now they'll lose a few of those just because of the numbers game.
GM's usually almost always get another year after a 1st round QB is drafted. Don't have the numbers in front of me, but I'm willing to guess it's not often one is let go that soon.
But whose eyebrows? He characterizes them as the "NFL grapevine" and then goes on to say "That said, not many teams are negotiating new contracts right now, so the perception may be inaccurate." I read this as Florio and his buddies (the NFL grapvine) coming up with a theory that they don't even entirely believe themselves and throwing it against the wall to see if it sticks.
I don't see the necessity for formulating theories on the basis of a complete lack of ethics when it is in fact entirely believable that several front office executives and NFL agents have probably come to him saying that they think it's weird that the Dolphins aren't re-signing any players and that it could be a sign Ireland is on the outs. I really don't see how that is such an implausible possibility that we've got to be sitting here forming conspiracy theories about a reporter completely making up reports.
But that's the thing it isn't odd that the Phins aren't signing their FAs in December, most teams aren't and Florio admits this himself. Florio and PFW are known for posting pieces based on pure speculation and trying to pass them off as journalism. They aren't alone in the practice, its just a bypoduct of the instant reporting the internet has created.
If they didn't want Ireland doing GM duties he would be gone already. I think this story is absolutely ridiculous. Why would a team/owner not resign ANY players because they want a new GM?
I think the motivation would be pretty obvious. You're set to have $40 to $50 million in salary cap space plus six picks in the top 110 of the Draft and you don't want the guy you're thinking of firing using any of those resources before the new General Manager can have a say in it. I'm not saying Florio's SOURCES are correct, but the idea is eminently plausible.
I still think Ross needs to get with Philbin on this decision. If he's willing to bet his future on Ireland, then it's needs to be known. Because another 6-10 season or worse next season, they'll both be fired.
Speaking of Dungy, I don't think I've ever seen someone add less to a program for having been a head coach prior. He's in Donovan McNabb levels of worthlessness (but not quite Emmit Smith levels of worthlessness).
That doesn't make any sense given that the GM in question is the one who stockpiled those things, and in many cases did so in a way that prioritized the long-term over short-term. He didn't do that with his job on the line.
Right, but it fails objective muster when it isn't shown that GMs who are thought to be safe and secure are doing anything significantly different.
This is really silly. Basically what's being suggested is Jeff Ireland is completely incompetent at his job, but hyper incompetent in keeping it, but somehow lapsed into a fatally incompetent act by grossly misjudging his position this season. Maybe shouright can help us out if there's a clinical term from it, but it's something you see constantly in opposition politics. If you've simultaneously need to paint a public figure as alternately incompetent/ultra-competent to justify an ideology, you're taking some intellectual short-cuts.
The fact that he calls his site the Rumor Mill should be your first clue but if you want a link all you have to do is google Mike Florio + hack and there are pages upon pages of stories on he misrepresented stories.
I agree. Is it the practice of this gm and owner not to sign people during the season? If it is common, this is a non-story.
For me, Jeff Ireland has had enough time to make this team into a winner. If anything Andy Dalton, Andrew Luck, RGIII, Russell Wilson, and even going back to a guy like Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco have shown you can win and go to the playoffs with a rookie QB. So, that's not an excuse for me. This will be his 4th straight year without playoffs and potentially under .500. He's had a coaching change, QB change, and many other players that have lost their jobs. It's time that he has to be held as accountable as everyone else. Steve Ross said he expected playoffs. We're on the brink of missing the playoffs. If my boss gives me a goal that I continually miss, I'm looking for a job, no matter how much my job depends on the variables of others executing my strategies. If Miami can somehow sneak into the playoffs, even at 8-8, that is good enough for me to earn him the chance to be the GM next year. If that doesn't happen, it's time to move on.
It's too bad the Dolphins look like they'll be retaining Jeff Ireland because Tom Gamble of the 49ers looks like a really qualified candidate. Gamble is the son of Harry Gamble who was the Eagles' President and GM for a long time. He got his start with the Eagles straight out of college and from 1988 to 1994 worked as a college scouting administrator, area scout, contract negotiator, and later served as the director of pro scouting. From 1995 to 1996 he worked as a defensive assistant quality control coach for the Jets. He worked as a part time college scout for the Panthers in 1997 and then switched to full time pro personnel scout for the Ravens that same year. But then Bill Polian hired him as a college scout in 1998. He was there through 2004 and then moved to the 49ers as Director of Pro Personnel. In 2010 they asked him to add college scouting duties and help organize the 2010 Draft. They liked him enough doing that, that in February of 2011 they named him Director of Player Personnel under Trent Baalke (who had previously held the title and was promoted to General Manager). In Gamble's new role, he would be overseeing both the pro and college scouting. That is the job title he retains today. Rumor has it that Al Davis wanted to hire Gamble as his GM a couple of times but that Gamble refused. He also got some interest in some other job openings, including I believe the St. Louis Rams. One thing that is attracting the Jaguars to Gamble is that Shahid Khan's son is big into the use of advanced analytics to get an edge in football, and the teams that have been on the cutting edge of that effort have been the 49ers, Patriots and recently the Baltimore Ravens. In San Francisco, Gamble will have seen firsthand how the implementation of some of that stuff can help the front office. Adam Caplan was writing a piece about potential GM candidates and wrote the following: Bill Polian had this to say about Tom Gamble: Back when he was with the Colts, those were pretty much the glory years of Polian's drafting. We have no way of knowing for sure which players Gamble scouted personally but the year after he left for the 49ers, which was coincidentally-or-not the year Chris Polian ascended to a heavy role in the front office, their drafting went seriously downhill. While Gamble was there they drafted guys like Peyton Manning, Steve McKinney, Edgerrin James, Mike Peterson, Rob Morris, Marcus Washington, David Macklin, Reggie Wayne, Ryan Diem, Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Robert Mathis, Cato June, Bob Sanders and Jake Scott. Some were serviceable, some were more than that, some were/are stars and superstars. Over the years the 49ers have made some interesting free agent/pro acquisitions. The ones you'll know from most recent history include the likes of DE Justin Smith, OLB Ahmad Brooks, CB Carlos Rogers and FS Donte Whitner. All are quality players for the team. But when you really dig you see some pretty excellent contributions from veteran acquisitions like LB Takeo Spikes, LB Travis LaBoy, QB Shaun Hill, CB Nate Clements, CB Walt Harris, S Mark Roman, S Michael Lewis and they even got a good season out of the volatile WR Antonio Bryant before cutting him loose. This year they're getting production and good PFF ratings out of WR Mario Manningham and WR Randy Moss. Of course not everything worked out on this side. I think you can say that RB Dehaun Foster didn't work out, nor RB Brandon Jacobs clearly. WR Isaac Bruce only worked out for one year and then he tanked pretty hard. I'm not sure whether to criticize the Ted Ginn trade or not, because they've gotten three return touchdowns out of him and pretty high kick and punt return averages. From 2010 (which is when Gamble took on duties helping to organize the Draft) to now, they've drafted some guys that have stood out including OT Anthony Davis, OG Mike Iupati, LB Navorro Bowman, WR Kyle Williams, DE Aldon Smith, CB Chris Culliver, RB Kendall Hunter, FB Bruce Miller and RB LaMichael James. And then of course, there's the newest star on the scene, QB Colin Kaepernick. It's possible that Gamble is the next General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars (if he wants the job, he might not). If he gets passed over again this year then he'd be a guy you look at to replace Jeff Ireland in 2014.
Another scenario to think about. Could it be Ross wants to sell the team and doesnt want to burden the new owner with expensive contracts.
I'd be more sold on Gamble if I didn't think Harbaugh has helped a lot of those players play to their fullest potential and perhaps a little beyond with his systems and coaching. Kaepernick without the QB whisperer as his coach... who knows how he'd be looking? Not as good, I don't think. The feller I want is Marc Ross of the Giants. He's done a great job, and done what we get frustrated over Ireland NOT doing... take some successful risks projecting guys from college into being capable of becoming great NFL starters.
Give this a thought........ Maybe, just maybe they are NOT going to resign any of those players. Think about it. Long has been on a decline and will want top dollar to remain. He could be replaced for half the money and get equal production. Let someone else take the 10 or 11 million a year salary. Those days are gone IMO. Bush, what's there to say. He's ok. Good but not great. Danial Thomas and the draft may just service this team better. The other 7 or 8 we have plenty of time. p.s Why do any of you care anyway, Ireland has done nothing but assemble a roster full of crap talent (heavy sarcasm)
