SunSentinel

Anytime I'm talking to a Miami Dolphins official you consistently hear two words being brought up: "The Plan."

"Sticking to" the plan, "following" the plan, and "believe in" the plan.

It feels like I'm listening to Hannibal Smith from the A-Team.

It has become clear that the Dolphins had "a plan" when Joe Philbin was hired last offseason. General Manager Jeff Ireland has re-signed who the team absolutely needed to re-sign, and will let the rest of Miami's roster test the free agent market so they can have the cap flexibility ($46 million) needed to build the roster in Philbin's image.

"I think it is important that you have a plan, you follow that plan, and you remain consistent towards that plan," owner Steve Ross said earlier this month. "When you no longer have confidence in that plan, then you make changes. I have belief in the plans that we set out, and we are going to follow that plan."

According to Ireland, that plan is to infuse more playmakers - touchdown and turnover producers - onto the roster.

Easier said than done, and you can read everything Ireland said at Mobile on this link.

We also have eight videos on the Sun-Sentinel's Dolphins page.

Ireland said he plans to use a balance of free agency and the draft to rebuild the roster. Ireland talked a lot about free agency on Tuesday, and even warned us that Dolphins fans will be excited about what he does, what he has planned.

Cosnidering teams like the Cowboys are $20 million OVER the cap, Miami being $46 million under is a pretty big deal.

It is clear the Dolphins will be aggressive, and they need to if the organization is going to win over the locals, which is needed to win public funding for Sun-Life Stadium upgrades.

Everything has been planned out for this 17-week push through the Legislature, and creating big waves on the free agent market might win some public sentiment locally. The Dolphins can't afford another boycott in Davie can they?

That leads me to believe the Dolphins will spend big money to pursue one, if not two of the upper echelon receivers and tight ends that will become available in March.

I've been told there are no dynamic players at those positions in this draft. Talented, yes. Dynamic, no.

Ireland and Philbin are bunking together in a suite at the Senior Bowl to talk about the talent here in Mobile, and in the draft. And also the talent in free agency. He said he's going over film of free agents with Philbin. That's got to be encouraging.

But will Miami be able to lure these talents with "the plan"?

Will they offer enough to lure Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings, who this week I've been ensured would become unrestricted free agents. Both want contracts in the neighborhood of the five-year, $55 million deal Vincent Jackson got from Tampa Bay.

The Dolphins were willing to pay big bucks to Brandon Marshall, so why not Wallace or Jennings, or maybe Dwayne Bowe?

Philbin needs a more dynamic tight end to make his offense work. Will the Dolphins get one in free agency, targeting Dustin Keller, Jared Cook or Martellus Bennett, or will they got the draft route?

Ireland also hinted he's open to using the Dolphins' nine draft picks to trade for players. Packers tight end Jermichael Finley will either be cut, have his contract restructured, or traded this offseason I'm told?

Would the Dolphins be interested?

I'm also told a number of players - from Devin Hester to Percy Harvin - will eventually be put on the trade block. Could the Dolphins be interested in any of these proven playmakers with baggage?

Ireland has shown he's willing to make deals in the past. I wonder if that's part of "the plan"?

And is Ireland bold enough to pull an aggressive move off? That's the main question I bring up in my column this week, which you can read by clicking this link.

"What’s important to everyone is that the Miami Dolphins become a winning organization over a long period of time. As opposed to just talking about it," Ross said. "You have to put it together, you have to believe in the plan, and you have to follow the plan.”

Much like Hannibal Smith and the A-team, the Dolphins have their work cut out for them to ensure that "the plan" comes together.

yeah, i read that yesterday..it would be nice to finally have a plan in place, but we all know it takes more than just laying out a plan..The implementation & execution of the plan is probably more important than the plan itself.

I think after this upcoming offseason (FA & Draft) we'll all know one way or the other whether there's realistic hope that both the plan & execution are on course to getting this team back to where we all want it

Everyone has A plan but only one plan wins the SB, not to say contending at the top PLAN every year is not worthy. Why is it that no matter who plans the Patriots year in and year out, they are succesful to a certain extent? I think it's because it is "THE SYSTEM"!It may sound the same as a plan but I think it is more Culture,Philosophy,Mindset,Belief instead of a,b,c and d to success.

Driven_Phinsane wrote:


My opinion of this front office hasn't changed. BUT, there is a great deal of pressure riding on this offeseason both for Ireland as well as Ross. In my opinion Ireland has to hit home runs in free agency and the draft to keep his job, and Ross needs Ireland to hit home runs if he wants any type of financial backing for all the stadium upgrades he wants. If they don't make that "splash" they keep talking about one guy will be fired and the other will look like a fool, being an owner of a team that has a stadium full of empty orange seats on Sundays.

I really hope Ireland surprises me this offseason and signs some key players that will help improve this team for years to come. I know I won't get my wish of Wallace AND Jennings but hopefully he will sign some key players that will give me hope that the Dolphins will be making a playoff run sooner rather than later.

DolphinsFreak wrote:


I agree,, and while i'm not super confident that Ireland will switch up his philosophy a bit and hit it out of the park this off-season..i am hoping and praying that he does, b/c obviously the alternative is once again starting from scratch!

I (and i'm hoping any true fan) would love to see Ireland evolve into a top-notch GM (They say that necessity is the mother of invention,, and he better realize that it's critically necessary to re-invent himself & this franchise..Nothing short of a homerun this off-season will do!)

Driven_Phinsane wrote:


I totally agree with you. I am not happy with what the Dolphins have been doing for many years. Ireland isn't to blame for all this, he is just in a current position to be the fall guy and it is easy to put the blame on him. This problem with rebuilding year after year isn't anything new to Dolphins fans. I don't like the fanbase to be so divided over a GM, it's just plain ridiculous. I would love it if he did finally make some moves that made most of the Dolphins fans happy, since you can't please them all, so that people knew what this mystery "plan" was and we all got on board with it. Philbin has the philosophy that Aqua mentioned that the Patriots have, with the exception of being poor sports, so now all he needs is some playmakers to help improve the team to start getting the Dolphins back at the top of the AFC. This offseason is the most important one in recent years. The Dolphins have the money and the draft picks to make a tidal wave of a splash, so their are no excuses for them not to improve significantly this offseason.

Nice to see you back Freak. I missed ya..

Thanks for posting the article. I value your opinion, so tell me what would make you get excited about next season in regards to FA.. Who would you like to see brought in? Who would you like to see resigned?

Personally, I would like to see them resign Long for a reasonable sum. He is not elite, but I don't want to waste a draft pick on a new tackle. I would rather try to find a solid guard who fits the mold of Pouncey. I would like to keep Bush around for his locker room presence, but feel that between Miller, Thomas, and even Thigpen we would be okay if we let Bush walk. I think Sean Smith should be resigned, but again not top dollars, and Hartline and Starks are must resigns IMO..

FA - I like the idea of Wallace strictly from a speed standpoint. I like Jennings from a "fan" standpoint, but do think he is on the decline and Wallace would be a bigger threat.

I would also like to see them bring in Paul Kruger as a DE, and Cook or Bennet as our TE..

After that I'm good drafting a couple CB's, a young stud WR, a solid guard, and a FS (although I think Jones and Jimmy Wilson could be solid back there for us.. then BPA's the rest of the way..

idahomer wrote:


Thanks, Ida! I missed you too, bro!!

What would get me excited about free agency would be for the Dolphins to sign some quality players that will fill some much needed gaps on the Dolphins roster.

Free Agents - I would like to see the Dolphins sign at least one of the top three WR's on the market. Mike Wallace being my first choice, Jennings my second and Bowe my third. I like both Wallace a Jennings but prefer Wallace for many reasons. I am greedy, I would like to have them both. If the Dolphins could land at least one of these WR's and then sign Martellus Bennett, Grimes and possibly Ryan Clady or Michael Johnson from the Bengals. I basically want the Dolphins to get at least three positions filled with top ranked players, rather than 7 players who I have barely heard of before.

Re-Signing - My favorite Dolphins player is Reggie Bush for many reasons. I think he is a playmaker, he is intelligent, he is a team leader and he has a tremendous work ethic. I think he can't be replaced in that locker room. Jake Long? If Long wants first round pick money I would let him walk. I would prefer to keep him but I would not over pay for him. I would ask Long if he would be willing to play LG and take a pay cut, and by moving to guard it could extend his career. (?) I would like to re-sign Starks but I would not put a high priority on signing Hartline, unless the money was reasonable. He isn't a #1 receiver and I think he is barely a #2, he just can run fast. IMO

Draft - It would defend on FA but I would strengthen the Dolphins defense by drafting a CB, S and DE. There should be enough talented DE's in the draft to find one. I would also target a WR in the 2nd or 3rd round. I would also like the Dolphins to go after a TE, even if hey are able to sign one in FA.

So many holes to fill but In My Opinion this is what I would like the Dolphins to do to improve the team.

DolphinsFreak wrote:


Cant disagree with any of the names you put out there. I totally forgot about Grimes. He should definately be on their short list. He is a proven commodity, and Atlanta is fat at CB now.. I can't see them resigning him. I'd add him and drop Kruger since I think we can find a decent young pass rusher in the draft. So we agree on Bennett, and one of the big 3 FA WR's.. As for Hartline I would like to keep him around at the cost of a #3 or low #2.. A WR corp of Wallace, Bess, Hartline, Binn/Mathews, and a 1st day draft pick WR would look very good to me. Hartline may be better suited for the slot, but he is still reliable and has good chemistry with Tanny, good hands, and runs good routes. I also would not be offended to see us pick up a free safety and LB in the draft. I still have hope for Kaddu. I saw him play a lot at OSU being in Pac 12 country and the kid has some skills. I also would consider moving Vernon to OLB from DE.. He actually showed up last season in coverage and did a solid job. He seems to have the speed, and I think he is undersized for a DE..

Anyway, let the boring offseason begin.. Again, glad you are back.. This place was just not the same while you were away..

Idahomer Wrote:

"Cant disagree with any of the names you put out there. I totally forgot about Grimes. He should definately be on their short list. He is a proven commodity, and Atlanta is fat at CB now.. I can't see them resigning him. I'd add him and drop Kruger since I think we can find a decent young pass rusher in the draft. So we agree on Bennett, and one of the big 3 FA WR's.. As for Hartline I would like to keep him around at the cost of a #3 or low #2.. A WR corp of Wallace, Bess, Hartline, Binn/Mathews, and a 1st day draft pick WR would look very good to me. Hartline may be better suited for the slot, but he is still reliable and has good chemistry with Tanny, good hands, and runs good routes. I also would not be offended to see us pick up a free safety and LB in the draft. I still have hope for Kaddu. I saw him play a lot at OSU being in Pac 12 country and the kid has some skills. I also would consider moving Vernon to OLB from DE.. He actually showed up last season in coverage and did a solid job. He seems to have the speed, and I think he is undersized for a DE..

Anyway, let the boring offseason begin.. Again, glad you are back.. This place was just not the same while you were away.. "
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I really appreciate the kind words. I missed the forum quite a bit. I looked at a few others around the internet and there were a couple good ones out there but this forum is like a cool little bar as opposed to a crazy night club where you can't even hear yourself think. AHA

Yeah, I really liked what Bennett did this year, he looked like he might be stepping up to that next level. There are a few good TE's in FA this year. I like Keller a lot, Jared Cook and Fred Davis are both pretty good, too. Cromartie is a free agent and if he would sign for a reasonable price I wouldn't mind having him in a Dolphins uniform. If we can't re-sign Smith we would have his replacement. If we do resign Smith we would have the tallest corners in the league.

I have nothing against Hartline. IF Tannehill could have got him the ball more Hartline would have put up some great numbers. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I SCREAMED at the tv because Tannehill overthrew Hartline. I think it actually cost the Dolphins three games. I like the idea of Hartline in the slot, but then we would have to probably think about trading Bess. I really like Bess. However, if the Dolphins could get a #2 for him, or something like that, it might be worth the trade. (AS long it is outside the AFC)

I wouldn't mind seeing the Dolphins target a LB in the draft. I also like your idea of moving Vernon to LB. I hope Ireland goes after some pass rushers in the offseason. There should be enough in the draft to get at least two or three.

We seem to be on the same page.

I talked with a long time Phinatic last week. He is 82, and did see the Phins win their last Super Bowl. He told me that he was very tired of hearing about 5 year, now 3 year plans to win another.

He said he has been hearing the Same Old S*** since the 70's, and is running out of his own 3 year plans to celebrate another SB.

Southbeach wrote:


And here i was thinking i was running out of time ...

Unfortunately i agree with the old-timer, it is the same-old shit we as fans have been listening too and suffering through for way too long-g-g!(Most of us for decades) Even the Marino years although highly enjoyable & entertaining were nothing but a tease that left us heartbroken year after year..

The fact that we haven't seriously contended for a SB berth in close to 30 years and haven't won a single playoff game in over a decade shows that this team hasn't had a clue as far as what they were doing and which direction they were heading..Once again all we're left is to hope that that's all changed and isn't once again the same-old shit!

Guess he is putting up an SOS, based on a SOS.

Southbeach wrote:


LOL,, sounds like an old Police song...

Shall we send Ireland a "message in a bottle" of Irish whiskey?