Le Batard also felt, that the addition of Bill Cowher, rumored to be receiving attention from Stephen Ross & Co. lately, would do nothing without a good QB.
His main point of contention was that personnel has a much greater impact than coaching on team success. I think Dan would agree with the assessment that the GM, the employer and architect of personnel, is more important to the success, or lack thereof, of an NFL team than the coach.
In looking past Sparano, to that GM, you see the root of the Phins' problems. The root's name is Jeff Ireland.
In the coming weeks the media, if they address him at all, will talk about how Ireland hasn't been sociable. How he has hid behind the scenes pushing buttons like the tiny man once believed to be the Wizard of Oz.
They'll wax poetic about how Ireland has let Sparano and Steven Ross take the blame.
That's neither here nor there in The Coach's opinion. How often do you see Green Bay's Ted Thompson, Baltimore's Ozzie Newsome, or Pittsburgh's Kevin Colbert step to the podium for post game press conferences? You don't. Those successful GMs are no more sociable or media accessible on a major scale than any other.
The real problem with Ireland's tenure in South Florida has nothing to do with media savvy or relationships with players, coaches or ownership. It's solely a matter of a bad job done filling the roster. The Dolphins fridge is full of bad groceries.
Instead of harping on bad free agent acquisitions (Reggie Bush, the Cowboy Castaways, etc.) and questionable trades (Brandon Marshall (which Monstar took his talent again?) or Jason Taylor to the Redskins), the best place to see Ireland's ineptitude is by looking at the NFL College Draft. Between 2008 and 2011, JI has had four cracks at making the Phins a contender, or at least markedly better.
For your viewing pleasure, after the page break is each pick Mr. Ireland banked his employment on, how they've fared, and some notable young men who were available at the time. Let's start in 2008:
*Actual picks in orange
*Players passed over in blue
Round 1
Jake Long (3-time Pro Bowler, 1-time 1st-Team All Pro, Started all 54 games)
Matt Ryan (3)
Darren McFadden (4)
Chris Johnson (24)
Round 2
Philip Merling (48 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 Int)Jordy Nelson (36)
Matt Forte (44)
DeSean Jackson (49)
Ray Rice (55)
Chad Henne (13-18 w/l, 60.7 completion %, 31/37 td/int, 5.9 yards/pass 4 Game Winning Drives, 3 4th Qtr Comebacks)
Martellus Bennett (61)
Terrell Thomas (63)
Kevin Smith (64)
Round 3
Kendall Langford (97 total tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 8.5 sacks, 0 Ints)
Jamaal Charles (73)
Jermichael Finley (91)
Tyvon Branch (100)
Round 4
Shawn Murphy (Absolutely Nothing)
Tashard Choice (122)
Orlando Scandrick (143)
Tim Hightower (149)
Josh Johnson (160)
Round 6
Jalen Parmele (3 yrs in Baltimore)
Mike Gibson (184)
Ahytba Rubin (190)
Donald Thomas (13 starts w/ Miami, 1st yr in New England)
Mike Hart (202)
Lex Hilliard (0 Starts, 114 yds rushing, 2/2 rushing/passing tds 3.6 yds/attempt)
Steve Johnson (224)
Peyton Hillis (227)
Justin Forsett (233)
Round 7
Lionel Dotson (0 Starts, 4 tackles, 0 saks, 1st year in Buffalo)
Chris Horton (249)
Everybody has one bad year. Let's see how he rebounded in 2009:
Round 1
Vontae Davis (28 Starts, 5 Int, 103 tackles, 1 Int TD)
Clay Matthews (26)
Hakeem Nicks (29)
Kenny Britt (30)
Chris "Beanie" Wells (31)
Round 2
Pat White (Positively Nothing )
Mohamed Massaquoi (50)
LeSean McCoy (53)
Sean Smith (30 Starts, 1 Int, 94 tackles, 0 Int TD)
Shonn Greene (65)
Glen Coffee (74)
Mike Wallace (84)
Round 3
Patrick Turner (2 Rec, 26 yds, 0 TDs)
Deon Butler (91)
Jerraud Powers (92)
Mike Thomas (107)
Round 4
Brian Hartline (19 Starts, 92 rec, 1378 yds, 5 TDs)
Louis Murphy (124)
Austin Collie (127)
Johnny Knox (140)
Round 5
John Nalmone (Zilch)
Nobody.
Chris Clemons (17 Starts, 1 Int, 54 tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 0 Int TD)
Javon Ringer (173)
Round 6
Andrew Gardner (Nada.)
Brandon Gibson (194)
Curtis Painter (201)
Bernard Scott (209)
Round 7
J.D. Folsom (Nothing)
Julian Edelman (232)
LaRod Stephens-Howling (240)
Rashad Jennings (250)
Well, maybe the third year is the charm right? RIGHT?
Round 1
Jared Odrick (1 Start, 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 Int, 1 Forced Fumble)
Jahvid Best (30)
Rodger Saffold (33)
Dexter McCluster (36)
Arrelious Benn (39)
Round 2
Koa Misi (16 Starts, 38 tackles, 5.5 Sacks, 0 Int, 1 Fumble Rec/TD)
Rob Gronkowski (42)
Lamarr Houston (44)
Jimmy Clausen (48)
Toby Gerhart (51)
Terrence Cody (57)
Ed Dickson (70)
Round 3
John Jerry (It's like he doesn't exist.)
Emmanuel Sanders (82)
Colt McCoy (85)
Jimmy Graham (95)
Mike Williams (101)
Jacoby Ford (108)
Aaron Hernandez (113)
Round 4
A. J. Edds (Crickets.)
Guess this round was bad for everybody.
Round 5
Nolan Carroll (7 Starts, 13 Tackles, 1 Int, 0 Sacks, 0 Int/TD)
Riley Cooper (159)
Reshad Jones (6 Starts, 33 Tackles, 1 Int, 2 Sacks, 0 Int/TD)
James Starks (193)
Antonio Brown (195)
Joe Webb (199)
Round 7
Chris McCoy (Ghosts leave more imprint.)
Nobody.
Austin Spitler (At least he made the team!)
No one.
Oh brother. How bad did he do this year. (The jury's still out on this class, but I'd say contributing to an already 0-6 team doesn't help their case.)
Round 1
Mike Pouncey (6 Starts)
Nate Solder (17)
Corey Liuget (18)
Mark Ingram (28)
Muhammad Wilkerson (30)
Andy Dalton (35)
Round 2
Daniel Thomas (0 Starts, 302 yds rushing, 0/1 Rushing/receiving TDs, 4 yds/attempt)
Randall Cobb (64)
Terrell McClain (65)
DeMarco Murray (71)
Round 4
Edmond Gates (Witness protection program)
Delone Carter (119)
Jacquizz Rodgers (145)
Denarius Moore (145)
Round 6
Charles Clay (0 Starts, 3 Rec, 63 yds, 0 TDs)
Jason Kelce (191)
Keith Williams (196)
Bruce Miller (211)
Round 7
Frank Kearse (Milk Carton)
Nobody.
Jimmy Wilson (0 Starts, 4 tackles, 1Int, 1 forced fumble, 0 Int/TD)
Jimmy seems to have been the only good pick left. Well done Jeff!
Four years has been more than enough time. Heck, three years is in today's NFL. If a man can't do the sole thing he is placed in the GM's seat to do after 4 seasons, it's time to get someone else who can. Maybe Le Batard?
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