Habib: Years of getting it wrong make it tough to believe Miami Dolphins, Stephen Ross will get it right
I want to believe.
I want to believe that this time, it will be different. That the Dolphins will get the next coaching hire right, that the assistants he selects will be inspired, that everybody will stick around and rally ’round and this organization finally will be functional.
I want to believe that generations of fans in South Florida will discover that the lather-rinse-repeat cycle of mediocrity isn’t ordained from high above, that back-to-back winning seasons shouldn’t serve as a ceiling but a floor, and that playing deep into January isn’t reserved for the privileged few.
I want to believe, but I can’t. And I won’t. If you want to, by all means. But answer this first: What is it, exactly, that you’re wrapping your faith around? Is it the fact that coach Brian Flores was fired Monday? That general manager Chris Grier wasn’t? That Stephen Ross is laying out a vision for the future steeped in a kumbaya spirit of collaboration throughout the organization that hasn’t been realized, ever, in his 12 years as owner?
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Of all the things Ross said in eight minutes of addressing the media (and, by extension, you) for the first time in two years, the most significant item was his last.
“You mentioned collaboration a lot during this time,” a reporter said to preface a question. “You hired the people that were in place to collaborate, so I’m wondering what is your responsibility for making that collaboration happen and your responsibility for having it fail?”
To his credit, Ross neither flinched nor disputed the indisputable.
“I’ll take all responsibility,” he said. “I am the owner of the team and if it’s not working, it’s really up to me. That is why we are making a change.”
If this team started fresh any more than it already does, it would be a Subway. Making a change, this franchise knows all about. Effecting change? Not so much.
In my increasingly limited time around Ross, I’ve found him to be quite likable, with an aura of business acumen that makes it easy to understand why his other ventures are as successful as they are, but also makes it puzzling why this one may never be under his watch. Football is a whole different animal, he admitted to me a handful of years into his ownership, when brighter days surely were on the horizon.
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Now? Now the Dolphins are a rudderless ship, with the responsibility squarely on the man whose hands are doing the steering. Monday, Ross said he has confidence in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He said he hopes the new coach will work with him. Help him grow. Later, in response to an inquiry gauging the Dolphins’ level of interest in Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, who still faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, Ross said “it will be up to the head coach in terms of what he does with the quarterback.”
So is it Tua or isn’t it? Or does Ross expect a new coach to come in and ditch the quarterback that he knows the owner favors?
Don't discount Jim Harbaugh so quickly
Strange as it sounds, there might actually be larger questions over this whole affair. Flores’ firing came so quickly that it immediately triggered speculation Ross was clearing a path to hire Jim Harbaugh. But Ross shot down that theory, reminding everyone the University of Michigan is his alma mater and he doesn’t want to pry Harbaugh from the Wolverines.
Some Dolphins fans will object to Ross putting Michigan above the Dolphins. Wasted energy. The fact is, Ross could hire Harbaugh and still be welcome in The Big House.
Harbaugh, a one-time coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has made no secret that he would like to return to the pros. So what happens if Harbaugh calls Ross — who courted him before — and says, “I’m leaving Michigan. Wanna talk?”
“I love Jim Harbaugh,” Ross said Monday.
Why was Grier retained?
Ross also likes and trusts Grier enough to keep him around even though some wondered if Grier was on shakier ground than Flores. Grier is back on the strength of his 2021 Draft (team MVP Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland) and not his track record of drafting offensive linemen or his spotty results in free agency.
Speaking of which, who didn’t have mixed feelings at Ross’ reference to Miami’s league-leading $74 million in cap space? Sorry, Matt Damon. Fortune favors the wise. Haven’t we had enough of the Dolphins “winning” the offseason with their shopping sprees?
Yet another example of those who have gotten it wrong, getting another shot at getting it right.
Believe at your own risk.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins next head coach: Can Stephen Ross get this one right?
