BREAKING NEWS: Reports are that Brian Flores will be the next Dolphins coach!

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-brian-flores-20190111-story.html

Omar Kelly wrote:The Miami Dolphins have identified New England Patriots defensive coach Brian Flores as the team’s top choice to become the franchise’s next head coach.

Owner Steve Ross and General Manager Chris Grier finished the final round of interviews on Friday, talking to Dolphins special teams coach Darren Rizzi and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains about he vacancy created by Adam Gase’s dismissal.

At the conclusion of those conversations, a league source says, Miami contacted Flores’ camp to let them know the team plans to make a formal offer.

However, no agreement has been reached yet. The Dolphins are in a holding pattern because the Patriots, the team Flores has worked for the past 15 seasons, are competing in the postseason.

Flores can’t formally be hired until the Patriots, who host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, are eliminated.

I have to say...I'm stunned. I thought for sure that Kris Richard was the target.

I like the idea of Flores - a young, ascending coach who has a a strong reputation - but is he experienced enough to run an entire team? Is he a leader of men? I don't know...at first glance this seems like a colossal leap of faith in a guy with a very small body of work.

I'm not worried about the "all Belichick coaches suck" idea...first - every person has to be judged individually, and second - this isn't a typical Belichick coach...the guy has never even been a coordinator. regardless, I prefer to judge him on his own merits...unfortunately, there's not a lot to judge.

The bottom line is this: can Flores hire strong, experienced coordinators? If the answer is "no", then he's doomed to fail. If the answer is "yes"...well, maybe we have something???

I'm absolutely in "wait and see" mode. My initial reaction is not one of pure hatred, as it was for Cameron, Philbin and Gase, but more of a "Huh???" Let's see what happens with the coaching staff...

One thing I like - Flores has coached offense, defense and STs for the Pats, and he's also done some scouting. That's a big change from Adam "Wait...there's something other than offense???" Gase.

I don't know how he'll be as a coach or a leader, but Flores is a good human being...again, a big change from Adam "It's all about me" Gase.  Watch this video (I found it on CK Parrot's Twitter):




Man, is he soft-spoken...but he is a good speaker.

Might very well be the next Tomlin.

Also, I wonder how the Patriots will somehow get compensation for him from the Dolphins, even though they don't owe the Pats any. I'd say 16 years of cakewalk AFC East titles should be enough.

I am going on record as STRONGLY disapproving of this hire. Mark my words, it's a huge mistake. Richard was the best choice clearly but I keep hearing he turned the job down. The more I hear about Flores, the less I like this hire. He apparently had a big say in the Pats drafts from 2006-08 and they...didn't turn out that well.

http://pfref.com/tiny/RPkza

Not to mention they won't even be able to hire him until after the Pats win the Super Bowl which means the Fins will be the last team to put together a coaching staff. Seems like a recipe for success to me!

You know who else were nice guys? Wanny, Philbin and Cam. Flores will make gase look good, mark my words. At least Gase had that freakish luck which allowed the Fins to steal games they had no business winning time and time again. With Flores you will all see just how bad this team really can be.

Just disgusted right now. Where's the barf emoticon when you need it?

I’m going to take a wait and see approach. See hwho we draft first overall next year after we hire a Harbaugh

I’m going to take a wait and see approach. See hwho we draft first overall next year after we hire a Harbaugh

Until the rest of the staff is hired, I'll sit tight. Like I said, now it's all about the coordinators. I keep hearing Jim Caldwell as a possible candidate for OC. Not a sexy hire, but a former head coach that will design a straight forward offense that is easy to learn and execute, and players speak highly of him. That could be exactly what we need with a green head coach.

We already know we are blowing this thing up, it would take a really bad hire to disappoint me.

Flores and Richard were 1a and 1b, so I cant say one of them is a disappointment, even if Richard seemed the better candidate. By the way, there’s very little on why Pete Carroll fired him.

Flores is a good choice. He’s got a tall mountain to climb here, but hell its an opportunity not many get.

I agree his staff will be key. I’m suspecting that Tannenbaum out of the picture helps us here. Grier is widely respected, Tannenbaum was the opposite of that...

My ONE question is, was it Flores that decided to put gronk in on that Miami Miracle play? If the answer is yes, then, he is a bad hire, if no, I'm ok with it. I can not think HE would make a decision like that. Must have been bellacheat. Hope so.

As far as hiring the coaching staff, it can bee done behind the scenes. Do you think he was not asked about potential coaches to add to his staff if he was indeed hired? Of course that came up. So, either the Fins can actually hire these guys right now, or have an agreement in place to "announce" the hirings once Flores is officially announced as the HC.

The coordinators and the other staff will be huge in helping assist this young coach. I think you really need some experience on this staff. Best case scenario, a "Wade Phillips type". Don't know if Grier or Flores has the clout or reputation to bring in one of these kind of guys. I keep hearing Jim Caldwell. Does not make my toes tingle, but I guess he is well-respected as an OC, so we'll see.

I too, am taking a wait and see attitude on this hire. Not expecting much next year, but, I want to see Grier's plan unfold.

Ok now I want Flores.

This team operates on another level. I want anyone who knows what it takes to build that.

white1 wrote:Ok now I want Flores.

This team operates on another level. I want anyone who knows what it takes to build that.

Oh sure, he looks like a genius NOW, but like every other ex-Pats assistant Flores will be lobotomized during the exit interview and be completely useless afterwards, unless he goes back to the Pats in which case he'll suddenly become smart again.

The Pats disgust me BTW. At least for once they won't be playing the AFC title game at home. I cannot WAIT until the truth finally comes out about how much they've been cheating up there--and it will. NOBODY in NFL history has been as good for as long and I'm supposed to believe they've done it legitimately? Puh-lease

There's some hubbub going that if Flores is hired he will bring along Jim Caldwell as the OC. I'm not okay with that. I'm not okay with the guy who decided in the first half of the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning as your QB to sit on the ball for 2 minutes and clock it.

Caldwell could be just what this team needs, IMO. He's got tons of experience and he's not going to try to outsmart everyone...he'll just put together a sound offensive scheme that the players can actually learn, and he's not going to try to be a super genius. Back to basics. He's had a lot of success over the years and is well-respected.

Sounds like the DC could be Brett Bielema, another experienced guy with a lot of head coaching experience.

And the OL coach could be former Dolphin Marc Colombo, who has done a good job as a Cowboys coach.

These are the types of hires that could help Flores be successful. I'm really liking the way this staff is shaping up, assuming all these hires happen.

Now reading that Caldwell will be an offensive advisor, not OC. They will likely bring in a younger guy for OC. That works for me. I think it's critical to have experienced coaches on the staff if we're going with an inexpeienced HC.

The more I read about Flores and the staff selections the more I like this hire. Strong move by Grier.

Grier is a guy that wants to keep his job for years to come.

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JMP wrote:Now reading that Caldwell will be an offensive advisor, not OC.  They will likely bring in a younger guy for OC.  That works for me.  I think it's critical to have experienced coaches on the staff if we're going with an inexpeienced HC.

I am on board with Caldwell being an adviser.

The more I find out about Flores, the more I love the guy.  He's a real good person.  Not some fake religious persona; not a guy that's a Gordon Gekko worshiper, not an, "I'm a genius," guy; not a personality guy, just a solid and good human being.

Who knows?

How good a HC this guy will be is unknown. He might be the next Sean McVay? Or the next Ray Handley? Or heaven help us, Cam Cameron!

The staff is gonna be key, I agree, but more important, what kind of SUPPORT is he gonna get from the personnel dept.

How good ANY HC CAN BE...in Miami is the question IMHO.

UNTIL...somebody...someway...somehow...figures out how to DRAFT...
Without it being an abysmal failure....
Without it being a horror show of underdevelopment at key positions....
NO HC WILL EVER BE ABLE to get beyond the Gase or Sparano level of success IMO.

The question we need to clarify is whether the team's mis-management at the top is the key reason for the team's decades of
failure, or is it an epic string of coaching failures?

I tend to think it is 80% draft/personnel and 20% coaching. Mediocre HCs can win if they have tremendous talent. But who knows? The two sometimes combine to produce a synergism of bad beyond a level either could reach alone. Cam Cameron and Mueller anyone?

A good HC provided with decent drafts that stockpile the team, build depth, and the staff is able to DEVELOP that talent
is something the Miami Dolphins have not had since Jimmy Johnson IMO. And JJ wanted to downplay the team's reliance on Dan Marino so bad he sabotaged the offense more than even he could imagine.

So who knows? We have to hope Grier knows what he is doing. We have to hope the "new recipe" Ross is advocating will mesh with the New HC...and above all, we have to HOPE the Phins finally start to use the draft as the central building block of the team.

OMar Kelly wrote:But according to league sources, a deal is viewed as a foregone conclusion, especially since Flores, the Patriots’ defensive play-caller, has already begun assembling a coaching staff. He’s reportedly hiring former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell as his top offensive assistant and assistant head coach, and appointing former Green Bay Packers linebackers coach Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator.

The Dolphins are in a holding pattern because NFL rules prevent the hiring of an assistant while his current team’s season is still going on. This second meeting with Flores focused on the numerous decisions the franchise must make in the coming weeks to charter a new course, one that will likely resemble the beginning stages of a rebuilding process.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-sp-dolphins-brian-flores-20190123-story.html

If you read the whole article they talk about Miami keeping Xavier Howard which I see it as a mistake if they don't keep him

finfanatic wrote:Who knows?

How good a HC this guy will be is unknown. He might be the next Sean McVay? Or the next Ray Handley? Or heaven help us, Cam Cameron!

The staff is gonna be key, I agree, but more important, what kind of SUPPORT is he gonna get from the personnel dept.

How good ANY HC CAN BE...in Miami is the question IMHO.

UNTIL...somebody...someway...somehow...figures out how to DRAFT...
Without it being an abysmal failure....
Without it being a horror show of underdevelopment at key positions....
NO HC WILL EVER BE ABLE to get beyond the Gase or Sparano level of success IMO.

The question we need to clarify is whether the team's mis-management at the top is the key reason for the team's decades of
failure, or is it an epic string of coaching failures?

I tend to think it is 80% draft/personnel and 20% coaching. Mediocre HCs can win if they have tremendous talent. But who knows? The two sometimes combine to produce a synergism of bad beyond a level either could reach alone. Cam Cameron and Mueller anyone?

A good HC provided with decent drafts that stockpile the team, build depth, and the staff is able to DEVELOP that talent
is something the Miami Dolphins have not had since Jimmy Johnson IMO. And JJ wanted to downplay the team's reliance on Dan Marino so bad he sabotaged the offense more than even he could imagine.

So who knows?  We have to hope Grier knows what he is doing. We have to hope the "new recipe" Ross is advocating will mesh with the New HC...and above all, we have to HOPE the Phins finally start to use the draft as the central building block of the team.

Great post, FF.

I like that Ross is at least trying something different.  The scary part is that Grier has been a part of this team's incompetence for many years - we just don't know how big a role he actually played.  But, I am willing to give him a chance - he is clearly well-respected around the league, and he is clearly willing to think outside the box.  I'm actually feeling positive about the direction of this team, and that alone is a nice change!  
And, I'm really loving Flores the more I find out about him...let's see what he can do! BUT - as you say, the draft will be key. We won't build anything worthwhile until we start hitting home runs in the draft on a consistent basis.

rightchea wrote: Miami keeping Xavier Howard which I see it as a mistake if they don't keep him

In the beginning I was all about keeping Howard...but I'm starting to change my mind. With his injury history and the amount of money he'll get, I now think I'd seriously explore his trade value. If we can get a first for him, I think I'd pull the trigger. That would put our secondary in poor shape, but it also provides an opportunity to see what Grier is made of. Losing a good CB should not make or break your team.

Right now, building through the draft is the priority. Acquiring more picks is necessary, and we have very few valuable assets to trade. Trading Howard is our best chance of making a huge draft splash.

In the beginning I was all about keeping Howard...but I'm starting to change my mind. With his injury history and the amount of money he'll get, I now think I'd seriously explore his trade value. If we can get a first for him, I think I'd pull the trigger.

That would be my approach. Apparently, most corners play well until the age of about 29 or 30. So he's got 3 or 4 years left in his prime. That could be just when we start contending. However, it matches up pretty well with our timeline.

I'd move him but only for a first. If we don't get a trade partner at that value, sign him to a 4 or 5 year deal - or let him advance to free agency and make the decision next year. His value is already set. He's already wanting top dollar. So the advantage to signing him early seems to have already passed.

The question we need to clarify is whether the team's mis-management at the top is the key reason for the team's decades of
failure, or is it an epic string of coaching failures?

I tend to think it is 80% draft/personnel and 20% coaching.

I agree, and it looks to me like that question has (partially) been answered.  Yes, mis-management at the top is a KEY reason our franchise has floundered, far beyond the time period successful teams require to do a full rebuild.  

Tannenbaum is only the latest example, but here's my take.  He didn't know how to build a team, so he let Grier suggest moves to build a team how he would do it, while he let Gase (who inexplicably had TOTAL control of the roster, and only cemented this power further after his year 1 playoff run) structure the roster in his vision.  Tannenbaum did what he loves most - wheeling and dealing in trades for aging free agents and draft pick maneuvers that burned capital for no discernible reason.  The results bear out how this approach worked.  A roster sorely lacking in depth, with aging free agents in key starting positions, and very little future hope given the dearth of young, developing talent.

The problem is at least 80% personnel acquisition.  We miss on far too many players.  The disconnect between scouting and coaching is best evidenced by the drafting of Charles Harris, who is best suited to play OLB in a 3-4.  Predictably, he has been invisible as a 4-3 DE, showing up for a single sack late in an already lost season.  Our recent drafts scream WIN NOW with selections at RB, LB, TE (x2), FS, with little to no focus on the trenches, an area sorely lacking in both talented starters and rotational depth players.

I'm extremely optimistic on this team's future given what's transpired over the last few weeks (that's my job here, if you don't know that already try and keep up).  

First, we elevated a respected scout and talent evaluator to the TRUE role of General Manager.  Chris Grier is widely respected across the NFL and his acumen for finding talent is well known.  He's not in some vacuous "VP of Football Operations" role with a GM under him, no, he is a true general manager who owns both scouting and is responsible for the effectiveness of his head coach.  I cannot overstate how important it is to be rid of the no-talent, no-football, conniving, political back-stabbing waste of a bean counter that Tannenbaum was.  We were the laughing stock of the NFL for continuing to employ him as the head of our football team.  It's over now, relegated to the unhappy collection of memories we as fans hold of this team.

Second, Grier made the wise move of bringing in an assistant GM from the outside in Marvin Allen.  We had two internal candidates that were eligible, but Grier recognized that his scouting org needed fresh leadership and acted quickly.  We may see further announcements of changes in this department, as has been alluded by Mando and Omar, or it may be done quietly.  We are going to revamp how this team evaluates talent.

Allen, in his own right, is known as an excellent talent evaluator.  Sources in the league have already opined he's more qualified than Grier to be a GM.  That's exactly what you want from team leadership.  "A" players are not afraid to hire someone better than them in a subordinate role.  "A" players ACTIVELY SEEK to surround themselves with people smarter, better, more capable.  That's how you win.  "B" players are insecure and only want yes-men and lesser talents working for them, fearing they will be outshined.  That, obviously, is how you lose.

Finally, this tidbit from the senior bowl practices.  QBs were throwing in 7-7 drills.  Meanwhile, Grier was actively scouting the OL vs DL work instead.  That's the correct focus right there.  Build the trenches, find your franchise QB, the rest almost doesn't matter.  Give me running back X, WR Y, some capable LBs, and a couple good corners and that's a solid roster.

Outstanding post, white, and I'm in total agreement.

Looks like you'll have to make room on the optimist train, buddy - I'm right there with ya!

This is the best I've felt about the Dolphins' approach/direction since Jimmy Johnson was hired...and this new model seems like it could be much more sustainable long-term.

This is the best I've felt about the Dolphins' approach/direction since Jimmy Johnson was hired...and this new model seems like it could be much more sustainable long-term.

Good point on the sustainable part. I was elated when we hired Jimmy.... only to be horrified just a couple years in as he suffered an emotional breakdown over the toll coaching had taken on him, I think it was at his mother's funeral.

Coaches will come and go. A team with a great GM and talented scouting will go a long way.