HEADLINES

Dennis Hickey

Dolphins Rumors: Martin, Hickey, McKinnie

February 4th, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito text messages obtained by The Big Lead have produced the major Dolphins-related story of the last 24 hours, it’s unlikely that either player ever wears a Miami uniform again. Incognito is a free agent, but new GM Dennis Hickey will be tasked with making a move with Martin, who will almost certainly be either traded or waived before the 2014 season gets underway. Speaking of Hickey, his contract has been a key point of discussion amidst Tuesday’s other Dolphins updates, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….

  • Citing multiple sources, ESPN.com’s James Walker reported today that Hickey’s deal with the Dolphins is for just two years. Assuming that’s true, it would expire at the same time as the contract for head coach Joe Philbin, after the 2015 season.
  • According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, however, the Dolphins are denying the ESPN report, saying that Hickey’s contract is for more than two years (Twitter link). The team didn’t specify the length of the deal, so I wonder if it’s a matter of semantics — perhaps there’s a third-year team option after the first two years, for instance.
  • As Walker noted in his piece, most general managers receive deals for between three and five years. The length of Hickey’s deal would be telling, since it would signal whether the club is invested long-term in its new GM or is giving itself an out to potentially make another change in a year or two.
  • In an interview with Finsiders.com, offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie expressed a desire to re-sign with the Dolphins this offseason. Said the 34-year-old free-agent-to-be: “I plan on playing for a couple more years and it would be great to just finish my career [in Miami] where I already have a home.”

AFC East Rumors: Pats, Fitzgerald, Dolphins

January 28th, 2014 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

While Larry Fitzgerald has long been considered a logical trade target for the Patriots, there haven’t been many substantial reports over the years linking the Pats to the Cardinals receiver. However, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com hears from a “very well-placed” source that New England had legitimate interest in acquiring Fitzgerald last offseason, sending out feelers to gauge the feasibility of such a move. As Curran writes, things likely didn’t progress too far, and it’s not clear if the Pats would still have interest in Fitzgerald, who is due a significant pay bump for 2014.

Here’s more from out of the AFC East:

  • In his latest mailbag at ESPNBoston.com, Mike Reiss predicts that free agent receiver Julian Edelman will draw offers in the neighborhood of the deal Danny Amendola signed last year (five years, $28.5MM), with the Texans and Browns among the teams that could make it hard for the Patriots to re-sign Edelman.
  • The Dolphins introduced new general manager Dennis Hickey at a press conference this afternoon, with Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald among the reporters passing along highlights. Some notable items from the presser: Owner Stephen Ross stressed that Hickey will have full control of the 53-man roster and that Hickey doesn’t “have to listen” if Ross tells him to draft, pursue, or play a specific player. Hickey added that the structure of the front office is “completely clear” to him and that he’s already spoken to the team’s medical and personnel staff about the team’s free agents (all four Twitter links).
  • The Bills announced today that they’ve granted the Browns permission to interview defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. If Weaver is eventually hired by the Browns, he’d be the latest in an increasingly lengthy line of Bills coaches following Mike Pettine to Cleveland.

Dolphins Hire Dennis Hickey As GM

January 26th, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Rory Parks

4:43pm: The Dolphins have issued a statement on the hire on their team website.

4:14pm: The Dolphins will introduce Hickey at a press conference on Tuesday, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

10:24am: The Dolphins have finally settled on a new general manager, hiring former Tampa Bay director of player personnel Dennis Hickey, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins’ search for a GM has been widely-discussed among national and local writers, particularly after Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio turned down the job earlier this week. James Walker, who covers the Dolphins for ESPN.com, tweeted yesterday that Miami completely botched the GM search, and he tweeted today that Hickey was probably not even the Dolphins’ fifth or sixth choice when this process began.

Walker may well be correct in his assessment. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that, not long before they hired Hickey, the Dolphins offered the job to Titans Vice President of Football Operations Lake Dawson. Dawson turned down the job as well, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that Dawson released a statement saying that Miami was not an “ideal fit” and that “details of the offer didn’t align with my vision.” Adding to the curiosity of the situation is that the Buccaneers, who recently hired Jason Licht as their GM, did not even interview Hickey for that role.

Hickey worked for the Buccaneers for 18 years, and served as the director of player personnel for the last three seasons. He was an important part of Tampa Bay’s major splashes over the past couple of years, as the team signed Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson and traded for All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis before the 2013 season and signed Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson prior to the 2012 season. The 2012 draft may have been the highlight of Hickey’s career with the Bucs. That year’s class included highly-regarded players like safety Mark Barron, running back Doug Martin, and linebacker Lavonte David.

Hickey takes over for Jeff Ireland, who had been the Dolphins’ GM since 2008. Ireland and the Dolphins “mutually agreed” to part ways several weeks ago, setting off Miami’s unusual search for a replacement that culminated with Hickey’s acceptance earlier today. Hickey does not inherit a bare cupboard by any means, as the Dolphins narrowly missed the playoffs this season and have solid talent on both sides of the ball. Nonetheless, the fact that at least two candidates turned down such a high-profile position does lead to speculation regarding the stability of the front office. Attempting to read between the lines of Dawson’s rejection, Volin tweeted simply, “that place is a mess.”

More On Dolphins’ GM Saga

January 26th, 2014 at 3:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

New Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey will have complete control over roster decisions, a team source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. This news comes amid reports that several Miami GM candidates opted against taking the position due to lack of clarity regarding personnel management.

Salguero also reports that Titans VP of Football Operations Lake Dawson and Patriots VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio turned down the job due to potential conflicts with Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. Dawson reportedly would have been agreeable to keeping Philbin on for one season before wanting to clean house and hire a new coach. Caserio, however, wanted to install a new regime immediately upon his arrival. Neither approach was acceptable to Dolphins ownership, as they wanted a GM who would continue to work with Philbin as the head coach.

Hickey presumably agreed to keeping Philbin on staff, and will likely have no say in coaching matters. Hickey will report directly to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Vice president of football operations Dawn Aponte, rumored to be gaining power behind the scenes, will report to Hickey on all matters, not just the salary cap, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

More On Dolphins’ Front Office

January 26th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Rory Parks

3:07pm: Several Dolphins players have expressed an interest in leaving the team, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The unidentified Dolphins are likely frustrated by the public dysfunction exhibited by ownership regarding the GM search and control over roster decisions.

1:55pm: Hickey was likely going to be fired by the Buccaneers after the draft, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Additionally, many candidates for the Miami GM job may have turned down the position due to a lack of personnel control, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It appears as though head coach Joe Philbin has gained more sway during the Dolphins power struggle, as Salugero also tweets that Philbin will have “some say” over personnel.

12:56pm: Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine is not likely to stay with the team long-term, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Gaine was one of the candidates brought in for a second interview for the Dolphin’s general manager job, which was given to Dennis Hickey earlier today. Although the Dolphins would like to keep Gaine on board, Salguero further tweeted that Gaine understands he has no real chance of advancement with Miami.

Miami’s search for a GM would have certainly left Gaine with that impression, as the job was offered to several candidates who turned it down before Hickey accepted. As Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com tweets, Gaine did not have a chance to be Miami’s GM unless everyone declined it. A source told Marvez that Gaine is too connected with recently-departed GM Jeff Ireland.

CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora believes that whoever accepted the Dolphins GM job may not have that position for very long anyway. La Canfora tweets that, if the Dolphins stumble in 2014, it is believed that owner Stephen Ross will likely renew his pursuit of a big-name head coach. If he is able to land such a coach, the entire front office will probably be purged.

Latest On Dolphins’ GM Search

January 23rd, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Browns executive Ray Farmer, who had been considered a frontrunner for the Dolphins’ general manager job, will forgo a second interview with Miami to remain in Cleveland, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After initially reporting (via Twitter) that Farmer had decided to stay with the Browns, La Canfora added that John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance urged Farmer to reconsider and take a second interview to work through some of his reservations about the position (Twitter links). However, it doesn’t appear as if Farmer will heed that recommendation, as the Browns’ front office confirmed today that the assistant GM will continue on with the club (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

By pulling his named out of contention, Farmer becomes the latest in a string of GM candidates to come off the board for the Dolphins. Most recently, Jason Licht, another strong contender for Miami’s opening, reached an agreement with the Buccaneers to become the new GM in Tampa Bay.

La Canfora reported (Twitter links) last night that Omar Kahn of the Steelers, Lake Dawson of the Titans, and Brian Xanders of the Lions weren’t considered finalists, leaving Dennis Hickey of the Bucs and internal candidate Brian Gaine as contenders for the job. According to a tweet from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport though, Dawson will receive a third interview this week with the Dolphins, so perhaps the removal of Farmer from the mix prompted the Dolphins to reconsider Dawson’s candidacy.

The Dolphins are expected to hire a GM next week, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.