Joe Philbin

East Notes: Dolphins, M. Smith, Coughlin

January 10th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Rory Parks

In a fascinating post from Armando Salguero this morning, the Miami Herald scribe dives into the Dolphins‘ front office drama that the team hopes will come to an end in the Adam Gase era. In 2013, Salguero writes that the relationship between then-Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin and then-GM Jeff Ireland was on the rocks, and owner Stephen Ross ultimately chose to fire Ireland. Ross also debated firing then-offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, and in order to save his assistant and friend, Philbin privately blamed the team’s offensive struggles on quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Although Philbin continued to toe the company line publicly, reaffirming his faith in Tannehill on numerous occasions–with one or two notable exceptions–his internal discussions had a much different tone. Philbin urged the team to draft Derek Carr in the first round of the 2014 draft, and even after Tannehill enjoyed a relatively successful 2014 campaign, Philbin continued to take out his frustrations on Tannehill, a trend that continued into the team’s difficult start to the 2015 season. Ultimately, that situation was one of the factors that led the Dolphins to hire Gase, who they expect to forge a relationship with the quarterback they’ve committed to and to make him the best player he can be.

Now let’s dive into a few more notes from the league’s east divisions, beginning with more out of South Beach.

James Walker of ESPN.com affirms that Dan Campbell‘s future with the Dolphins will be determined by Gase, but Walker does add that Ross would like to keep Campbell on the team’s coaching staff. In a separate piece, Walker writes that Gase will be calling the team’s offensive plays.
Mike Smith will interview with the Giants for their head coaching vacancy tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Mike Garafolo of FOXSports tweets that there were “rumblings” that the Giants would interview Hue Jackson for their head coaching job, but they may not get that chance, as there are multiple reports suggesting that the 49ers could hire Jackson as early as today.
Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer says former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin will meet with the Eagles tomorrow to discuss their head coaching vacancy. Interestingly, Berman calls the meeting an “interview,” and not a “feeling-out” as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested yesterday.
Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News compiles an offseason to-d0 list for the Bills, a list topped by an extension for GM Doug Whaley and a release of Mario Williams.
David Moore of the Dallas Morning News looks into why the Cowboys have been unable to land an adequate backup quarterback for Tony Romo, and Moore says head coach Jason Garrett should bear as much responsibility for that failing as owner Jerry Jones.

Extra Points: Dolphins, H. Jackson, Bucs, Texans

January 9th, 2016 at 10:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before hiring Adam Gase as their head coach Saturday, the Dolphins considered several other candidates. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald passes along some interesting information on a handful of those names.

The Dolphins interviewed ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith, but they felt he lacked “some of the gravitas” for the position. In Mike Shanahan‘s case, Miami’s bigwigs were worried that too many of the two-time Super Bowl winner’s potential assistants had jobs elsewhere, which would’ve negatively affected his ability to assemble a staff. They also had concern about whether Shanahan would be prone to complacency. The Dolphins discussed the idea of pursuing another two-time champion, Tom Coughlin, but they decided the soon-to-be 70-year-old was too advanced in age to factor into their long-term plans. Dan Campbell, the Dolphins’ interim head coach for most of the 2015-16 campaign, was the runner-up to Gase. The team simply didn’t think he was ready for the full-time job. Doug Marrone came in third place, largely because his plan for quarterback Ryan Tannehill wasn’t as enticing as Gase’s.

Tannehill didn’t have the belief of ex-head coach Joe Philbin, Salguero offers, but the Dolphins are confident the relationship between him and Gase will bear more fruit.

“We’re convinced you’ll see a different Ryan Tannehill next year,” a team source told Salguero. “That’s how much Adam will affect things around here.”

AFC East Notes: Bills, Landry, Dolphins

October 14th, 2015 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Using his player-values metric, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has provided the most 2015 value through the season’s first five weeks, among QBs. While Tyrod Taylor of the Bills ranks just 10th for overall value, he has a cap hit below $1MM, making him even more valuable — no signal-caller has a wider gap so far between his cap charge and his actual value than the ex-Raven, according to Fitzgerald.

Here are a few more items from out of the AFC East:

There has been some speculation that, with Taylor hurting, the Bills may regret having traded Matt Cassel. However, head coach Rex Ryan said today that the decision to send the veteran quarterback to Dallas reflected the confidence Buffalo has in Taylor and EJ Manuel. For what it’s worth, Ryan added that there’s no official word yet on Taylor’s availability for Week 6 (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
General manager Doug Whaley has supported Manuel throughout his time with the Bills, and the GM also signed off on the Cassel trade, prompting Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) to wonder if Whaley could be the “fall guy” if Manuel is forced into action and struggles.
The Dolphins are somewhat concerned with Jarvis Landry‘s repeated conduct issues this year, according to Cole (video link). New head coach Dan Campbell will be tasked with improving Landry’s focus, after the wideout got into a fight during practice with ex-Dolphin LaMichael James and was fined $23K+ for berating an official.
Appearing on 790 The Ticket on Tuesday, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum denied that he wanted to fire Joe Philbin and hire Dan Quinn after he was hired last winter, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald details. “I knew Coach Philbin was on the precipice of being announced with a long-term extension,” Tannenbaum said. “I knew about it and supported it at the time. I was offered the job with one set of circumstances, which was to work with [GM] Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin.”

Dolphins Fire Joe Philbin, Promote Dan Campbell

October 5th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

12:33pm: The Dolphins have officially announced that former tight ends coach Dan Campbell is the team’s new interim head coach (Twitter link).

11:17am: Ross has issued a statement on the decision to part ways with Philbin, as Alain Poupart of Dolphins.com (TwitLonger link) passes along:

“This was a tough decision for me to make knowing how tirelessly Joe worked in his four years here to make this a winning team. He is a man of the highest character and integrity that I developed a close personal relationship with. I am extremely disappointed with how we have started the season, but I feel confident that we can improve quickly with the talent we have on our roster. We will soon be announcing an interim coach to lead the team going forward.”

Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that Coyle is expected to be let go as well, which doesn’t come as a surprise.

10:43am: Dave Hyde and Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links) have confirmed that the Dolphins have fired Philbin, replacing him with Campbell, the former tight ends coach.

10:14am: As of last night, the Dolphins were preparing to part ways with head coach Joe Philbin, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter cautions that owner Stephen Ross could reconsider and change his mind, but after yesterday’s loss in London, the team was leaning toward making a change as early as today.

According to Schefter, if the Dolphins do decide to fire Philbin, tight ends coach Dan Campbell would be the top candidate to be promoted to the head coach role on an interim basis. On Sunday, Albert Breer of the NFL Network identified special teams coach Darren Rizzi as another possible interim option for the Dolphins if they let go of Philbin.

Earlier today, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wrote that Ross is more likely to fire defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle than Philbin, though he acknowledged that Philbin is unlikely to continue as the Dolphins’ head coach in 2016, barring a massive turnaround. Presumably, if the team were to fire its head coach, the offensive and defensive coordinators’ jobs would be in serious jeopardy as well, which explains why Campbell and Rizzi have been mentioned as interim HC candidates.

While interim coaches typically come from inside the organization, Salguero doesn’t view the Dolphins’ internal choices as great ones, and wonders (via Twitter) if the team might look at Jim Schwartz, who has a history with the team’s underachieving free agent prize, Ndamukong Suh. However, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link) observes, Miami would have to satisfy the Rooney Rule before hiring an outside interim coach, and it seems unlikely that the club would go through an extensive interview process during the season.

Of course, before identifying a replacement, the Dolphins will have to make an official decision on Philbin, which will likely happen sooner rather than later.

Joe Philbin’s Fate To Be Determined Soon

October 4th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin should be worried about his job status, which could be determined Monday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

The 1-3 Dolphins are amid a three-game losing streak that started in Week 2 against the lowly Jaguars. They’ve lost back-to-back games at the hands of two AFC East rivals – the Bills and Jets, respectively – by a combined score of 68-28. At 0-3 against AFC opponents, the Dolphins’ once-high playoff hopes now appear bleak.

The Dolphins are going into a bye week, which means now would be as good a time as any to make a coaching change. The problem, Florio writes, is that they’re lacking an obvious in-house replacement. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, like Philbin, are under fire. That could open the door for special teams coach Darren Rizzi to take over on an interim basis, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).

If team owner Stephen Ross does jettison Philbin in favor of Rizzi or anyone else, he won’t suffer a significant blow financially: Philbin is only signed through 2016, so a buyout wouldn’t serve as much of an obstacle for Ross.

La Canfora’s Latest: Jets, Fins, LA

October 4th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins and Jets are in the midst of their Wembley Stadium showdown, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has been busy rounding up news from both teams. La Canfora also passes on some notes from the NFL-in-Los Angeles saga, so let’s dive right in:

The NFL has given the Jets no indication that Sheldon Richardson will be subject to any immediate discipline on top of his four-game suspension that ends today. Richardson, of course, was suspended for violations of the league’s drug policy, but while facing that suspension, he was arrested for resisting arrest, allegedly speeding at over 140 mph with a 12-year-old relative in his car, smelling of marijuana, and having a fully-loaded automatic weapon in the car. Richardson, who has a court date later this month, could of course be suspended for those alleged transgressions at some point down the line–in fact, the Jets are said to be bracing for a 10-game ban–but for now, the NFL has simply stated that the matter is “under review.” As such, Gang Green expects to have Richardson back with the team during its Week 5 bye and suited up for its next game in Week 6.
The 2016 fates of Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, of course, are inextricably linked, and Wilkerson’s agent, Chad Wiestling, says his client will not entertain any in-season extension talks with the Jets. Wilkerson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, is off to a typically excellent start to the 2015 campaign, generating significant pass rush and excelling as a run stuffer in the middle of the Jets’ defensive line. Between his play and the exorbitant contracts handed out to fellow top defensive linemen like Marcell Dareus, Wilkerson’s value is on the rise. It is expected that the Jets will put the franchise tag on Wilkerson–at an estimated $15MM–but in this case, the tag may simply be a precursor to a trade, given the team’s pressing needs in other areas and the league-wide interest in Wilkerson. Wilkerson, for his part, hopes to stay with the Jets, but given that New York’s extension offers to this point have been more in line with contracts signed by less-accomplished players like Cam Heyward and Corey Liuget, the Jets would have to considerably up the ante if they want to retain Wilkerson’s services on a long-term basis.
Despite the swirling rumors regarding Joe Philbin‘s job security, La Canfora says Dolphins ownership is not considering any immediate changes even if the team’s disappointing start to the season continues. Owner Stephen Ross, who has been striving for continuity in the wake of the major overhauls the club has undergone in recent years, reportedly wants to see things through with Philbin. It is not inconceivable that Miami could make changes in the bye week with respect to an assistant coach, play-calling duties, etc., but for the time being, Philbin himself is safe. How much good will he has left, however, remains to be seen, particularly if today’s game in London continues on its current trajectory.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke is reportedly more willing to share his proposed Inglewood stadium with another club than originally thought. However, it remains unclear whether that other club would be Kroenke’s “tenant” or if it would have more of an “equity” stake in the stadium. Kroenke, of course, prefers the former option, but he is open to a more equitable arrangement as well, which would require a significant financial investment from the second team. At the moment, all options are on the table, and should the league approve a two-team arrangement in Inglewood, it appears as though it would be able to make the finances of such an arrangement work. But if a vote was taken today, neither the Carson project nor the Inglewood project would have enough support (24 votes) to move forward. It could be that Kroenke, who is said to have only 10-12 fellow owners in his corner at the moment–the Chargers/Raiders project in Carson has considerably more support–is becoming more receptive to compromise in order to bring his vision to fruition.

Latest On Dolphins’ Coaching Staff

October 3rd, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

On Friday, we heard the Dolphins were considering coaching changes if the season didn’t begin to turn quickly, and more of that’s emerged from Miami media hours before 2015’s first London game.

A blowout loss in London will force Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to consider firing Joe Philbin, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. The fact that multiple division rivals will, in this scenario, have routed the Dolphins in consecutive weeks won’t doom Philbin as much as the looming bye week that teams forced to play in the London game receive the following Sunday.

With that expanded window to reshape matters, it’s paramount for the fourth-year coach to have the Fins ready, and for the team to avoid a listless performance should a bad start again occur as it did in the 41-14 loss to the Bills, Salguero writes.

The Raiders executed this schedule-based maneuver after the Dolphins’ 38-14 win last season in London.

A lack of a presumptive in-house successor could prevent Ross from making such a move, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers, in assigning much of the blame for the Dolphins’ 1-2 start on Bill Lazor and Kevin Coyle as Philbin. The Raiders went to ex-Dolphins coach Tony Sparano after firing Dennis Allen last season.

As for Coyle, players are cloaking themselves as anonymous sources in venting frustration about the defense, according to Barry Jackson of the Herald. Topics like using practice time on inconsequential issues and a vanilla defensive scheme are causing the gripes about Coyle, a 59-year-old first-time NFL coordinator, Jackson writes.

The Dolphins rank 26th defensively with 391.0 yards ceded per game, with quarterbacks’ passer ratings against a thus-far-woeful secondary soaring. Although Walt Aikens and Reshad Jones have enabled QBs to post ratings in excess of 130, Bobby McCain‘s 232 yards yielded are the fourth-most in the league, Jackson offers.

So, a lot could be on the line for a Week 4 neutral-site game that will occur before many football fans are awake.

Dolphins Considering Coaching Changes?

October 2nd, 2015 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After a Week 1 victory over Washington, the Dolphins have dropped two straight games in disappointing fashion, and if the club loses again this weekend in London against the Jets, significant changes could be in store. According to Rand Getlin of NFL.com, the Dolphins are mulling a shake-up of the coaching staff if they lose to New York.

After adding top free agent Ndamukong Suh and making several other offseason moves to bring in talent, the Dolphins were viewed as a strong playoff contender, with anything less than a postseason berth viewed as a disappointment. Through three weeks, however, the Patriots, Bills, and Jets have all looked like stronger squads, which could mean an uphill battle for Miami to earn that playoff spot.

According to Getlin, multiple sources “inside and around the franchise” have indicated that there’s widespread frustration among Dolphins players with certain members of the coaching staff. As Getlin details, some players are unhappy with that they consider to be flawed offensive and defensive play-calling.

“We’ve been going out there, and practicing our (tails) off every day, but as players, we’re tired of being embarrassed,” one member of the Dolphins told Getlin. “If we get beat in Europe, (players) are going to throw in the towel. It isn’t the players. We have all the talent in the world.”

While another loss might not mean the end of Joe Philbin‘s tenure in Miami, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle definitely appears to be on the hot seat. Even after adding Suh, the Dolphins’ defense hasn’t been effective, and the team’s free agent prize hasn’t been producing like he did in Detroit. As for Philbin, owner Stephen Ross has shown confidence in the past in his head coach, extending Philbin last year when it seemed just as likely that he’d be let go.

“[Ross] is a remarkably loyal person,” one source told Getlin. “But I don’t think that loyalty is limitless.”

Extra Points: Pryor, Jets, Dolphins, CAA

September 28th, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Seahawks would be working out quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor. We later heard word of Pryor’s tryout with the Jets, though it wasn’t clear if he ever made it to Seattle. Today, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the ex-Raiders signal-caller is auditioning for the Seahawks as a receiver this week. While PFT’s report makes it sound like it’ll be Pryor’s first workout with the Seahawks this season, La Canfora suggests (via Twitter) that the 26-year-old is auditioning for the club “again.”

Whether it’s Pryor’s first or second tryout for Seattle, it’s clear the team is interested in seeing what he can do as a wideout. While he didn’t last long on the Browns’ roster, Pryor has enough speed and athleticism to make him an interesting – albeit raw – project, so we’ll see whether or not the Seahawks decide to take a flier on him.

In the meantime, let’s check in on some other items from around the league….

The idea that the Jets would sign both Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson to blockbuster deals “has always been a fairytale,” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Although he cautions that the team hasn’t given up on the idea of negotiating a multiyear extension for Wilkerson, Mehta suggests that perhaps the standout defensive lineman could be franchised in 2016 and then used a trade chip to try to move up in the draft to land a franchise quarterback.
It’s probably too early to start talking about Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin being on the hot seat, but defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle may not last much longer in Miami if the club’s poor defensive play continues, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Player agent Todd France has officially joined CAA Sports, bringing approximately 50 NFL clients with him, writes Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas and Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus are among France’s clients who got lucrative, long-term contracts this year.

East Notes: Dolphins, Eagles, Alonso, Jets

September 28th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

With Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season nearly complete, only one division has three teams over .500 — the AFC East currently features the 3-0 Patriots, the 2-1 Bills, and the 2-1 Jets. Of course, there’s plenty of concern about the one sub-.500 club in the division, so let’s round up the latest out of Miami, along with a few more notes from around the league’s two East divisions….

In the view of Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Sunday’s loss to Buffalo was the worst of the Joe Philbin era for the Dolphins, and it put the entire coaching staff on the hot seat. In a second piece, Salguero writes that the Dolphins have issues on multiple levels, pointing to ownership, coaching, and the team’s offseason personnel decisions as potential causes for concern.
If Dolphins owner Stephen Ross isn’t wondering what he’ll get out of the $210MM he committed to Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, he should be, writes John Kryk of the Toronto Sun.
Eagles kicker Cody Parkey aggravated a preseason groin injury against the Jets, so the Eagles will bring in free agent kickers for workouts today, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso today is in Florida today, visiting Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion on his knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Schefter notes, Dr. Andrews’ diagnosis will help to determine whether or not Alonso will require surgery on the troublesome knee.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had his first bad game of the season on Sunday, throwing three interceptions in the Jets‘ loss to the Eagles. But even with Geno Smith on the way back, head coach Todd Bowles reiterated that Fitzpatrick is the team’s starter, and Newsday’s Bob Glauber says that’s the right call.

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