Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel calls the performs. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws the passes. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill catches these passes. Soon-to-be defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will run the protection.
But Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs reminds us of 1 NFL fact: the final supervisor, for sure, is the MVP (Most Valuable Person) within the group.
In the Dolphins’ case meaning common supervisor Chris Grier is extra useful than McDaniel, Tagovailoa, Hill or Fangio.
Howie Roseman lived as much as that in Philadelphia.
Brett Veach lived as much as that in Kansas City.
Both of these GMs have already received a title, and now they’ve their groups within the Super Bowl once more.
Perhaps the largest gamble of both staff was Veach’s choice to commerce Hill, the Chiefs’ most explosive playmaker, to the Dolphins final offseason. The transfer paid big dividends as re-signing him to an enormous long-term deal would have created wage cap issues for years to return. In return, Kansas City stockpiled much-needed draft picks to assist bolster an getting old roster that reached the Super Bowl nonetheless.
The common supervisor is the MVP as a result of he accrues the expertise whether or not it’s by draft, commerce, free company or another technique (although hopefully not a clandestine assembly on a personal yacht), whereas sustaining monetary flexibility (a la Bill Belichick).
No coach wins with out expertise. No staff wins with out expertise.
The league relies on gathering expertise, and the final supervisor is in command of expertise acquisition.
Grier has a brief window to get expertise with this crop of gamers.
Even although the Dolphins are roughly $22 million over the projected $224.8 million wage cap for 2023, Grier says the Dolphins have monetary flexibility. That received’t be the case in 2025 and past when gifted younger gamers akin to Tagovailoa, safeties Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones, vast receiver Jaylen Waddle and out of doors linebacker Jaelan Phillips come off of their rookie offers, or are near coming off their rookie offers. When that occurs, this core is completed.
The Dolphins received’t be capable to afford everybody.
And by that point key gamers akin to Terron Armstead and cornerback Xavien Howard is perhaps gone as a consequence of harm or price.
The Dolphins should “win now” with this group and Grier should determine a option to accomplish that. Soon.
I believe Grier has achieved an honest job.
Decent, nevertheless, will get you 9-8, and a wildcard berth.
The Dolphins want Grier to be nice. As Jimmy Johnson as soon as stated about constructing NFL groups into champions: “The enemy of great is good.”
The Dolphins want Grier to be a visionary and he appears to be following a “win now” blueprint.
The Fangio acquisition, which reportedly makes him the league’s highest-paid assistant coach at $4.5 million per season, is the most recent in a line of daring strikes that features edge rusher Bradley Chubb, Hill, and Armstead.
The Dolphins appear to acknowledge they’re working in a brand new period of NFL arms races. It’s “win now” greater than ever, and that technique is fulfilled with splashy strikes. Ask the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who received a Super Bowl two seasons in the past with GM Jason Licht after buying quarterback Tom Brady and tight finish Rob Gronkowski and drafting offensive sort out Tristan Wirfs.
Along with that “win now” angle comes extra league-wide aggression on the commerce deadline, which has now change into a time for daring midseason strikes such Grier buying and selling with Denver to amass Chubb final season.
Windows of alternative are as quick as front-loaded contracts.
The Los Angeles Rams and GM Les Snead confirmed that final season by buying and selling with Detroit for quarterback Matthew Stafford, buying and selling with Denver for edge rusher Von Miller, and signing vast receiver Odell Beckham Jr. after he was launched by the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams received final yr’s Super Bowl, and made their second Super Bowl look in 4 years after going beforehand with quarterback Jared Goff in a loss to New England.
I’m not amongst those that want to unfold venom about Grier.
The previous is the previous.
What issues at this level is what he does shifting ahead.
We’re in the course of one of the vital hopeful durations of post-Dan Marino franchise historical past (sure, it’s been a very long time coming). Lots of items are in place. Things seem promising.
But bear in mind this, too — the Dolphins are a 9-8 staff. They want greater than ending touches.
In truth, the Dolphins nonetheless require some basic constructing blocks.
Grier should purchase these in addition to the ending items.
Can he do it in a single yr? It might be achieved, as previous champions have proven us, however we’ll see if Grier can reach that unenviable place.
Fangio, you’d determine, is a basic piece.
However, that listing of wanted basic items additionally consists of operating again, backup quarterback, offensive sort out, cornerback and offensive line coach, to call a couple of.
Each of the ending items — maybe the No. 2 quarterback, No. 2 operating again, No. 3 tight finish, No. 4 security, and many others. — may or won’t grow to be vital. And efficiency isn’t all on the final supervisor.
It’s the coach’s job to place the participant in place to make the play, and it’s the participant’s job to make the play.
But it’s Grier’s job to guarantee that participant is on the roster if/when wanted.
One of the teachings we will take from Sunday’s Super Bowl is that GMs can get the job achieved in a single yr, and even keep on high for a number of years. The query for the Dolphins is whether or not Grier is the person to do this earlier than this present window of alternative closes.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com