A Day of Hot Miami Dolphins Takes

It was a sleepy Thursday morning, leading up to lunch as Chris Kouffman, Simon Clancy and myself debated the merits of drafting Jeffery Simmons (DT prospect from Mississippi State) at #13. Simmons, if not for some baggage, and a torn ACL (could miss the 2019 season) would be considered a top 3 prospect in this draft. The debate essentially centered around “If you don’t care about 2019, then why not Simmons?” Simon Clancy then said something in jest, and I found it interesting. I suggested he tweet it out. He did.

If Miami end up winning 5/6 games this season then Chris Grier should be fired. There’s a pathway to long term playoff participation that’s readily available to Miami. One that rarely if ever comes around. Or there’s the continued 5-11 to 8-8 pathway we’ve swung on for years.

— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) April 18, 2019

All hell broke loose.

Some of This:

pic.twitter.com/DTQK1JyOzL

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) April 18, 2019

A little of this:

Go home, 3YPC, you're drunk.

— Kenneth Wilson (@KensterFox) April 18, 2019

Some more of this:

This has the be the dumbest comment I’ve read in years. pic.twitter.com/PKjCmdaSyV

— RideOrDieDolphins (@RideOrDieMiami) April 18, 2019

And a whole lot of this:

pic.twitter.com/xoyPDwqFuG

— WESUCKAGAIN!!!!!!! (@miaphinsfootbal) April 18, 2019

A few insults, Camby .gifs, (usually a Miami Heat Beat thing) and general disdain for the offending tweet ensued.

So, let’s dissect it shall we?

“If Miami end up winning 5/6 games this season then Chris Grier should be fired.”

WHOA. HAWT TAKE. OK, this is certifiably insane. Or is it? Chris Grier has been here for a while now, and has had control over the draft for the better part of the last 4 years, and if the “guts” of this roster coupled with at least 4 of his drafts can only muster 5 or 6 wins, his skill as a talent evaluator should be questioned. But let’s face it, there is a subtle, but definite “managed decline” of the talent of this roster from just a year ago.

But that’s not the reason why Simon says Grier should be fired for 5-6 wins. The main body of the tweet explains:

“There’s a pathway to long term playoff participation that’s readily available to Miami. One that rarely if ever comes around. Or there’s the continued 5-11 to 8-8 pathway we’ve swung on for years.”

Tua Tagovailoa. He is a “sure thing”. At least Simon seems to think so, and he considers any cosmetic augmentation of this roster with no real purpose to be a detriment to the ultimate goal. GETTING GOOD. Obviously, Simon thinks that draft position (namely drafting #1) is essential to ending our never ending local nightmare. If you are the worst, you will likely get a head start on being among the best. it’s the NFL way.

Let’s not get it twisted. it was an “indelicate” tweet. But he was not wrong. It’s just that the remedy/punishment for the GM was a bit draconian.