Flores out, Grier stayed – Dolphin owner Steve Ross got it all back – Orange County Register

What now?

Or, to look at it from another angle, consider the Miami Dolphins got it all in reverse:

So what now?

Brian Flores is not a coach. General manager Chris Grier stayed. That is the flip side of the change of way that should have come from any sober and rational view.

Flores 19-14 in two years of rebuilding. He was given a quarterback who was not particularly marked by Grier. He led 4-2 against the lauded New England Patriots.

And he has trouble getting along with people. And hire an employee – especially a repulsive employee. That’s why he started 1-7 this year, why this season has sunk – why, in short, he was fired on Monday morning.

But if Flores has flaws, so does Grier, right? Do we really need to go through the list of staffing decisions from the free agency draft omitted and mis-spended?

His list of issues with this franchise dates to the time of drafting and free agency since he took over as general manager in 2015.

His last three years overseeing the rebuild can be condensed into one decision:

Tua Tagovailoa is better than Justin Herbert.

It was just a decision that caused a general manager to be fired. The main reason for rebuilding in the massive way the Dolphins did was to get an elite quarterback, the Man, to build a brand around.

Does Tua show any sign of that guy?

“I have a lot of faith in Tua,” Ross said. “I think the next head coach will work with him. I think he will grow.”

So why was he allowed to talk to Deshaun Watson on the trading deadline? Why put a player with 22 sexual assault allegations against him as the face of the franchise?

Ross didn’t close that door either

“That will depend on the head coach what he does with the quarterback,” he said when asked about Watson. “It will depend on the next head coach and the direction he wants to take.”

That coach isn’t Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. Ross, Michigan’s biggest booster, made a run at Harbaugh a decade ago and said he wouldn’t do so again. He also has no idea about the next coach, he said.

“Collaboration and communication were the issues Flores got fired,” Ross said.

Ross hasn’t opened fire on the Dolphins’ best chance of getting out of the wilderness in two decades. He doubled the problem. He kept the man who had been in control of personnel affairs for many years.

Ross wants to win badly. But does he know what it takes to win? Does he understand what is holding this team back?

It’s also fair to ask this: Has Ross recruited to his team that you can support and say that’s great?

His best tenant is Flores.

And now he’s gone.

And, again, Flores isn’t perfect. Just ask the coaches he’s coldly fired over the past few years. Just look at the mistakes he made in hiring or firing his employees. That’s the central issue again this season.

No NFL team should have an offensive staff member that it’s unclear who is calling for a game. Flores declined to say who. It turned out to be Charley Fry, Tua’s one-time personal trainer who was previously Central Michigan’s offensive coordinator.

When that experiment fails, he turns to George Godsey, who looks set to tackle the offense as best he can. It was working with mismatched fragments.

A troublesome line of attack. Do not run backwards. Broad receivers, like their career portfolios, have been hurt. And who assembled that squad?

Same GM, who will assemble next year.

Who has survived eight regime changes in the office.

Who hasn’t watched the playoff win during his Dolphins time.

Grier stayed. Flores go.

I will take all responsibility,’ Ross said. “I am the owner of the team. If it doesn’t work, that’s on me. That’s why we’re making a change.”

Grier stayed. Flores go. The Dolphins, as they have so many times in recent years, have done this all over again.