I can understand the frustration with the Dolphins as a whole. They're finding a way to F up as they make questionable long-term commitments, as they let home-grown talent walk, as they hemorrhage picks, etc.
I just don't know where Chris Grier fits into the equation.
He's not behind every decision.
We have one of the boldest Owners in the NFL. Ross spends like crazy. He runs off qualified people. He tampers. He gets himself suspended. He goes behind the back of his own people while negotiating in private with players, coaches and agents from around the NFL...
...to say this is 'Chris Grier's team' takes a lot of balls.
I mean, not that long ago the Dolphins tried to hire a new GM and despite interviewing several people and reportedly making offers to many of them, no one would take the job. Dennis Hickey was like, what, the 5th guy offered the job or something crazy like that?
Broadly speaking, what exactly has changed about the Dolphins since Grier became GM? Do you not remember the coming and going of HCs prior to Grier? Do you not remember the questionable extensions prior to Grier? Do you not remember the splashy moves for players who cost and arm and a leg?
Everything people complain about predates Chris Grier. To blame Chris Grier is to think only about his tenure and to forget basically all this extends back to '09 when Parcells first quit when Ross took power.
I think Grier builds out the roster (particularly the middle and deeper portions of it). I can believe for that same reason that he runs the drafts, but I think he does that along with input from coaches he doesn't hire. I think he's trying to work with who Ross tells him he has to work with: Gase, Flores, McDaniel, etc.
A GM wouldn't hire & fire HCs like that. He would execute according to a single vision year after year. Yet Ross has talked up every one of those hires. I think that all points to Ross being behind those hires. After all, it's his team. Why would Ross not be making those big decisions?
I think Grier is in Miami because the money & job security is good. I have no faith the next guy won't be even more a shill for the Owner letting Ross get even more involved and doing so without finding the good, cheap players that Grier occasionally turns up.
If we fire Chris Grier, he'll be instantly picked up and integrated into another organization and if that next organization has a more reasonable Ownership, it's very likely Grier's abilities will lead to that organization having success.
Some people will also blame Grier for not changing Ross' attitude but I remind you that we've already crossed this bridge. Ross took power from Bill Parcells and ran him out. He's had no problem pushing away veteran coaches who wanted out after just a single year within the organization (eg. Gailey, Fangio). He wanted no part in Dan Campbell when he was here.
Ross tried to hire a GM and nobody wanted to serve him and thus he promoted a guy from within who had marginal qualifications who he knew would take the paycheck and be subordinate.
If we fired Grier, I'm pretty sure the line for GM would be short and we'd very likely end up with someone even worse.
Last year, Grier did nothing to offend us instead bringing us long-term developmental players on cheap deals at Edge, LT, WR and RB alongside valuable contributors at TE, C and MLB on modest FA contracts. That's hardly driving the team into the ground!
What Ross gave us was an uncomfortable, $200M extension to a QB who I'm pretty sure any GM in the world would've agreed was a huge liability / risk and who very much needed to play out his 5th year extension. Keep in mind, $200M deal's like that don't get done without Ownership being completely onboard.
To blame Grier is to forget how much Ross controls this team. Grier has his mistakes and I really wonder about the exodus of good talent: Minkah, Wilkins, AVG, Hunt, etc. Why don't these players show interest in sticking around? It's not just money. These players generally find Miami is toxic. It's not a winning organization because leadership is a mess and yes, Grier needs to be held accountable as much as anyone else.
But I sincerely doubt any GM would've made the '09-'24 Ross era make sense.
