Dolphins' decision reverberates

[MiaMarino]

Another reason to agonize. Another Dolphins blunder...

This is from Adam Schefter:

To this day, the Miami Dolphins are faulted for choosing to trade a second-round pick to Minnesota for quarterback Daunte Culpepper rather than signing unrestricted free-agent quarterback Drew Brees.

But the Dolphins made another significant decision one offseason later that affected this weekend's games -- and future NFL games -- just as much.

When the Dolphins were choosing a head coach to replace Nick Saban in 2007, two of their finalists were Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter

Schefter Check out Schefter's Insider blog Insider for more NFL coverage and analysis.

• Blog network: NFL Nation
Miami interviewed Tomlin days before Pittsburgh did. One league source familiar with how the situation played out predicted this week that, if the Dolphins had offered Tomlin their head coaching job, he would have accepted it. But they didn't. On Jan. 20, 2007, the Dolphins bypassed Tomlin and hired Cameron.

Three days later, after its coaching search had dragged on, Pittsburgh opted for Tomlin over Steelers assistant Russ Grimm. Now Tomlin and Cameron -- the Ravens' offensive coordinator since the Dolphins fired him after the 2007 season -- will square off Saturday, again, in a matchup in which the stakes are different but just as significant.

Tomlin will be trying to lead the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game and their fourth straight postseason win.

Tomlin easily could have been working in Miami, just as Brees could have been working in Miami. But the franchise that made an enormous coaching mistake last week -- cheating on its head coach by interviewing Jim Harbaugh while it still employed Tony Sparano -- didn't exactly make the right coaching call in January 2007, either.

Miami skipped over Tomlin for Cameron. And inadvertently, it helped pit Tomlin against Cameron again Saturday.

full article: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=schefter_adam&page=10spot/10

 

[dirwuf]

excuse me while i go puke...

 

[SuperMarksBros.]

I'm sure Tomlin would've taken Wannstedt & Saban's scraps to the SB like he did with the powerhouse Cowher left behind.

 

[Namor]

He might have drafted Pat Willis instead of Ted Ginn!!!

 

[MiaMarino]

Nobody can predict the future & hindsight is always 20/20 but this coupled w/the Brees decision... just burns DolFans...uke::tantrum:

 

[ciscoholgate]

Tomlin is a very good coach. Sometimes luck is all that seperates the best organizations from the worst. I mean, every team in the league passed on Brady multiple times, the Pats were lucky enough to get him and their franchise has thrived since. If we were lucky enough to get Brees AND Tomlin, we would be sitting pretty right now.

 

[phishxhead]

This franchise is constantly reminded of failure to make good decisions.

 

[finfan75]

Tomlin inherited a great team and we'll see that when all the Cowher players are gone.

 

[bdhock]

Tomlin is a very good coach. Sometimes luck is all that seperates the best organizations from the worst. I mean, every team in the league passed on Brady multiple times, the Pats were lucky enough to get him and their franchise has thrived since. If we were lucky enough to get Brees AND Tomlin, we would be sitting pretty right now.

you mentioned luck I think we are due for some. I mean like Tom Brady 6th round kind of luck.

 

[Penthos]

You know what? I can't get beyond the fact that these guys are complete assclowns. if Adam Schefter is such an "NFL Insider" how come he and the rest of their ilk basically got everything wrong when it came to Harbaugh and the Phins? The only time they get anything right is in hindsight or from just luck.

The sports press are the one's who should be embarassed after the the whole Harbaugh thing. They made SO much ado about nothing. I'd sooner take NFL advice from a weatherman than Mort, Schefter, or any of these so-called sports "journalists".

 

[Vaark]

Maybe Fins officials should adopt the "George Costanza: Do The Opposite" strategy

[video=youtube;zfkKkvWEPMo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfkKkvWEPMo&feature=related[/video]

 

[rent this space]

even Shefter like to play in Camp Hindsight

 

[darth_stryder79]

You have to work really hard to have a bad season when you have the Pitt scouting dept, Big Ben, and Lebeau behind you .
Put John Fox, Childress or any other bum as the Pitt HC and they wouldn't miss a beat.
To think that if we got Tomlin, we would be in a better position right now, well that's just retarded.

 

[phinfan13/34]

Its funny but, Mike Tomlin inherited a superbowl caliber team. If he would have come here, he would have been fired within 1 or 2 years as well I bet.

 

[Tunaphish429]

Well its understandable why Wayne wanted Cam Cameron. Miami had a good defense in place. I am sure he thought to himself, we need an offensive guy in here. Of course the whole team fell apart so he was wrong..I am not sure Tomlin would have success here. Tomlin is a good coach...I guess?? Really what fingerprints has he left on the steelers so far? He still has Dick Lebow- Maybe one of the best defensive coordinators of all time? All he has done is fired their speical teams coach from last year..Thats his lasting fingerprint as of right now. Does it take a smart person to see that the Steelers are almost exactly the same as they were with Cowher? Or maybe Tomlin was the smartest person of all to know that you dismantle a contending team. Tomlin would have changed our D thats for sure. But who really knows if he would have improved any facet of the Dolphins.