Hickey and Ole Jeffy Boy

[JTech194]

Jeff Ireland was a bad general manager. Every GM hits on some players. However, to laud him for hitting on a few guys who are "maybe starter material" on a damn 8-8 football team is absolutely laughable.

Let's review the Ireland record:

1. Kept drafting injured players.
2. Kept squandering 2nd and 3rd round picks.
3. Kept bringing in headcases / literal retards (Vontae) the coaches couldn't work with.
4. Had no idea how to construct a roster and thus every year at least one unit was a complete disaster.
5. Overspent on BAD free agent acquisitions.

So yeah, he did a good job of bringing in Brent Grimes for a one year tryout, and Olivier Vernon looks like he was a pretty good acquisition. And I am a believer that Ryan Tannehill is our QB for the next decade. But on the whole, his record was terrible.

The only good thing I will say about Jeff is that I think he left us in MUCH better shape at QB than he found us. But even with that, how about the story from Gil Brandt that Ireland had ZERO interest in Ryan Tannehill until Brandt, Joe Philbin, and Mike Sherman told him they thought the kid had the goods?

So yeah, Jeff Ireland sucked.

I'm not saying he was good. Actually i think overall he was bad. But what I AM saying is that as I look over this roster.. I see several players that will be major contributors that were picked or signed by him. And if Tanny ends up being a franchise QB then I will surely thing Ireland deserves credit because we haven't had one of those since #13 so finding one ain't that damn easy.

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 PM ----------

Then he is just a weak inddiviual if he is coaching and has no say at all. GM job is to build a team but I doubt Gms do this in a vacuum. I mean people agree that other people influenced Tannehill and Jordan pick but think no influence was there anywhere else. Makes no sense.

I don't think Ireland and the coaching staff were on the same page. Some of the picks and how the team used those picks screamed that they were not in sync.

 

[datruth55]

Then he is just a weak inddiviual if he is coaching and has no say at all. GM job is to build a team but I doubt Gms do this in a vacuum. I mean people agree that other people influenced Tannehill and Jordan pick but think no influence was there anywhere else. Makes no sense.

Yes, every team that has a GM and coach have coaches who are weak individuals...you're making no sense. GMs have final say, that's what they get paid for. GMs who aren't egomaniacs will work with their coaches. Truth is Ireland couldn't make it work with Sparano or Philbin.

No one can tell me Gene Smith, former GM of the Jaguars, had any business being a GM in the NFL yet the guy got 2 coaches fired before they finally got rid of him. Dave Caldwell, the Jags new GM, has had two drafts and has improved the Jags roster tremendously. IMO he's nailed the last two drafts by a long shot. Does his success all of a sudden mean the coach is a strong willed coach? That seems silly.

 

[Rev Kev]

Jeff hand-cuffed this team by trying to hit home runs on guys (QB turned RB types) like Daniel Thomas - these decisions have held us back for a long time

Dion Jordan was obviously hurt but his EGO got in the way again -

Pat White whether JI or Tuna was just BRUTAL

Dealing for BM and then getting back amounts to a 12 pack of Bud was brutal and unacceptable.

 

[roy_miami]

I don't buy that Philbin felt MArtin could not play LT and still played him there. Philbin was not just a guy standing around as Ireland filled out the starting lineup.

Martin was the best LT on the team. Martin was not a worthy LT. Those two statements can both be true.

 

[roy_miami]

Then he is just a weak inddiviual if he is coaching and has no say at all. GM job is to build a team but I doubt Gms do this in a vacuum. I mean people agree that other people influenced Tannehill and Jordan pick but think no influence was there anywhere else. Makes no sense.

If your commanding officers tell you to do a mission that you think is wrong, and they can't be reasoned with, are you a weak individual if you still follow their orders? There is a power structure in our organization, just like there is one in the military. There will be disputes, that is a given, which is why ONE MAN has the power of final say, so that these disputes don't drag on for days/weeks/years.

If you believe the coaches believed Martin was going to work out just fine then how do you explain the fact that we pursued, and offered Jake Long a contract at all. Or the attempted trade for Albert. Clearly that is evidence that SOMEBODY in the organization was unhappy with the LT position. And I'm pretty sure that somebody was not the man thats since been fired.

And lastly, only a moron would risk Tannehill's blind side with a suicidal, drug abusing quitter. That is information Ireland and Philbin had at the time. For your theory to be correct BOTH Ireland and Philbin have have to be morons on an equal level. The odds of having two morons in complete agreement that they should trust a quitter to protect a raw QB's blindside, with no backup plan, would have to be astronomical. If only one of them is a moron it can't be Philbin, because Ireland still had the power to get a LT in here. If only Ireland is the moron then things play out exactly like they played out.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

Then he is just a weak inddiviual if he is coaching and has no say at all. GM job is to build a team but I doubt Gms do this in a vacuum. I mean people agree that other people influenced Tannehill and Jordan pick but think no influence was there anywhere else. Makes no sense.

I wish I could thumbs-up you 1000 times for your previous posts on this thread.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

If your commanding officers tell you to do a mission that you think is wrong, and they can't be reasoned with, are you a weak individual if you still follow their orders? There is a power structure in our organization, just like there is one in the military. There will be disputes, that is a given, which is why ONE MAN has the power of final say, so that these disputes don't drag on for days/weeks/years.

I won't beat a dead horse on the rest of your post but here's how it works when given difficult orders by your Commanding Officer. He/she gives you the mission -- you assemble your team. Worked for me.

 

[roy_miami]

I won't beat a dead horse on the rest of your post but here's how it works when given difficult orders by your Commanding Officer. He/she gives you the mission -- you assemble your team. Worked for me.

What if you say you need a tank but all he'll give you is a humvee? Time to quit? Or are you going to try to use the humvee to the best of your ability?

 

[NCFINFAN13]

What if you say you need a tank but all he'll give you is a humvee? Time to quit? Or are you going to try to use the humvee to the best of your ability?

You have the option of resigning. A weak man bows rather than listening to his convictions.

 

[roy_miami]

You have the option of resigning. A weak man bows rather than listening to his convictions.

I think we both know your line is full of ****. No self respecting person quits on their team. And no quitter goes down as a hero for "listening to his convictions." I don't see many singing Nick Saban's praises around here for "resigning" when conditions got tough.

 

[NCFINFAN13]

---------- Post added at 05:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:21 PM ----------

I think we both know your line is full of ****. No self respecting person quits on their team. And no quitter goes down as a hero for "listening to his convictions." I don't see many singing Nick Saban's praises around here for "resigning" when conditions got tough.

I would resign rather than be forced into a situation I did not approve of. His weakness is what failed the team. IF it's so true that he didn't want Ratfink, HE could have benched him rather than to fail the team. He could have double tight-end set to Ratfink's side play after play if he was so pigeon holed by Ireland to do that -- he and his buddy Sherman could have created plays to minimize the threat from Ratfink's side. Instead he threw is team to the wolves. Week in and week out. Philbin is a nice man and a decent human being, but he is no leader of men. He's an administrator.
And frankly, I'm happy as hell Saban got out rather than to drag us through anymore half hearted seasons. That's what men do when their hearts aren't into it.

 

[roy_miami]

I would resign rather than be forced into a situation I did not approve of. His weakness is what failed the team. IF it's so true that he didn't want Ratfink, HE could have benched him rather than to fail the team. He could have double tight-end set to Ratfink's side play after play if he was so pigeon holed by Ireland to do that -- he and his buddy Sherman could have created plays to minimize the threat from Ratfink's side. Instead he threw is team to the wolves. Week in and week out. Philbin is a nice man and a decent human being, but he is no leader of men. He's an administrator.
And frankly, I'm happy as hell Saban got out rather than to drag us through anymore half hearted seasons. That's what men do when their hearts are into it.

And what makes you think any of those scenarios leads to a better result than 8-8? Keeping 2 or 3 TEs and a RB in to block on every down is a handcuff. Playing Dallas Thomas just to prove a point is a handcuff. Jonathan Martin was the best LT on the team. That doesn't mean he was any good. Or that Joe Philbin was happy with the situation. Your job is to try to put you team in the best situation to make the playoffs, even if that means taking a gamble on ratfink.

 

[BSQ]

Ireland was out for himself and his personality was crap. Nobody liked him because he was an ahole. Hickey is smarter, works seamlessly with everyone else and just the fact that the FO is all on the same page I think is a massive difference maker. Thrilled that Ireland's history. I really think that Hickey is going to be a good one.

 

[z926538]

Jeff hand-cuffed this team by trying to hit home runs on guys (QB turned RB types) like Daniel Thomas - these decisions have held us back for a long time

Dion Jordan was obviously hurt but his EGO got in the way again -

Pat White whether JI or Tuna was just BRUTAL

Dealing for BM and then getting back amounts to a 12 pack of Bud was brutal and unacceptable.

Let's not forget his first QB miss: taking Chad Henne instead of Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan. Most GM's don't get a second shot to draft a QB after missing on their first try. And it is still debatable that Tannehill was a better pick than Russell Wilson (as the 60+ page thread from a couple of months ago attests). Jeff Ireland cost Dolphin fans six years of their lives.

 

[marinotoclayton]

I dont give Ireland any praise in drafting Tannenhill! For one every body was wanting a franchise type QB and it was apparent that it wasn't Henne! I think had he not drafted Tannenhill Ireland would have been fired sooner!