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Randy Mueller!

phunwin

The name's Bond...James Bond.
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I am excited. Perhaps not excited enough to wade into the primordial ooze of the main board just yet, but plenty excited.

I think Mueller had an excellent history as the Saints' personnel man. It's no coincidence, to me, that the team's gotten progressively worse after he left. Good eye for offensive talent and didn't have too many true draft screwups. I liked his trade for Aaron Brooks, too. Hopefully he can come up with something should we need to replace Feeley.

Another excellent move by Saban/Huizenga.
 
I'm not sold till i see what he does with what we have and what we don't have for that matter. I do however feel it was an upgrade.
 
I'm very surprised with this move, and I have nothing against Randy Mueller. I think he's a very good personnel guy who had built up a pretty good Saints team with some of the deals he made. He's had a history of good draft picks and seems to have a good eye for talent.

What surprises me is that he doesn't strike me as a guy who would be willing to play second fiddle to Nick Saban. I'm obviously wrong on this, because Randy should know exactly what he's coming into here. He's not going to have the autonomy to make "his" moves. These will be Nick's moves.

The other shocking thing is that I thought Randy burned some bridges after his interview last year. He basically came out and stated how much of a farce the search process was and blah blah blah. For him to not only come back to Miami for this job, but to take a general manager job that is the GM in title only is very shocking.

I was almost certain that Saban would hire someone like George Kokonis from Baltimore.
 
What I find exceedingly odd is that Mueller recently interviewed for the position of President of the Seahawks; why would he settle for a position so far below that which he sought in Seattle? Especially considering that this GM job is limited in scope for a guy of Mueller's capabilities.

My best guess is he was informed he was out of the running for the Pres job and chose the only option available to him in order to get back into the NFL after a three-year absence.
 
NaboCane said:
What I find exceedingly odd is that Mueller recently interviewed for the position of President of the Seahawks; why would he settle for a position so far below that which he sought in Seattle? Especially considering that this GM job is limited in scope for a guy of Mueller's capabilities.

My best guess is he was informed he was out of the running for the Pres job and chose the only option available to him in order to get back into the NFL after a three-year absence.

He could be looking at this as a springboard to what he views as better opportunities. The longer you're out of the league, the harder it is to get back. And after three years of pontificating for ESPN, he probably figured that he'd become irrelevant before much longer, so he jumped on the only GM job left.

Or, he could look at what Scott Pioli has done in New England, and think, "that's not such a bad deal, I'd better get in on the ground floor with the Nick Saban Era."
 
I find it very odd that he's been out of the league for so long. You'd think someone who won executive of the year would have little trouble finding a new gig. Add to that his ego, abbrasive personality, and the fact that he's annoyed me whenever I've seen him on ESPN... and I must say that I'm not overly impressed.

I do take comfort from the fact that his role will be minimal.
 
phinphanphrommi said:
I find it very odd that he's been out of the league for so long. You'd think someone who won executive of the year would have little trouble finding a new gig. Add to that his ego, abbrasive personality, and the fact that he's annoyed me whenever I've seen him on ESPN...

...and you've probably answered your own question.

I suspect that Mueller was out of work for so long not because people think he's an imbecile, but because he comes off like a jerk. He certainly has a fair amount of the "snotty little kid who made it to the top in record time" vibe to him, which NO ONE likes. Nevertheless, I don't think anyone questions his acumen as a personnel judge.
 
phunwin said:
...and you've probably answered your own question.

I suspect that Mueller was out of work for so long not because people think he's an imbecile, but because he comes off like a jerk. He certainly has a fair amount of the "snotty little kid who made it to the top in record time" vibe to him, which NO ONE likes. Nevertheless, I don't think anyone questions his acumen as a personnel judge.

Yeah, I don't question his talent... just his ability to work as in a position that is basically a figure-head... at least as far as the public is concerned. He's got quite an ego and not only will he not have full control, he's working for someone else who is very controlling. Just doesn't seem to me like the two would jive well. I'm all for it working out though... just somewhat skeptical.
 
I like the Mueller signing. I think Saban and him could be a very dangerous duo for the NFL. Very good move. :D
 
I'm a little wary. I never liked this guy. I'm with KB, I thought Kokonis was going to be the guy.

Anyway, not for nothing but there are questions about his personnel moves....this Saints fan details them very well in this post I found while swimming in the primordial ooze.....link
 
inFINSible said:
I'm a little wary. I never liked this guy. I'm with KB, I thought Kokonis was going to be the guy.

Anyway, not for nothing but there are questions about his personnel moves....this Saints fan details them very well in this post I found while swimming in the primordial ooze.....link

Excellent post that ties in the little feelings I've had about him. He seems a bit different of a micromanager than Saban in that he's petty about it. Color me skeptical, but I'd rather have had a young up-and-commer than someone like Mueller. I suppose that was predicated by the fact that we need someone with experience, but I hope they can get someone to start grooming to take over for Randy... cause I don't think he's long for the 'Phins, either by using us as a springboard to a "real" job or by annoying himself out of a job.
 
phinphanphrommi said:
Excellent post that ties in the little feelings I've had about him. He seems a bit different of a micromanager than Saban in that he's petty about it. Color me skeptical, but I'd rather have had a young up-and-commer than someone like Mueller. I suppose that was predicated by the fact that we need someone with experience, but I hope they can get someone to start grooming to take over for Randy... cause I don't think he's long for the 'Phins, either by using us as a springboard to a "real" job or by annoying himself out of a job.


I think you and inFINS nailed it; This looks like Saban's first mistake, born of insecurity - or maybe more accurately, the desire to hedge his bets.

Let's face it, for all his smarts and tutelage under Belichick, Saban has never been the man choosing the personnel at the pro level - and that's what separates the men from the boys.

He had the confidence to go the draft without his guy in the job because he just came from the college ranks where he saw these guys personally, but when it comes to evaluating pro personnel, maybe Saban doesn't feel so confident - or at leats wants an experienced someone to bounce thoughts around with.
 
I couldn't agree more. The first time I coached kids, the very first thing Ii did was get an assistant with more experience then me. Not that I equate myself with saban by any means. But its like a security blanket. He's just getting someone thats been in the buisness to "double check" his work. At the end of the day its Sabans dolphins, so if meuler doesn't acomplish Sabans goals then I hope saban Fires his arse, and anyone else for that matter.
Each coach has his weakness and maybe after this draft Saban felt drafting and dealing were his. I want saban to coach and tell someone what kind of players to get. Then let that guy go get those players. Coach Saban has too much to worry about then how to wine and dine a bunch of Drew Rosenhaus's and other GM's.
 
By all reports, Saban's reputation is that he can spot talent. He did it in Cleveland a bunch. Belichick sent him out all over the country scouting. Yes it was collegiate scouting. But that defense became the league's best on his watch. And I'm sure he watched a lot of film on pro players when free agency came around back in Cleveland.

For me personally, Randy Mueller comes as a suprise. Just doesn't seem like the type that would take a non-authoritative position like this. But he's been out of the league for awhile. So he jumped at this opportunity to get his foor back in the door.

I don't think that it's insecurity so much as Saban just wants a top notch SPECIALIST to handle this very large part of the organization. I mean, Saban certainly doesn't have a weakness when it comes to defensive X's and O's. But he searched high and low for a defensive coordinator. His words were that, as head coach, he'd rather not have to dedicate so much of his time to one individual facet of the team. But he'd do it if he had to. I think the same thing applies here. But it's not as if he wasn't going to hire someone to fill this position anyway.

Saban's been all about getting the best of everything around here. He's gotten the best coaches he could. Now he went out and got the best, most experienced evaluator of talent he could, not to mention a guy who can wheel and deal.

I'll concede that wheeling and dealing probably isn't Saban's stock and trade. He's a football coach. Whereas that kind of thing requires more of a negotiating, business sense. But you have to wonder just how the Dolphins will manage the salary cap in the years to come.

Saban acknowledged that he had a lot to learn in this area. But his philosophy is to build a perennial contender the right way (i.e. thru the draft). That speaks to fiscal responsibility. So I wouldn't think he'd go crazy in free agency.

While he gave Kevin Carter a lot of money up front, Saban also traded away Patrick Surtain due to cap concerns. Remember, Saban is a defensive guy who said that CB is the position that predicates what you do on defense more than any other.

Even though Mueller might have other motives, I like this move. If he does have his eye on a bigger prize down the road, Mueller knows that he has to do a bang-up job here in Miami. He's working for a great coach. So no matter who he brings in, he knows they'll be well-coached. And the better he helps stock the pantry, the better the team will perform, which gets him closer to his (alleged) goal. And that also entails doing things the way the head coach stipulates them to be done.
 
NaboCane said:
I think you and inFINS nailed it; This looks like Saban's first mistake, born of insecurity - or maybe more accurately, the desire to hedge his bets.

Let's face it, for all his smarts and tutelage under Belichick, Saban has never been the man choosing the personnel at the pro level - and that's what separates the men from the boys.

He had the confidence to go the draft without his guy in the job because he just came from the college ranks where he saw these guys personally, but when it comes to evaluating pro personnel, maybe Saban doesn't feel so confident - or at leats wants an experienced someone to bounce thoughts around with.
That would make sense if that was Muellers strong suit but, it's not. His worst personel moves have been through FA-gency, or evaluating pro personel and his best moves have come from the draft. Seemingly the exact opposite of what Saban would "need".
 
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