Stephen Ross is the real problem | Page 7 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Stephen Ross is the real problem

The problem is that our front office sucks at evaluating talent, and then when it actually stumbles into some talent like a blind squirrel tripping over a nut, we don't bother to re-sign them, and instead throw money at free agents from other teams.

Here's a great example: Rishard Matthews. He was a Miami Dolphin who was drafted and then developed by the team for FOUR YEARS. Finally, in 2015, he had the chance to start (mostly by accident) and here's what happened when he was targeted:

2015: 61 targets, 43 receptions, 662 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception. Passer Rating: 121.1(!) - overall team passer rating was 88.9. When targeted, passing offense was 32.2 rating points better(!) than team average.

Then we let him walk to Tennessee, who signed him for a paltry 3 years, 15 million dollars. That's peanuts! That's nothing! And what has he done in 2 years in Tennessee? He's been good.

2016: 108 targets, 65 receptions, 945 yards, 9 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. Passer Rating: 101.0 - overall team passer rating was 93.7. When targeted, passing offense was 7.3 rating points better than team average.

2017: 68 targets, 41 receptions, 626 yards, 3 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. Passer Rating: 88.9 - overall team passer rating is 76.6. When targeted, passing offense is 12.3 rating points better than team average.


Instead of keeping players like Matthews on the roster, we have elected to trade draft picks for different receivers (Carroo and Stills) who have actually underperformed compared to the rest of our receiving group for the most part during their time in Miami. I like Kenny Stills, he's a great deep ball specialist, but it is inexcusable to have burned four draft picks plus a big chunk of cap space on a pair of receivers who aren't improving our offense by comparison to the guy who walked away for next to nothing.

So when I saw this this morning, I laughed:





Really? I get that perhaps he was not happy down here with Joe Philbin, but when he walked, Philbin had been fired. It should have been possible to work with him toward a fair contract extension. We didn't even try, because we wanted to showcase the guy we had just traded a 3rd round draft pick for, Kenny Stills.

He's certainly not the only one. We've had horrible struggles at cornerback, to the point that we had to go dredge up Byron Maxwell as a grossly overpaid starter in 2016, when we could have just tried to re-sign Nolan Carroll on a modest contract after he had shown that he was capable of being a serviceable NFL cornerback. Again, we develop players and then when they start to show that they are capable of being productive, decent players for us, we let them walk in order to blow more draft picks and money on unknown quantities or has-beens.

Jeff Ireland sucked. Dennis Hickey kind of sucked. Mike Tannenbaum...

The problem isn't Ross, the problem is the people Ross has put in charge of building the roster. They are ****ing stupid.


I agree with you 1000% Every time I watch the Titans I get sick to my stomach watching Matthews tear it up. And he's just the tip of the ice burgh, Hogan, Welker, etc.......
 
I dont think Ross is making personal decisions. I think those are left to the football guys. Ross has opened his wallet, improved the stadium. He’s done a lot.
 
I did defend Ross but looking at it again I agree with most of you. He hired the people who run that team and have been terrible for the most part. Yea, I think Gase gets another year or two but Tbum is not good and the underlings are questionable.
 
I dont think Ross is making personal decisions. I think those are left to the football guys. Ross has opened his wallet, improved the stadium. He’s done a lot.
The stadium improvements mean nothing when the product on the field is subpar. The team's problems are 100% Ross' fault. All of the football minds he's hired have harmed the team rather than helped. A good owner can identify a strong GM/coach. He doesn't have to know X's and O's, but he needs to be able to assess that ability in others. As other posters have mentioned, how on earth could he have ever even considered hiring Tannenbaum when he was an abject failure in NY. And, Tbaum is doing the same to us, right before our very eyes. The contract he gave to Alonso is horrific. It would cost more to cut him next year than keep him? The draft picks traded away for Caroo and Anthony? If any single one of us were owner, we'd have already fired Tbaum for driving this team into the ground. But not Ross, he doesn't want to lose his BFF.
 
Ross needs to stop relying on New York suits to guide his football operations. He is way too reliant on his circle, this is how we got Tannenbaum here. Tannenbaum doesn't know how to manage a roster. Until Ross finds the best football guy he can find to run the front office (one who doesn't have any existing business ties to his Real Estate company), we will continue to operate in football purgatory.
 
My biggest gripe with Ross the last few years has been his determination to land a Super Bowl at the cost of the team. He has turned the corner, imo and is probably just as furious as the fans now.
 
Ireland - X
Hickey - X
Tannenbaum - X
Grier - I'll probably have another X to put down here on January 1st, 2021.

Carl Peterson, Matt Higgins, whoever else is advising Ross on football matters, is recommending lousy people to run this football team.
 
All you can say is that Ross plainly admitted his ownership has been a basic failure

in terms of the team evolving into a winning program.

He said we're no closer now than the day he took over.

the record he's achieved is a loser

10years = 72 wins 88 losses

only 1 winning season in 10 years!

The facts are overwhelmingly bad!

So now we'll see if Chris Grier can provide the billionaire answer...
 
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Caught on the fence regarding this topic.

On one hand I really don't think Ross gets too involved in the running of the franchise & team. However, the footballing staff he has employed to take care of this side of the business really has been poor. I feel a lot of them have taken advantage of Ross & said the right things to keep him happy and to keep their jobs.

But surely after a number of years you must question if its simply bad luck on the poor coaching staff he continually ends up with or he's been badly advised by the people around him & not taken note.

If I was successful business owner I would make sure I surround myself with people who know the industry I'm investing in - I don't think Ross has done this and is ultimately responsible for this. However, the quick fix is replace the people he has surrounded himself with in advising regarding football decisions rather than hounding a wealthy owner out of town & hoping another one invests in the Dolphins without moving them to a city that suits them.
 
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