Why Hickey is a Safe Hire

[Shouright]

Hickey got a two-year contract.

Given the insistence on having the hire work well with Joe Philbin, and given the length of Hickey's contract, I have to think Stephen Ross and his advisors view Philbin as having two years, at most, left to prove he's the coach of the team long-term. I have to think this also coincides with a view of Ryan Tannehill's developmental period, i.e., Ryan Tannehill may need another year of development (2014) to play in such a way as to permit an accurate evaluation of Joe Philbin.

So, that leaves 2015 as the do or die year for Tannehill, Philbin, and probably Hickey as well, given his two-year contract. Of course if the team implodes in 2014, there is no reason why any of them would need to last into 2015.

What this also suggests to me is that Stephen Ross and his advisors are viewing the team's power structure as situation-specific. In other words, rather than go back to the drawing board with a new head coach and perhaps a new quarterback, they would rather give the current head coach and quarterback the necessary time to prove themselves, while receiving the assistance from a GM who works hand-in-hand with their needs.

If and when the current structure and/or the people within it don't work, the slate can be easily cleaned, and either the same or new power structures can be considered going forward.

In two years we may see a fully functioning Ryan Tannehill, Joe Philbin, and Dennis Hickey, working in harmony to make the team win, or we may see the slate cleaned completely, and the ushering in of the more typical "Czar" approach, whereby a big-name, up-and-coming GM (a Nick Caserio type) is hired, with the full authority to hire a head coach and draft a quarterback in the first round.

Either way, the Hickey hire is safe, because it doesn't consign the team to his influence for any longer than it fits with the current regime (Philbin and Tannehill). I suspect that it's going to be either Hickey, Philbin, and Tannehill, enjoying success together, or a slate cleaned of all three, with a one-man show in place to call the shots (most notably HC and QB) going forward.

 

[Digital]

I don't think this is a safe hire whatsoever. But, I do like the fact that they gave him a 2 year contract. No GM gets a 1 year contract, so this is as much of a "show it" contract as he could be given. If Philbin fails there is a good chance Hickey goes as well and a new GM comes in and sweeps things clean. If Philbin succeeds most likely Hickey stays for 3+ years.

 

[retarmyfinfan]

We waited this long what's another 2 years.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I don't like dependencies or concessions. The idea was to find the best guy possible, right now, someone who could win every decision. That's the way you get to the top, win every decision. My friend Dave taught me that decades ago in Las Vegas. It doesn't matter if you like the Rockets to win the NBA title or not. If the price is a bargain, you take it. Continue making good bets and it's amazing how everything falls into place. With Hickey I'm not confident we found the guy who is 2-10% ahead of the norm at every crossroads.

Besides, into my 50s I don't have as many 2-year blocks to experiment as previously. I think Hillary had a famous quote along those lines, "...not a dress rehearsal."

 

[NCFINFAN13]

I would have rather a strong GM with power to come in and sort things out on his terms, but we'll see what happens. I would think this entire staff is now glued to the hip feast or famine.

 

[Phantom]

Instead of hiring a competent GM, who want to find us a competent head coach and front office, lets find an incompetent GM, who will fit with the incompetent bunch of fools we already have. Sounds like a great plan for failure.

My question is, if Ross found other candidates to be more qualified to be gm, and tried to hire them, why not let them do what they wanted to fix this organization. Why in the hell would you not hire the best man for the job? It's half a$$ all the way.

 

[dabeastdabone]

I agree. I'm warming up to the hire and the idea that they have two years. It says they can't "Rebuild" but need to gather the missing parts.

 

[claytonduper]

My concern is next year, if the team implodes, we jettison only the head coach. Hickey may be given a pass since he was "only part" of the mess for 1 year. Thus continuing the cycle for a few more years. I don't pretend to know much about Hickey and whether or not he pans out, but I think it is very important that the Head Coach, GM and cap specialist work together in harmony. I also still believe in Tannehill and giving up on him would be a huge mistake. Tannehill has shown enough to warrant keeping Philbin and Hickey for 2 more years. Imagine if we had receivers in his first year, an average running game, a short yard specialist, an offensive line and an offensive plan that helped Tannehill stay upright. The only 2 QB's who could have produced better with our offensive team are Brady and Manning. Yet, I question if they would have survived the brutal beat down Tannehill got this year.

 

[FinHopeful]

I have not decided that Philbin is incompetent. It is clear that Ross still believes in Philbin. Further, Ross wants to give Philbin every opportunity to build the team his way. The current structure complements his goals. I have no problem with the approach.

 

[roy_miami]

Hickey got a two-year contract.

Either way, the Hickey hire is safe, because it doesn't consign the team to his influence for any longer than it fits with the current regime (Philbin and Tannehill). I suspect that it's going to be either Hickey, Philbin, and Tannehill, enjoying success together, or a slate cleaned of all three, with a one-man show in place to call the shots (most notably HC and QB) going forward.

Agreed and I suspect this same deal was offered to every candidate so if they didn't like either Tannehill or Philbin enough to take the risk that would explain why the position seemed undesirable.

 

[roy_miami]

Instead of hiring a competent GM, who want to find us a competent head coach and front office, lets find an incompetent GM, who will fit with the incompetent bunch of fools we already have. Sounds like a great plan for failure.
.

That would be a great plan for failure except Ross isn't convinced Tannehill or Philbin are incompetent fools, in fact I think he thinks they can be good to great.

 

[Shouright]

Agreed and I suspect this same deal was offered to every candidate so if they didn't like either Tannehill or Philbin enough to take the risk that would explain why the position seemed undesirable.

And then I think you have to ask yourself, if the team is willing to give up on Philbin and Tannehill before they've had the chance to prove themselves, for the sake of an unproven GM such as Caserio or one of the other candidates, what does that say about the team's recent decision-making regarding probably the two most important positions in the franchise (HC and QB)?

Essentially the hiring of a candidate who would be given the power to clean house and start over would've been hardly a ringing endorsement of the two biggest decisions the team has made in the last few years (HC and QB).

In my opinion fans should derive some comfort from the fact that Ross and his advisors haven't yet settled on those decisions as having been poor ones. Making moves that suggest those decisions were poor after only two years would indicate far more a poor management of the team than did the GM hiring process we just witnessed. This was by far the lesser of two evils, if an evil at all.

Essentially what we just saw, in my opinion, was the replacement of Jeff Ireland, with the continued emphasis on the view that Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill could be the winning ingredients they were thought to be when they were selected. You don't need to overhaul the entire structure to replace Jeff Ireland.

 

[mnphinfan]

Hickey got a two-year contract.

Given the insistence on having the hire work well with Joe Philbin, and given the length of Hickey's contract, I have to think Stephen Ross and his advisors view Philbin as having two years, at most, left to prove he's the coach of the team long-term. I have to think this also coincides with a view of Ryan Tannehill's developmental period, i.e., Ryan Tannehill may need another year of development (2014) to play in such a way as to permit an accurate evaluation of Joe Philbin.

So, that leaves 2015 as the do or die year for Tannehill, Philbin, and probably Hickey as well, given his two-year contract. Of course if the team implodes in 2014, there is no reason why any of them would need to last into 2015.

What this also suggests to me is that Stephen Ross and his advisors are viewing the team's power structure as situation-specific. In other words, rather than go back to the drawing board with a new head coach and perhaps a new quarterback, they would rather give the current head coach and quarterback the necessary time to prove themselves, while receiving the assistance from a GM who works hand-in-hand with their needs.

If and when the current structure and/or the people within it don't work, the slate can be easily cleaned, and either the same or new power structures can be considered going forward.

In two years we may see a fully functioning Ryan Tannehill, Joe Philbin, and Dennis Hickey, working in harmony to make the team win, or we may see the slate cleaned completely, and the ushering in of the more typical "Czar" approach, whereby a big-name, up-and-coming GM (a Nick Caserio type) is hired, with the full authority to hire a head coach and draft a quarterback in the first round.

Either way, the Hickey hire is safe, because it doesn't consign the team to his influence for any longer than it fits with the current regime (Philbin and Tannehill). I suspect that it's going to be either Hickey, Philbin, and Tannehill, enjoying success together, or a slate cleaned of all three, with a one-man show in place to call the shots (most notably HC and QB) going forward.

I agree with this 100%. Another great point of view that you have, that I can't thank you on because I don't think numbers tell the entire story on Tannehill.

 

[Super Duper]

Great post. You summed my thoughts up exactly The best way to get this franchise turned around is by having some stability on offense and getting Ryan Tannenhill up to speed. QB is the key to the NFL. We should follow through on what we had going instead of blowing up the situation of a QB with potential to be franchise.

 

[JTC111]

Hickey got a two-year contract.

That might have been the only thing Ross did right in the entire imbroglio. I hope it works, but if it doesn't I hope Ross has the stones to finally clean house.