As the Miami Dolphins move on from former head coach Adam Gase and spread their net far and wide in search of his replacement, the guy who will have the most say in that hire remains mostly anonymous.

Who exactly is Chris Grier?

The son of an NFL scout (Bobby Grier, the Houston Texans current Pro Personnel Director), it’s no surprise that Chris has a very heavy background in scouting. He started as an intern for the New England Patriots in 1994, and worked his way up to regional scout with that organization before moving to the Dolphins as an area scout.

Grier then spent 13 years involved with and directing college scouting for the Dolphins before being promoted to General Manager in 2016 when Adam Gase was hired. Those two, along with Mike Tannenbaum have been the triumvirate of power at the top of the Dolphins organization for the past three years. But Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, seeking a more streamlined chain of command, dismissed Gase and reassigned Tannenbaum to non-football duties, then elevated Grier to the top spot reporting directly to him. Grier will choose the next coach for the team.

So now you know Grier’s history, and it’s extensive. But what can we expect from the new guy in charge? How will he form this team to have, as Stephen Ross put it, “the heart of a champion?”

Having worked with Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, and Pete Carroll when all were in New England, Grier has learned from some of the best, including working under Nick Saban during Saban’s brief time with the Dolphins.

“There’s a lot of those guys; a lot of that has influenced me. And I talk to those guys still about a lot of different things,” says Grier. “I have strong beliefs of what I believe in, how football teams win, and how they’re built, so I shared that with Steve. We had a good conversation, and that’s going to be our plan going forward. It’s not about winning one year and then falling back,We want to build this thing the right way, where it’s long sustained success, where the fans are happy, Steve (Ross) is happy, and we’re winning for long periods of time.”

As far as what he’s looking for in a coach, Grier says, “There are good football coaches, pro and college. We’re going to investigate every avenue. For us, the important thing will be finding the right guy that kind of believes in some of the same things I do in terms of building a team.

“But I’m also flexible enough that if he presents his ideas and we think it’s good, it’s going to be collaboration with everything we do. I know we talk about having control, but it’s not going to work if he and I don’t share a vision to implement that plan throughout the organization.

“The ultimate goal is to win Super Bowls and championships and be a consistent winner.”

​This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter: @EJFootball

When the new boss Chris Grier took the stand to explain how he intended to handle the Miami Dolphins from this point on, he briefly mentioned how he would be looking far and wide for new candidates to take over for newly fired coach Adam Gase.

​"You can’t rule out anything." Grier said. "There’s good football coaches – pro and college – and I think we’re going to investigate every avenue. For us, the important thing will be finding the right guy that kind of believes in some of the same things I do in terms of building a team, but I’m also flexible enough that if he presents his ideas and we think it’s good, it’s going to be a collaboration, everything we do still. I know we talk about having control and I’m over it, yeah; but it’s not going to work if he and I don’t share a vision to implement that plan throughout the organization.”

​It sounds like a decent balance, Grier is in charge but he wants to be able to work with his head coach. Nothing wrong with that, and the names being thrown around as potential candidates for Miami to hire is one brimming with promise and potential; so far, they have requested interviews with five individuals.

​First is New England Patriots de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who took over the role after Matt Patricia left to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions.

The 37 year old Flores has been with the Patriots in various roles for the past 14 years, spending time as a scouting assistant from 2004-05, a pro scout from 2006-07, special teams assistant from 2008-09, his title was changed to assistant coach of offense and special teams in 2010, then in 2011 he was named a defensive assistant, he coaches safeties in 2012-15, linebackers in 2016-17, before finally getting to call defensive plays this past season.

Flores actually got interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals job last season (which is now open again thanks to the firing of Steve Wilks), and now the Dolphins (among other teams) want to do so again. One thing to point about Flores is his ability to teach, which Bill Belichick himself praised back in August.

“I think Brian and our defensive staff has done a good job in teaching the players and installing our system,” Belichick said. “We haven’t done much game-planning to this point, but we’ll see how that goes as we get into the real games."

Next is veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who at 60 years old would buck the trend of young, offensive-minded "gurus" that seem to have made up the majority of recent coaching hires.

​Despite being a respected defensive mind for many years, Fangio has never actually been a head coach before, but defenses he's coaches have always been stout, ranking in the top ten in the league for six of the last eight seasons he's been coaching, including the number two ranked defense with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and 2012, and the number one ranked defensive in the NFL in 2018.

Fangio has also worked under both Harbaugh brothers, and with Grier having roster control, it's unlikely either Harbaugh could be persuaded to come to Miami. With Fangio, the Dolphins would be hiring the closest thing to a Harbaugh, but Fangio would need to hire an offensive coordinator who can handle an offense since he's spent his entire coaching career working on defense.

The Dolphins are also looking at offensive minded coaches, the first of which is current Steelers OL coach Mike Munchak (58), who has some experience as a head coach as he coached the Tennessee Titans from 2011-13, leading them to a 22-26 record with no playoff appearances. Since being fired from that job, Munchak has spent the last five seasons (2014-18) as the OL coach for the Steelers.

Munchak was a former first round draft pick of the Houston Oilers (8th overall) back in 1982, where he spent 12 years as their starting left guard. During that time, he was nominated for the Pro Bowl nine times, a four-time All-Pro, a nine-time second-team All-Pro.

​Given Miami's struggles with the offensive line for the past decade or so, Munchak would be expected to come in and fix the problems there, but his past head coaching stint does cause some skepticism. Maybe he's learned some things since then, but there's no way to know without trying.

The fourth coach Miami has requested to interview is Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (49), who young superstar QB Patrick Mahomes has stated would make an excellent head coach.

“He’d been an awesome head coach. He has that mindset, that work ethic, and that determination that you need to be a head coach in this league,” Mahomes said. “I know that he’s had the interest and stuff like that. You know he’ll still be 100 percent in on what we’re doing here. He’d be an amazing coach, and I’m excited that I still have him right now on this playoff run.”

Like Flores, Bieniemy would also qualify to fulfill the NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires that all NFL teams at least interview a minority candidate before hiring a new head coach or senior football operation jobs. Bieniemy spent five years (2013-17) as the Chiefs running backs coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator, and comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree, which has spawned many successful coaches in the past.

Besides the NFL level, Bieniemy has also been an offensive coordinator at the college level, and with his background as a former NFL running back, playing for the Chargers, Bengals and Eagles in his nine-year career, he'd be a fiery head coach that knows how to get players motivated.

Last, for now at least, is the Dallas Cowboys' passing game coordinator and DB coach Kris Richard (39), who is another Rooney Rule qualifier and is considered largely responsible for the success of the Cowboys this season.

“He’s an incredibly intense, unbelievable football coach who teaches Xs and Os, teaches technique, has brought an unbelievable amount of knowledge." Linebacker Sean Lee said earlier this year. "He’s a guy we rally around because of the intensity he brings every single day.”

Another intense candidate, Richard's teaching skills (like with Flores) are being cited. Given that technique has been an issue for the Dolphins in the past several seasons, he would be another excellent candidate for a team set to bring in a lot of young players in the next couple of seasons. He's been a defensive back coach for several years now and even got an opportunity to be a defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks back in 2015-17, in which time he earned the respect of star cornerback Richard Sherman, who expressed his support of the Dolphins requesting an interview.

Both Fangio and and Richard cannot yet be interviewed due to their playoff status, but Munchak can be interviewed due to the Steelers missing the playoffs, while Bieniemy and Flores both have first round bye weeks, meaning they can also be interviewed as well.

If there's one trend that can be taken from these candidates, it seems to be their abilities as teachers, something that young phenom coach Sean McVay has been heralded for with the Rams. If this is the initial list of candidates, then GM Chris Grier is doing a terrific job starting off the head coach search.

​This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

For the longest time, the Miami Dolphins have been trying to use band-aids to stop bleeding that needed much more effort put it into it; signing big splash free agents like Ndamukong Suh, bringing in veterans with experience like Danny Amendola and Frank Gore in an attempt to shore up a roster that had potential but could never get over the hump.

And at the forefront of all of that was owner Stephen Ross, who was always accused of not seeing the big picture and seeing that a full rebuild was necessary, instead allowing his coaches and front office executives to continue going around in circles, desperately trying to escape the mediocrity of the past decade while never truly refueling to make a proper run.

On Monday morning, that all came to a screeching halt, as Ross addressed the media and informed everyone that it was time the Dolphins took a new approach, one that he hadn't taken during his entire tenure as owner.

"We’ve been operating under a philosophy that we had a good young roster and it needed maybe free agents and draft choices and we’d be very competitive." Ross said. "To keep operating under that philosophy would be like the definition of insanity: doing the same thing and really expecting a different result. So I thought it was time for the organization to take a different approach, much like when I do in my business. I know everything I’ve done, we’re always the best-in-class and we’re on top, and that’s what I expect to be on the football field as well as an organization."

That is perhaps the most interesting statement of all, that Ross realizes that continuing down this path is insanity, that endlessly trying to push for something that's so clearly out of reach is just not smart. So that makes what he said next even more telling.

"Basically, the thought is we’re going to look to really build this organization based on our needs," He said. "And if it takes a year or so – two years, three years – we’re going to be there and we’re going to be an organization."

There it is, right there. If it takes a year, two years, three years, whatever. That sounds like the definition of a rebuild, taking a step back and coming to the realization that the team isn't good, and despite what everyone in his ear tried to say, they aren't close to being good.

You have to rest for a while and recharge before you can sprint for the finish line.

So what does this mean? It means no more spending money on older free agents who would only act as progress-blockers for younger players, it means focusing on building through the draft and accepting that sometimes what's best for a franchise is to lose for a few years in order to pave the way for something elite.

It also means that the time has come to trade assets in order to build up resources for a roster rebuild in the future. What does this mean for the likes of Xavien Howard, Kenyan Drake, Andre Branch, Robert Quinn, Kiko Alonso, Reshad Jones, T.J. McDonald, Ryan Tannehill, and others on the roster?

In the case of Howard and Drake, those two would be the most likely to get high returns on the trading block: Howard still has one more year on his rookie deal, and he's already cemented himself as an elite cornerback. Drake has shown that he has the ability to be an elite weapon, and he was extremely frustrated with now former head coach Adam Gase's unwillingness to give him a larger workload.

By the same token, there is the matter of having cornerstone players who should be built around, and both Howard and Drake fit that bill. The Dolphins are expected to dump a lot of bad contracts in the upcoming offseason, leaving room to sign elite talent like Howard, Drake and possibly even Laremy Tunsil to the contracts they'll be looking for.

Ultimately, these decisions will now fall at the feet of Chris Grier, who was retained after the Gase firing and Mike Tannenbaum reassignment. Gone are the days where the coach and the GMs would all work together and speak directly to Ross. The hierarchy has been streamlined to the way it should have been long ago. Grier is in charge, and there will be no more asking questions regarding who did what.

"Chris (Grier) will have total responsibility of leading the organization." Ross said. "He will work together with a new coach. He will make all football decisions and report to me. I think that as we build this roster, we have a great young roster today with some key players to build upon, but we’re going to build it the right way, bringing in new people who will want to win, really creating that winning attitude."

It's a step in the right direction for a franchise that has been lost in the dark for far too long. It's time to start the painful trek towards true greatness again, and Ross finally seems to have learned how to make it happen.

"If you look back, look what we’ve done every year since I’ve been here." Ross said. "If we keep doing that, where are we going to be? We’ll be anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6. That’s not good enough. I would hope I don’t have to go 3-13; but whatever it’s going to take, we’re going to build that organization with the right players that want to win. They’re coming here to win.”

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Well that was quick.

The Miami Dolphins wasted no time after losing their final three games by combined scores of 100-41, firing head coach Adam Gase early Monday morning. His firing creates eight head coaching opening around the NFL.

Considered an offensive guru and one of the hot coaching names in 2016, Gase was brought to Miami to develop quarterback Ryan Tannehill and inject a spark in a previously moribund offense.

That didn’t happen.

Gase’s offenses ranked near the bottom of the league in all three years he coaches in Miami, and Tannehill, while showing improvement in 2016, never took that step to elite status. Injury played a part in that, as Tannehill missed 24 of Gase’s 48 games, plus their lone playoff loss to the Steelers following the 2016 season. Including that playoff loss, Gase finished his tenure in Miami with a 23-16 record. Tannehill's career in Miami could be drawing to a close as well.

In an era where high-flying offenses are evolving quickly, none of the Dolphins wins this season were by double-digit margin, and they gave up more than 16 points on average in their losses. After starting 3-0, the Dolphins regressed badly as the season wore on, with the only bright spot being a rousing win over the New England Patriots in Week 14. Gases’s teams always played the Patriots tough in Miami, but failed to score 20 points in 8 of 16 games this season.

Gase was given full control over the team’s 53-man roster, and owner Stephen Ross reportedly asked him to give that up after this season. That issue only added to a deteriorating relationship this season, and Ross apparently deemed them irreparable.

General Manager Chris Grier will be retained, and has been promoted to head of football operations, and Mike Tannenbaum, who previously held that role, has been reassigned.

More news to follow, as the Dolphins offseason gets off to an interesting start.

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter, @EJFootball.

The Miami Dolphins (7-8) will conclude the season against a division opponent in the Buffalo Bills Sunday at Orchard Park. It has been a disappointing season for both the Dolphins and the Bills, in terms of their record. Miami opened the season 3-0, with home wins versus Tennessee and Oakland and a lone road win at the Jets, dating back to mid-September. Ironically, that was the only win away from Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami has been beaten and battered all season long on the road. Buffalo, sitting at 5-10, may have found the future of their franchise, in former Wyoming product and rookie quarterback Josh Allen. In the December 2 meeting at Hard Rock Stadium, Allen ran all around Miami’s defense, gaining 135 yards on nine carries.

​If you are a Dolphins fan, not being able to stop the run should not surprise you whatsoever. Coming into the season finale, Miami’s defense coughs up 143.9 rushing yards per game, trailing only the Arizona Cardinals for worst in the league. Sunday will mark the 110th all-time meeting.

DATE: Sunday, December 30

TIME: 1:00  p.m. ET

SITE: New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

TV: CBS

LINE: BUF - 5.5, O/U: 39.5

Radio: Dolphins Radio Network, KISS 99.9 FM, 560 WQAM, 1210 WNMA (Spanish)

Radio Announcers: English broadcast - Jimmy Cefalo, Bob Griese, Joe Rose, Kim Bokamper; Spanish broadcast - Raul Striker Jr., Eduardo Martell

​5. DE Cameron Wake - During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Wake repeatedly stated he wants to remain a Miami Dolphin in 2019, but the sides have to agree mutually. At the conclusion of Sunday’s contest, Wake will become an unrestricted free agent, and the Dolphins owe Wake $8 million. ​

Come the end of this upcoming January, Miami Dolphins veteran pass rusher Cameron Wake will reach the age of 37 years old, and he's merely two sacks away from reaching the vaunted 100 sack milestone, which as of now, only 32 other players have managed to reach in NFL history.

“It’s even an honor to even be speaking about this." Wake said on Friday. "Think about, again, the story has been told a lot of times, but to start from where I started, to get to even where I am now, I cherish that. I put a lot on that because … It’s something I definitely am looking forward to. I don’t know the numbers. You guys can look it up. I don’t know how many undrafted guys have gotten there.

"I don’t know how many guys spent a year out of football. I don’t know how many CFL guys have gotten there. But I do whatever I can every day to go out there and just fight and scratch and claw to do my job, and to be one of blank many guys to say they’ve had 100 or so sacks, to be mentioned with those names, that’s something special.”

However, there is a slight problem looming, and that's the simple fact that after the season is over, Wake is set to become a free agent, and there hasn't been much news about extending him. Numerically speaking, Wake has had a slow year by his standards, only logging six sacks entering the final week of the season.

Then again, based on analytics such as ProFootballFocus, which uses a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times a player rushes the passer, Wake actually ranks sixth in the entire NFL, behind only Buffalo's Jerry Hughes, the Chargers' Uchenna Nwosu, Detroit's Ezekiel Ansah, Buffalo's Mike Love, and the Eagles' Daeshon Hall.

If Love and Hall get removed since they've only appeared in two games, then Wake moves up to fourth. So there's a huge gap in the evaluation, depending on what one considers important.

Even Wake himself is aware of the perception it creates.

"I’m not a numbers guy." He said. "I’m a production guy and sacks are just one metric to calculate what that production is. Again, nobody writes stories about setting the edge, nobody writes stories about pressures, things like that. Sacks are sexy and they usually get the most recognition; but at the end of the day there’s a lot of things that go into being a defensive end.

"You’ve got to be able to do a lot of different things, and so whichever way the ball swings sometimes, your sack numbers aren’t there; but you have to do your best to be an all-around total football player and that involves a lot of things you spoke about, even some other things too.”

The question now becomes this: how much is a pass rusher entering his 11th season in the league and about to become 37 years old worth? Can Miami afford to move on from him? Can they afford to keep him? More than likely, Miami will be moving on from Andre Branch, who has underperformed his contract extension and will save $7 million in the cap upon release; young DE Charles Harris is dangerously close to being labeled a bust, having only logged three sacks in two seasons.

For a former first round pick, that's very bad.

There's no doubt Wake can still get to the quarterback with as often as he came within inches of getting a sack only for the QB to run away from him, and it would mean a lot if Wake could finish his career having only played with one team, something that not even legendary former Dolphin Jason Taylor can boast.

It all depends on if the two sides can come to an agreement, which one can only guess if they will given that there's projected to be some big shakeups in the front office. Make no mistake, however, Wake says he wants to play in 2019, so the question is whether it will be in a Dolphins uniform or not.

​And he does want to be.

“I would like to be." He said regarding remaining in Miami. "It’s probably a little bit out of my hands, a little bit in my hands. So stay tuned, I guess.”

Stay tuned, indeed.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

On Wednesday morning, four Miami Dolphins were given special awards for their contributions during the 2018 football season.

CB Xavien Howard, a former Baylor standout, was named the Dan Marino Most Valuable Player award. Howard is the third Dolphins CB in franchise history to earn this, joining Sam Madison (1999) and Brent Grimes (2013). Entering the final week of the regular season, Howard is tied with Chicago’s Kyle Fuller, pulling down seven interceptions. Howard has missed Miami’s past three contests, nursing a knee injury.

RB Frank Gore, a former Miami Hurricane and in his first season with the Miami Dolphins, earned the Don Shula Leadership Award. Gore is the fifth player in franchise history to win the award, connecting with Fred Barnett (1996), Junior Seau (2003), Chad Pennington (2008) and Karlos Dansby (2010). Gore has rushed for a team-leading 722 yards this season, but was placed on season-ending IR, after suffering a foot injury in the Dolphins’ Week 15 loss to Minnesota.

QB Ryan Tannehill was given the Ed Block Courage Award. This is the second Dolphins QB to be given this award, as Tannehill now joins Dan Marino (1995). Tannehill missed the entire 2017 season, after sustaining a knee injury during training camp. In a corresponding move, Adam Gase signed QB Jay Cutler to a one-year, $10 million deal, which wounded up producing a disappointing, but expected, 6-10 season.

In 2018, Tannehill missed five games due to a right throwing shoulder injury suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals. Brock Osweiler filled in for Tannehill’s spot, leading the Dolphins to victories over the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. After this past Sunday’s 17-7 grueling loss to lowly Jacksonville, Tannehill’s future as a Miami Dolphin ultimately hangs on a thread.

Lastly, WR Kenny Stills secured the Nat Moore Community Award. Stills, who played college football at Oklahoma, is the second player in team history to win the award, partnering with P Brandon Fields (2011-13).

Stills has done numerous amount of work off the football field; the main being addressing society-based issues. The Nat Moore Community Award is offered to the player who puts his personal time in the South Florida Community.

This story was written by Brandon Liguori. Follow him on Twitter: @BrandonRLiguori

It’s the Christmas season, a time of good cheer. But I’m having a hard time generating the kind of enthusiasm this time is supposed to engender when it comes to the Dolphins, after they lost a must win game on Sunday to keep their dying playoff hopes alive against a very beatable Jacksonville team.

However, Christmas is also a season of renewal and hope. And this in respect, I may have something to offer.

​Whatever else you thought about this Dolphins team this year, you could always say they were a different team at home where they were 6-1 going into last Sunday’s game. Now that notion is shot, along with any chance at the postseason.

And make no mistake, not playing in a playoff game this year is the key factor as we head into the offseason.

The story of the people in charge of the 2018 Dolphins begins and ends in the Miami draft room last April. That was when Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly implored the team to trade back in order to acquire more picks. It was later reported that Ross wasn’t thrilled with the team’s draft, having concerns about both second round pick Mike Gesicki and third round pick Jerome Baker.

Most to the point, neither selection was a quarterback. And that’s what this was really about. Doing the same thing over and over again and believing that the result will be any different is the definition of insanity. Ross obviously did not believe that Ryan Tannehill, after seven mediocre NFL seasons, was going to be any different in his eighth. His front office believed differently. I’ll leave the conclusions to you.

The Dolphins reportedly liked Josh Allen but chose to sit and take him only if he fell to them rather than aggressively moving up in the draft the way that Buffalo did.

After the draft, Ross didn’t deny any of these reports. And this is the key point. When an owner is questioning your decisions, he’s telling you that he has doubts about your ability to run the team. And when he’s telling you to take a quarterback, he’s specifically telling you to start planning for the future. He’s telling you he thinks you need to start the rebuilding process. A limited rebuilding process to be sure. But a rebuilding process nonetheless.

Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and general manager Chris Grier chose to ignore that advice at their own peril. When they did so and took a safety, a tight end and a linebacker instead of a quarterback, the message to their owner was clear: this team could win now with the guys they had. And at that point the line was drawn. Playoffs or bust.

Now we know. It’s a bust.

And for good reason as the “he’s telling you he has doubts about your ability to run the team” part of that draft day episode turned out to be well justified.

In fact, it’s probably even worse than Ross thought.

At that point in April, Ross was merely watching teams make aggressive draft day moves around him while his mediocre team leadership stood pat. That front office team, led by Tannenbaum, certainly wasn’t showing itself to be elite. But incompetence? That didn’t show itself until the season, itself to played out.

Dave Hyde at the Sun-Sentinel did a nice job of breaking down the poor way that this team was built on offense. From signing older players who were basically injured from the moment they joined the team to lack of a swing tackle, this was an offense that was on shaky ground that slowly disintegrated as the season went one. It certainly has less talent than most Dolphins observers thought, and still think, it does.

But Hyde didn’t address the most egregious failures - the ones on defense where the poor way that this team was built is flat out indefensible.

It starts up front where the team entered Sunday’s game ranked 30th in sacks with 24 before recording six against the hapless Jaguars. Robert Quinn has been a highly paid bust at one end and Cameron Wake at the other has had a poor season at age 36. The defensive tackles are non-entities that don’t bear mentioning.

But sacks aren’t the real issue. The real problem is the run defense which is ranked 31st in the league and has been putrid in big moments this year. And that problem starts up front.

The planning for the season in this regard actually started last year when Raekwon McMillan was drafted. McMillan is a “new style” linebacker who isn’t going to be particularly physical but who has the speed and instincts to be a difference maker in the middle of the defense. Baker has a similar skill set.

This wasn’t a bad plan in and of itself and it is certainly representative of modern NFL thinking. The problem is that the Dolphins implemented it poorly by not having a plan for the defensive front. In order for players like McMillan and Baker to succeed, they need to be protected by the men up front, whose job it is to either penetrate or otherwise occupy blockers to keep the linebackers clean, allowing them to roam and play to their strengths. The end result was an utter failure as the defensive tackles were easily moved and failed to man even their own gaps, let alone keep the opposing offensive linemen from getting to the second level.

The plan on the back end wasn’t any better. Xavien Howard had a Pro Bowl season and has developed into a wonderful player. But he was practically wasted because of the dysfunction at the other defensive backfield positions. The Dolphins overestimated the abilities of every other cornerback on the roster from Cordrea Tankersley to Walt Aikens to Torry McTyer, they couldn’t find a starter opposite Howard. They ended up with 5’11” Bobby McCain holding down the outside rather than the nickle back position where he belongs.

The safety spot was also poorly positioned for success when the Dolphins signed strong safety T.J. McDonald. The problem isn’t that McDonald is a bad player. The problem is that they already had one of him, a little known Pro Bowler named Reshad Jones.

A proud veteran, Jones did not react well. And more dysfunction followed.

Many believe that head coach Adam Gase is the primary problem with this team. And he hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory by using injuries as an excuse for failure while rightly telling players all season that they aren’t allowed to. Gase obviously isn’t the man we thought he was.

But the decision on Gase can wait. The decision on the Tannenbaum has already been made. It was made long ago in that draft room in April when he decided to take a safety rather than moving aggressively for a quarterback. It was a win now mandate. And, eight months and a poorly constructed roster later, its all over but the actual event.

The buck stops at the front office. And the organization will be cleaned in the offseason starting at the top.

Merry Christmas.

This story was written by Tom Shannon. Follow him on Twitter: @bearingthenews

Minkah Fitzpatrick is used to success in his football career. As a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, he was a champion, a constant candidate to make waves in college football, and he was intent on taking that same attitude to his new NFL team the Miami Dolphins.

Unfortunately, success eluded them, as the Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention after an embarrassing loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 17-7.

Now, as the team prepares to play a meaningless game in Buffalo, Fitzpatrick reflects on his first NFL season as a whole, and what the experience taught him.

“It’s not over yet. We’ve still got one more game." He said. "It’s been good. (There were some) up’s and down’s. I’ve been learning a lot and growing as a player. I’ve been moving around a lot so like I said, I’ve been learning a lot, having fun. I’ll definitely use this year as a learning experience, as a humbling experience. This offseason, we’ve got to do what we got to do as a team, stick together, train together, and do what we have to do to improve and just use this season as a stepping stone to where we want to go.”

Obviously, the goal is to ultimately win a Super Bowl, but it's clear after the performance this season by the team as a whole - whether they want to admit it or not - there's a lot of work that needs to be done before the Miami Dolphins fight song becomes accurate again. For now, all Fitzpatrick can do is focus on the offseason and figure out what he can do to improve his own game.

Wherever he finally ends up.

"I gotta know what I'm gonna be playing first."

And that is an excellent point. Throughout the season, Fitzpatrick has played in the boundary, the slot, and at safety, sometimes all in one game. Versatility was one of the reasons he was so appealing in the first place, but ideally, Miami would want him to be able to focus on becoming elite at one position, rather than good at several.

​Despite being put on a position carousel, Fitzpatrick impressed the Dolphins with his professionalism and ability to remain calm under pressure, no doubt honed during his Alabama days with Nick Saban. Though he struggled somewhat near the tail end of the season as he was asked to take on more responsibility, he still showed astounding promise and proof that he will eventually be an excellent player in the league.

One can only hope that he'll return to playing meaningful football in the near future, and that whoever is coaching him in the coming years will be able to put him in a position to be the best he can be.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Every kid has memories of the best thing they ever got for Christmas, that one thing that meant more to them when they saw it than anything else before or even after. For kicker Jason Sanders, it was a PlayStation 3 that he played endless hours of Call of Duty on shortly after receiving it.

On Tuesday night, the Miami Dolphins made even more dreams come true for 150 kids across Miami-Dade, Broward and Pam Beach County, as the players and coaching staff shelled out the money to get them the exact gifts they've been wanting for Christmas.

"It's important because the players financially, to be able to put their money and their resources in to have all these kids enjoy a good holiday season is amazing." said senior vice president of communications and community affairs Jason Jenkins. "It's not only about being on the field and trying to have success on there, it's really about teamwork at work, helping build this community and it's a great example of this."

Partnering up with Petland, the two organizations provided a designated area to interact with puppies, bounce houses, decorate Christmas cookies, playing games with the players, and taking photos with Santa Claus.

But the most important part of the night, of course, was when the kids were all gathered together near the endzone to receive the gifts that were purchased for them, ranging from Nerf guns to bicycles and everything in-between. 

“I remember going to events like this when I was a kid and it really made my Christmas special,” said running back Kalen Ballage. “It’s my favorite part of the year every year. We try to get out there and reach the kids and have them look up to us as role models. Seeing the kids’ eyes get all big when we pulled the presents out the back seeing them get whatever it is they asked for, I think that was the most important thing.”

The Dolphins want everyone to remember what the true meaning of this time of year is, and for those kids, being on the receiving end of such a gift is something that they're sure to remember for the rest of their lives.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

With a miraculous victory in the bag, and clips of the play that won the game being played in endless loops, an almost-forgotten side note from Sunday’s game has been brushed under the rug.

But if the Miami Dolphins want to see their luck continue, they’ll need the services of signalcaller Ryan Tannehill this week. And he didn’t exactly come out of Sunday’s game unscathed. Tannehill was forced to leave the game late in the second quarter when as he dropped back from a snap, right tackle Ja’Wuan James stepped on his right ankle, leading to an awkward twist as Tannehill fell to the ground. Backup quarterback Brock Osweiler entered the game as Tannehill limped to the locker room under his own power, but with a noticeable limp.

Already nursing knee and shoulder injuries, the concern was legitimate, but all turned out well, as Tannehill was the first player out of the tunnel after halftime, and he played the entire second half, including the final pass on the last-gasp ‘Boise’ hook and laterals play that won the game.

Tannehill was jovial after the game, obviously still ecstatic from the adrenaline from such a fantastic finish in a game where he was seen running downfield trailing the play, then running around some more after the score looking for someone to hug, and finally flopping to the ground.

When asked about it after the game, he noted, “I was trying to spin out of the pocket and somebody stepped on my ankle, rolled it pretty good. Came in, got X-rays. Looked good, so taped it up, buttoned it up tight, and got back out there for the second half.”

Asked to expound on how it felt, Tannehill added, “You’ve got to be able to fight through some things like that. Training staff did a good job of tightening it up, giving me a wrap and a spat, and it felt good enough to go. I kind of went out and tested it a little bit right before we started the second half. Did some drops, did some play-actions, simulated moving the pocket, and felt like I was going to be able to evade a rush and get the ball off. I knew if I could do that and hand the ball off, then I would be in good shape. Gave it a go and it worked out.”

But when pressed, he admitted, “Honestly, it feels like crap. But it is what it is.”

In Monday’s press briefing, head coach Adam Gase said, “(Tannehill’s) sore. But he’s walking around, so that’s good.”

Tannehill is renowned for his toughness, having absorbed 232 sacks and countless hits in his career. But this injury bears watching as the Dolphins prepare to play in Minnesota this weekend.

​This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball.

The Dolphins have not secured a Super Bowl win since 1973, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 24-7. There has been stress, losing seasons, adversity and confusion over the years for the Miami Dolphins.

On Sunday, all was pushed aside. In one of the craziest finishes to a football game, Miami, on the final play of the game, used hook-and-laterals to shockingly defeat the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium, 34-33. Dolphins improve their overall record to 7-6, keeping playoffs intact for another week.

So here are ten takeaways from that game.

1) Hard Rock Stadium is Tom Brady’s House of Horrors: New England quarterback Tom Brady had an amazing day statistically, but was not able to secure an all-important victory. The future Hall of Famer completed 27 out of 43 of his passes, for 358 yards, 3 TD’s and zero interceptions. The loss drops Brady to 7-10 all-time against the Dolphins in South Florida. The last time New England defeated Miami outside of Gillette Stadium? January 1, 2017.

2) With Baltimore loss, Miami is alive: The Kansas City Chiefs knocked off the Baltimore Ravens in overtime, 27-24. Good news? Yes. The loss drops Baltimore to 7-6, resulting in a tiebreaker with Miami.

​3) Miami Miracle: The play that will have Dolphins fans and football fans reminiscing about for years to come. With the Patriots ahead, 33-28, and fourteen seconds remaining on the clock, QB Ryan Tannehill completed a 14-yard pass to Kenny Stills. Stills lateraled to DeVante Parker, who then lateraled to RB Kenyan Drake. Drake took the football 50 yards for the score, and pandemonium erupted across Hard Rock Stadium.

4) Ryan Tannehill Injury: In the closing minutes of the first half, Ryan Tannehill appeared to have his ankle stepped on by RT Ja’Wuan James. Tannehill slowly walked to the locker room, but the medical staff was able to put tape around Tannehill’s ankle during the intermission. Tannehill returned at the start of the third quarter and ultimately helped the team to victory, but it will be something to watch going forward.

No one will ever forget the time back in December of 2013, when defensive back Michael Thomas, freshly signed off of the San Francisco 49ers practice squad, intercepted Tom Brady in the endzone on a pass that was intended for - oh the irony - Danny Amendola and sealed a victory for the Dolphins.

That play cemented Thomas as a folk hero in Miami, despite his current uniform being that of a New York Giant...but this past Sunday, a miracle that tops even that took place, and now running back Kenyan Drake is the new savior of the team, and will be remembered for years to come regardless of what happens from here on out.

​In an interview with Peter King shortly after the game, Drake said this: “When I met Coach Gase, he told me, ‘We drafted you to beat the New England Patriots.’"

And that's exactly what he did, in a play that will go down in history as the Miracle in Miami. Drake took a lateral from DeVante Parker, and ran past the entire New England defense (which consisted of Rob Gronkowski for the sake of a potential Hail Mary pass) for a touchdown with no time left. 

​The reactions around the football world were all the same, with only the Dolphins side of things having the added bonus of jubilation on top of it. Shock, complete and utter shock. Patriots fans who were in the stands at Hard Rock went from sure the game was won to slack-jawed that victory had been stolen from them in the most bizarre way ever.

”Until I got in the end zone … I mean honestly, I’m sitting before you all and I still don’t believe it." Drake said in the locker room after the game. "I just saw it was ‘Gronk’ (Rob Gronkowski) in front of me and I was just like ‘Look, I’ve got somewhere to be.’ So I had to get in the end zone.”

Drake's teammates were just as stunned, despite practicing this very play - labeled simply as "Boise" every week. All they think if they ever had to run it was to hope and pray it worked.

“I pray it does and thank God it did today." said cornerback Bobby McCain. "Thank God for Kenyan Drake. Get that. Make sure you get that.”

We got it, Bobby, we got it, and it says a lot about how Drake's teammates feel about him. Almost every time he gets the ball in his hands, it turns into a good or even great play, which is why fans have been calling for Drake to get the ball more often in space.

As of now, 36-year old veteran Frank Gore has 49 more carries than Drake with 151, which is balanced out somewhat by the fact that Drake has 41 total receptions compared to Gore's 12. So in total, Gore has touched the ball a total of 163 times, while Drake has touched it 143 times, not counting kick returns (of which Drake has only one).

So things are not quite as lopsided as they seem, but given Drake's homerun potential, this should do nothing but prove that if the Dolphins are going to win out, Drake needs to be involved a lot more, whether it's handoffs, quick slants, curl routes, whatever. Get him the ball, and usually good things happen.

For now, celebrate and praise Drake as the new Patriot slayer, the man who sent one of the team's usually most well-coached and prepared teams packing and embarrassed for being the one thing they never are: unprepared. Then, hope that coach Adam Gase has realized that it's time for Drake to start getting more shots.

“I threw the ball in the stands so I know I’m going to get a fine from the NFL but I’m going to take that one on the chin." Drake said. "To be able to celebrate this with my family, these players in here, these coaches, the fans, the city, it means the world to me.”

It means the world to the Dolphins and their fans too, Kenyan. Now everyone should hope you get many more chances to do it again...hopefully in less nerve-wracking circumstances.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Dolphins announced the creation of Sensory and Nursing Rooms, two new spaces designed to ensure guests have a comfortable and private experience on game days and other events.

“We always strive to accommodate and assist guests at Hard Rock Stadium and we are excited about expanding our services for those with sensory processing and nursing needs,” Miami Dolphins Vice President of Human Resources and Performance Management Sam Coghill said. “The creation of both of these spaces were driven by Hard Rock Stadium staff ideas and we knew we had a natural partner in the Marino Foundation to make the sensory room come to life. This was an extremely rewarding project and we are thrilled to provide these safe and inclusive environments for all of our fans.”
 
Located in section 153, the Sensory Room is a private air-conditioned room for guests to use as a quiet space.  The room is outfitted with a padded floor, padded wall mounted equipment and other sensory supplies donated by The Dan Marino Foundation.  
 
"The Dan Marino Foundation is excited to partner with Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Dolphins in opening a Sensory Room for children with autism,” The Dan Marino Foundation CEO Mary Partin said. “The stadium has always provided amenities, including sound-reducing headphones and stress relievers. The new Sensory Room gives families the opportunity to attend games and concerts with peace of mind by knowing there is a quiet place for their child if needed."
 
The Sensory Room is staffed by a certified behavior professional provided by InBloom Autism Services to help provide guests any additional support they may need for a comfortable experience. Hard Rock Stadium guest experience team members will also be onsite to staff the area for all major events.  In addition, Microsoft has donated a Surface device to help manage the environment of the Sensory Room and several noise-cancelling headsets have been donated by Bose. Additional noise cancelling headsets donated by Bose are available at any of the Guest Experience Headquarters for use during major stadium events at Sections 115, 143, 215, 243, 315 and 343. 
 
The new Nursing Room in section 153 features a private air-conditioned feeding and sitting area, television, changing table and vanity sink with mirror. Like the Sensory Room, Hard Rock Stadium guest experience team members will staff the area to ensure a comfortable and private experience.

In a country where things are becoming increasingly diverse, it becomes necessary to gain an understanding of where the heritage of those with different cultural backgrounds come from. So on Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins brought community leaders, local youth and law enforcement to go on a cultural tour around Fort Lauderdale with Dolphins players, alumni and executives.

This was the fourth of four tours scheduled to take place throughout the year.

The tour began at the African American Research Library, which held its grand opening all the way back on October 26, 2002. Since then, it's become an integral part of the community, offering classes in computer technology and educational, recreational, and cultural programs on a regular basis.

​And it also touched the heart of Dolphins wide receiver Francis Owusu, who attended the tour as one of the representative players.

"One of the ladies really said a provocative statement, she said, 'to know where you're going, you gotta really know where you come from.'" He said. "We talked about a lot of groups that came before, specifically talking about the wars and World War II, the Buffalo Soldiers really stood out, I was reading one of the - it was up on the wall - just one of the pictures that had some stuff written about it. It was awesome to read about and experience."

​​The tour then moved over to the Urban League of Broward County, which Dolphins tight end MarQueis Gray immediately decided after visiting, he was going to contribute to their cause.

"My favorite part of the tour so far has been going to the Urban League," Gray said. "Knowing that anyone can just walk in and use their computers, print off anything, I mean they're helping these people get jobs. They lady told us a story that she's seen a young lady working outside, told her to come in, and they gave clothes to them so they could go into interviews and she got a job that same day ... I already told one of our speakers from the Urban League that I was going to help donate clothes so they can continue to hand those out to those people for their interviews. I know wear a lot of sports and stuff but I'm pretty sure I've got some suits that I can give back."

The tour concluded at the Historical Stranahan House Museum, and a trip to Las Olas Beach, and the entire group learned something new that day, even those who have been living in the area for a very long time.

"Even for a guy like myself, I've been places today I've never been." said former Dolphins wide receiver and senior vice president of special projects and alumni relations Nat Moore. "Learned stuff and saw stuff that I've never seen and I've been here my whole life. There's so much culture when you think about Fort Lauderdale, when you think about Miami, that if we can get our kids out, we can get our friends and families out, there's a lot to learn."

There's a lot of hidden culture still to be uncovered in South Florida, and there's no doubt the Miami Dolphins are committed to continuing to help normally separate groups of people see each other's perspective in an attempt to further unify the community.

How Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is still somehow unrecognized around the league as a top NFL corner is a mystery. Even with the elephant in the room that he plays for Miami (which somehow immediately removes any possible recognition he deserves), he's accomplished something practically unheard of: Howard has three games this season alone where he's caught two or more interceptions in a game (OAK, IND, BUF).

That's not even counting the two games he had last season where he caught two against the Denver Broncos and two against the New England Patriots...yes, that means Tom Brady.

“I’m the best corner in the league,” Howard declared after the game. “Look at my stats. There’s no doubt. Just watch the stats and watch my game.”

The stats are impossible to ignore. After intercepting rookie quarterback Josh Allen twice this past Sunday, Howard leads the NFL in interceptions with a grand total of 7, putting him ahead of Bears corner Kyle Fuller, who himself is widely respected in his field.

And yet, somehow Howard continues to go unnoticed.

“I don’t feel like I get recognized enough,” Howard said. “I’m going to let them know I’m the best corner in the game.”

He's been an incredible blessing for the Dolphins so far, keeping his team in games all by himself at times with his tight coverage and tendency to punish quarterbacks who feel it wise to challenge him.

This is also a curse, as well, but only because of the way Miami has handled situations like this in the past.

Consider this: Next season, 2019, will be Xavien Howard's final year on his rookie contract. He will count for a grand total of $1,949,830. After that, he will be a free agent and be allowed to test the market...and make no mistake, there will be a market for him, a big one, because even if the folks on ESPN and NFL Network don't notice it, other teams do...Howard is a stud, and he's only going to get better.

So what does this mean? It means that when the time comes to get Howard signed to a new contract, he'll be compared to the highest paid corners around, which includes Josh Norman ($15 million annually), Patrick Peterson, ($14,010,000), Trumaine Johnson ($14.5), Desmond Trufant ($13,750,000)...you get the idea.

This is what Howard's price range will be in by default, and you can be sure he'll be looking for a truckload of guaranteed money since that and base salary is the only money that really matters in the NFL.

Miami needs to get him locked up long-term. Now. This upcoming offseason at the very latest, or the number it will take to lock him up may grow out of control and out of range for Miami to retain him.

In 2019, the free agent corners who will be available - most notably - anyway - will be Morris Claiborne, Darqueze Dennard, Bradley Roby, Bryce Callahan and a few other decent names in there who are on the older side of things (Brent Grimes).

Not to discount these players, as they clearly have something to contribute to any NFL roster...but it would take some doing to convince some folks that they deserve to be on the list of the best of the best at corner. This is precisely why Miami needs to re-sign Howard now, before the market has a chance to inflate massively.

Because in 2020, Howard will become a free agent, and so will young studs Trae Waynes and Marcus Peters, unless they also sign an extension in the offseason. You'd better believe that teams will be bidding hard for them if they hit the open market, and Howard will be watching carefully to see what they get, and try to one-up them.

This is where Miami has failed in the past. They refused to extend Charles Clay - despite the fact that he was the most effective tight end they've had in years, and he still is, even in the face of his underwhelming performance in Buffalo. They failed to re-sign Olivier Vernon when he would have been more affordable, and let him go to New York for a fortune. He's a good player, but not a great one, and they waited for him to do enough where he could be paid like a great one.

Jarvis Landry was a huge part of the offense, even if his attitude tended to hurt more than help at times, but again Miami waited instead of extending him while he was affordable.

And for those who point out none of the aforementioned players are doing anything now...yes, I know, that's the problem. If they'd been re-signed earlier, it's not a stretch to assume they could have been had for salaries more worth their talent level, rather than some other team breaking the bank for them and putting them out of range.

It's time for the Dolphins to learn from their mistakes and re-sign Xavien Howard long-term before his price tag skyrockets beyond what they can afford. He's coming into his own as a star cornerback, a cornerstone if you will, possibly the best since Sam Madison and the No-Fly Zone.

It would be foolish to assume Howard will just not perform as well in the final year of his rookie contract and drive his price down...the kind of slump he would need to have would do more to convince the world he shouldn't be signed at all; he's going to continue to get better, and more expensive as a result.

He's in range now, Miami Dolphins, don't let him escape like you've let so many others. Star players don't come around every year. When you hit, keep them.

But it's only going to get harder the longer they wait, and now that Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald is reporting that Howard hired a new agent - the infamous Damarious Bilbo, who negotiated on behalf of Jarvis Landry, expect the negotiation to be a tough one.

Buckle up.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung