Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
After an up and down 2012 season, the Miami Dolphins watch the handful of teams good enough to make the post season, and they look forward at what they must do to join those ranks.
Four losing seasons in a row may be enough to cause a change in leadership for most teams these days, but Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross, has chosen to stick with General Manager Jeff Ireland for at least one more season. While this decision does not sit well with many of the Dolphin faithful, it is not unexpected.
Throughout the season Ross has voiced his support for the often criticized GM and with the team clearly in the midst of a rebuilding phase, the owner is dedicated to allowing Ireland to see this through.
Although it may not be a popular choice among the fans, it is clearly the correct move. So far, Ireland’s draft choices are a wash at best. It will take a little more time to know what the team has in players like Jonathan Martin, Ryan Tannehill, Olivier Vernon, and Lamar Miller, but to a man, the rookies looked like they plan on sticking around for the long run.
This is important because the Dolphins own five picks over the first three rounds in the 2013 NFL Draft and nearly $50 million in cap space.
With this much firepower heading into the off-season, the Dolphins are in position to solidify a team that flashed potential throughout the entire season. If Jeff Ireland and head coach Joe Philbin properly plot their course and have a little luck, Miami could find themselves playing on Wild Card weekend next season.
Jeff Everette is a Featured Columnist for www.RantSports.com, covering the NFL and NBA. Follow Jeff on twitter @jeverettesports, like his page on FaceBook, or add his Google + to your circles for all of his latest articles, thoughts, and rants.
