By Josh Katzowitz

For a guy who lost out on the Buccaneers head coaching job to Greg Schiano and instead had to take a job as the Dolphins offensive coordinator, it’s nice to see Mike Sherman maintaining his sense of humor.

I mean, the idea that Sherman said he doesn’t think the Dolphins are far away from a Super Bowl is absolutely hysterical. Good one, Mike, you slay me every time!

Oh … he wasn’t kidding? OK, then.

"I've watched the tape, I don't think we're that far away," Sherman told reporters today, via the Miami Herald. "We're missing a couple of pieces here and there and we have a chance to build upon what Jeff Ireland has put together here. After watching the tape, I feel like we get a couple of pieces here and there and we'll be close."

So, um, what?

"We'll have some very explosive potential with the talent we have on offense," he said. "We have to fill some holes but overall we have some explosive players and that's exciting. If you have explosive players, you should have explosive plays."

Right, right.

OK, I’m obviously being snarky with his comments, because last year, Miami was nowhere near qualifying for the postseason (or a winning record, for that matter). To think the Dolphins can completely turn around their organization in a year with a first-time head coach in Joe Philbin and a starting quarterback in Matt Moore and/or Chad Henne who is not exactly elite and a defense that was almost exactly average last year seems a bit … oh … optimistic.

But it’s not like the Dolphins have to climb out of hole the Rams or the Buccaneers find themselves in. There were times last year, especially when Tony Sparano’s job was on the line, that the team actually played well. And Sherman is right that there is talent.

The emergence of Reggie Bush was one of the more underplayed stories in the AFC East this year, and Brandon Marshall is a top-flight receiver. Assuming the Dolphins go after a free agent quarterback in the offseason (perhaps a guy like Peyton Manning?), Sherman might have a decent point.

The Dolphins aren’t Super Bowl bound anytime soon, but perhaps they can put together enough to compete for a division title.

"I never think much more than this year so next year or the following year, we're going to be as good as we can be this year," Sherman said. "We'll see what happens and see how it goes. I don't think anyone would have picked the Giants necessarily to win the Super Bowl this year."

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By Josh Katzowitz

As we enter the final weekend of the season, a number of squads are just playing out the string, hoping to put a solid performance on film, ready to clean out their lockers and look ahead to next year. While only four games on this week’s schedule mean absolutely nothing in terms of the postseason, quite a few of those teams are just looking to play spoiler.

And looking to the 2012 draft, where they can begin to rebuild their team or shore up that one position that could put them over the hump for next season. That’s why we’re taking the 10-worst teams in the league this year and finding one major flaw that needs to be fixed from April 26-28 in New York City’s Radio Music Hall.

For these teams -- and their fans -- the time has come to salivate at the prospects of landing the exact right guy that could change their fortunes for years to come.

10. Bills: Defensive line -- I didn’t like the Ryan Fitzpatrick $59 million extension earlier this year, and I hate it now. But I think Buffalo has other concerns for the moment, and they come on defense. For one, Buffalo has a tough time stopping the run. First-round pick Marcell Dareus has been a bit inconsistent at the nose tackle, but he also has the ability to play like a monster. The 3-4  ends, though, need to be better. Injured tackle Kyle Williams obviously will help when he returns next season, but the ability to rush the passer once in a while also would help (Buffalo’s 25 sacks ranks 30th in the league).

9. Dolphins: Quarterback -- Look, the Dolphins have some talent. They proved that when Tony Sparano’s job was on the line, and they started winning games. They proved it by nearly beating Tom Brady, and they proved it by nearly beating Tim Tebow (that last point was a joke). While Matt Moore has been much better than expected after taking over for Chad Henne, he’s a Band-Aid. I think most of us would agree that Henne isn’t the answer as the starter, and perhaps, he and Moore could have a battle to see who could back-up a legit starting quarterback. Reggie Bush established himself as a 1,000-yard rusher, and with a talented quarterback like Robert Griffin III (if he lasts that long in the draft), the Dolphins could begin pushing for AFC East crowns.

8. Browns: Pass rushers -- Cleveland got two defensive linemen early last year (tackle Phil Taylor in the first round and end Jabaal Sheard in the second), and they’ve done a nice job on the left side of the defensive line. But the defense ranks 25th in the league in sacks, and defensive end Jayme Mitchell hasn’t had a great season. Marcus Benard, coming off a solid rookie season last year, is on IR, and if the Browns could get one more high-end rusher in the draft, they’d have talent and depth.

7. Redskins: Quarterback -- It’s probably time for Mike Shanahan to come to the realization that his quarterback picks the past two years have been disastrous (Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck). He said the other day that the rebuild of this franchise has taken more time than he thought, but a standout quarterback obviously would help that process along. Shanahan also said that there was no question in his mind that he’d be back next season, but unless he finds a way to invigorate his offense, that might be a different story this time next year.

6. Chiefs: Right tackle -- Looking across Kansas City’s depth chart, there’s not one position group that so obviously needs to be overhauled. The Chiefs have talent, even if some of those positions don’t have much depth. But right tackle Barry Richardson has badly struggled this season. According Pro Football Focus, Richardson is the worst-rated offensive tackle in the league (the decision to cut Jared Gaither near the end of the season was a bad one). Left tackle Branden Albert is solid, but the right side of the line needs to be reworked.

5. Buccaneers: Run defenders -- The Buccaneers tried to shore up their defensive end spots last draft, taking Adrian Clayborn in the first round and Da’Quan Bowers in the second round. Considering Tampa Bay ranks dead last in sacks, the experiment hasn’t paid off immediate dividends. But the Buccaneers are also terrible against the run, and even though tackle Albert Haynesworth has played better than most of us had a right to expect, there are still huge holes to fill in the lineup.

4. Vikings: Secondary -- The Vikings rank as the 31st-worst defense in the NFL, but in reality, their front seven has talent (for instance, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and Chad Greenway). Minnesota lost Antoine Winfield (its best corner) early in the year, Chris Cook has legal troubles, safety Jamarca  Sanford has struggled badly and the rest of the safeties have been ravaged by injuries. It’s no  wonder opposing quarterbacks dominate the Vikings defensive backs. On the season, Minnesota has recorded seven interceptions, worst in the NFL. The Vikings need to find somebody who can force turnovers in order to improve this unit.

3. Jaguars: Receivers – Oh, how they need receivers. Yes, Blaine Gabbert has been, by far, the worst rookie quarterback to play this year, but Jacksonville, even with new ownership and a new coach, probably needs to give him more than a season to see if he’s a quarterback of the future. He also needs somebody who can catch his passes. Here are Jacksonville’s top-three receivers: Mike Thomas, Jarret Dillard, and yeah, nobody else. In fact, there’s a good chance running back Maurice Jones-Drew will end up as the team’s leading pass-catcher this season. Hard to blame Gabbert completely when his receiving corps is so bad.

2. Colts: Running backs -- Assuming Peyton Manning returns healthy next season -- admittedly, a huge assumption -- his receivers should continue to be fine (this, of course, depends on what happens with free agents Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon). But we’ve seen this year that without a running game, a Manning-less Colts squad has very little chance of doing anything (mostly because Manning makes up for SO many team deficiencies). Joseph Addai, who’s averaging 3.8 yards per carry and probably won’t get to 500 rushing yards on the season for the second year in a row, might be released into free agency, and Donald Brown, while improved, isn’t a legit No. 1 running back. The Colts obviously have a big decision to make regarding Manning and Andrew Luck, but taking a running back probably wouldn’t be a bad idea.

1.Rams: Offensive linemen -- There’s been talk that maybe the Rams should grab Luck if they end up with the No. 1 pick. Which, with Sam Bradford on the team, would be ludicrous. Instead, St. Louis should be focused on how to put together an offensive line that doesn’t lead the league in sacks allowed. The biggest problem, not including injuries to Jason Smith and Jacob Bell that have hurt the unit, has been the line’s interior. Linemen aren’t the sexiest position, but damn, St. Louis needs to find some that can stay healthy and keep Bradford and Steven Jackson out of danger.

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Bush won't play as Miami looks to 'shatter' the Jets' playoff hopes. (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

On Sunday, the Jets will try and keep their slim playoff hopes (you can read all about them here) alive in Miami. The Dolphins are already eliminated, but don't think that means they won't be trying to knock the Jets out of the postseason. They will. But they'll have to do it without leading rusher Reggie Bush.

Bush, per interim coach Todd Bowles, is out with a knee injury for Sunday's matchup at Sun Life Stadium. Bush is the team's leading rusher and with 1,086 rushing yards, he's having by far and away the best rushing season of his career. (His 519 rushing yards since Week 13 lead the NFL in that time span.)

That means Daniel Thomas, Miami's second-round pick in 2011, will get the bulk of the carries as the Dolphins try and "shatter" the Jets playoff hopes.

"As a Dolphin, that’s all you want to do is shatter their dreams," Kendall Langford, Dolphins defensive lineman, said, per the Miami Herald. "I'm sure the fans would love it, too. I'm sure the New York fans would hate it."

Defensive end Jared Odrick added that "obviously, yeah, that's motivation" when asked about booting a rival from the postseason race.

It's not surprising to hear this from the Dolphins; they're a team that was 0-7 and managed to fight their way back to a very respectable 5-10 record, despite many folks believing they should simply make a run at a winless season and the prospect of Andrew Luck in South Florida.

A win over the Jets in the season finale, at home, to close out Jason Taylor's career, would just be icing on the improperly-baked-but-still-kind-of-
tasty cake that's been the Fins 2011 season.


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By Josh Katzowitz

It has not been a good day for the Patriots. First, they lost left tackle Matt Light to an ankle injury in warm-ups (!) and then, his replacement, Pro Bowl left guard Logan Mankins, injured his knee in the first quarter.

The Dolphins have not been very forgiving.

With New England having the ability to clinch a first-round playoff bye with a win vs. Miami, the Dolphins are the only ones who seem to care about winning today, taking a 17-0 lead into halftime.

Reggie Bush, in going over the 1,000-yard mark on the season, has 16 carries for 81 yards, while quarterback Matt Moore has thrown for 179 yards and two touchdown passes. Meanwhile, the Patriots rush game has been anemic (33 yards), and Tom Brady has been less than mediocre, completing 7 of 19 passes for 87 yards.

While the Dolphins began playing better earlier this season once it was clear former coach Tony Sparano would not return, they’ve obviously saved their best for interim coach Todd Bowles against perhaps the best team in the AFC (though I’m not sure a “best team” in that conference even exists).

 “I don’t have any expectations, really,” Bowles said earlier this week. “I’m just trying to get the guys to play hard and play better and play fast and try to come out with wins.”

His team is halfway there.

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Follow all the Week 16 action live: Inactives | Scoreboard

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CLE-BAL | DEN-BUF | TB-CAR | ARI-CIN | OAK-KC | MIA-NE | NYG-NYJ | STL-PIT | JAC-TEN | MIN-WAS

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Posted by Will Brinson


Sorting the Sunday Pile takes all of Sunday's NFL action, figures out the winners and losers and asks the big questions. New format! Same old sorting! Send your complaints, questions and comments to Will Brinson on Twitter. Make sure and listen to our Week 15 podcast review below as well and feel free to subscribe via iTunes.

Are Good Losses Good?

You're not ever going to hear Aaron Rodgers or Tim Tebow admit this, but losing isn't always a bad thing. In the case of each, a loss on Sunday actually means significantly less pressure in the public eye over the next few weeks.

For Rodgers, there's no more chatter about whether or not the Packers can run the table. Granted, that was a side story to Tebow for most of the past few weeks but if Green Bay had beat Kansas City, the heat was about to be turned up with questions about resting players, playing stars, Mercury Morris' plethora of media appearances and much more.

The loss stinks, clearly. But now the week will be filled with questions like "Are the Packers in trouble?" and "Are the Saints the best team in the NFC?" (See: below). So a team that hadn't lost in nearly a year is suddenly going to get a free chip put on its shoulder? That seems smart for the rest of everyone.

As for Tebow, we all needed this. I love Tim Tebow's story. I love that my cousins' neighbors have a dog named Tebow. I love that my grandfather sends me newspaper clippings about Tebow's awesomeness. But my, um, God, that last week leading up to the Patriots game was just too much, you guys. We had media wars, Tebrews, preachers recanting TMZ quotes on Twitter and just generally all the other things you'd associate with the Apocalypse.

But now the Broncos lost and the Tebowagon gets a chance to tap the brakes, all while not giving up any ground on the playoffs (except to the Chargers who propped their playoff window open a little wider).

We (me, you, Tim) just need some time apart from Tebowmania. Hopefully we get at least a week.

Winners

It's a good thing Romeo Crennel didn't wear the traditional white shirt on Sunday. (US Presswire)

Romeo Crennel: We've been giving Crennel credit for his defensive schemes for a few weeks now, but Sunday's performance by the Chiefs -- a stunning 19-14 win over previously unbeaten Green Bay -- was absolutely worthy of the Gatorade bath he got after his first game as interim coach in Kansas City. The Chiefs shut down the Packers high-powered offense and Crennel parlayed the "you'd think it's obvious!" decision to bench Tyler Palko for Kyle Orton into a serious résumé builder for the offseason.

Reggie Bush: Look, I've ripped Reggie Bush left and right, especially considering his lack of success as an actual running back over the course of his career. But the dude is going HAMbone down in South Beach and Sunday's 203-yard effort makes him just the 40th running back since 1970 to rush for more than 200 yards on 25 or less carries. If you said you predicted Chiefs over Packers I might give it to you. If you predicted Bush rolling for 200 yards? You're a liar.

Skittles: Marshawn Lynch might've only averaged 2.1 yards per carry against the Bears, but he found the end zone twice and crossed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. The game was in Chicago which means it didn't rain rainbows all over Beast Mode when he dashed in the end zone. But has a candy ever gotten a bigger accidental brand boost from an athlete than what Lynch is giving those little sugar bombs during Seattle's sneaky playoff run?

Kyle Orton: Or, as I like to call him, "Senor Spoiler." Orton ripped the heart out of the Packers chance at an undefeated season and over the next two weeks, he's going to get a pair of shots to ruin some seasons. First there's Oakland in Week 16; a win in KC then and the Raiders are likely done. And then the ultimate revenge game against the Broncos, in Denver, on the final week of the season, against the guy, Tim Tebow, that de-seated him. There might be some major egg on John Elway's face if Orton pulls that "W" out.

Norv Turner: It seems impossible that Turner could save his gig, but that's mainly because the Chargers are dead-man walking when it comes to the playoffs ... or are they? After pummeling the Ravens on Sunday night, they've won their last three games and with losses by the Jets, Broncos, Titans, and Raiders they're suddenly one game back of a playoff spot.

Losers

Tom Coughlin: Just a week removed from taking over the NFC East with an impressive performance against the Cowboys, the target's back on Coughlin's back and it's bigger than ever. You can't watch Dallas dominate the Bucs on Saturday night and then lay a freaking ostrich egg at home against a division rival with four wins. Not if you want to make the playoffs anyway.

Our Souls: Bad news, you guys, because Tim Tebow lost. Naturally, that means that salvation will escape even the most penitent man (or woman). Or, alternately, it's a reflection of the fact that when the Broncos turn the ball over a bunch and hand Tom Brady short fields, the Patriots are really tough to beat. I'm going with the latter.

Santonio Holmes: Really Santonio? You're going to catch a touchdown pass, put the ball on the ground, stand on it and then do a dance mocking the Eagles who are in the middle of pantsing you right out of the playoffs? Really? It's kind of ironic that Charley Casserly compared Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson to Holmes on Sunday morning, considering they've both picked up embarrassing unsportsmanlike penalties now.

Oakland Raiders: Take a look at the playoff picture. (Now back to me.) You realize that the Raiders, who choked to the Lions with a 99-yard drive to close things out, would be tied with the Broncos and Jets at 8-6 if they'd held off Detroit? Because they would be, and they hold the tiebreaker against the Jets and they're just one game back of the Broncos in conference record (5-5 to 6-4). Just close baby.

Ben Roethlisberger's Ankle: No one's tougher than Roethlisberger, but did you see what happened to him against Cleveland? He probably doesn't have any business stepping on a football field for another week or so, especially without starting center Maurkice Pouncey. But with the Ravens getting paddled on Sunday, the Steelers are in the hunt for the top seed in the AFC and a division title, so Ben almost has to play. Poor ankle.

These Questions Go To 11

Who's protecting Aaron Rodgers? Excellent question.(Getty Images)

1. Should the Packers be worried?
Yes -- but not in the sense about caring over an undefeated season. They should be worried because even though they're still going to get the No. 1 seed in the NFC and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, there's concern about how the offense performed without Greg Jennings and bigger concern about the performance of the offensive line and defense. A bad game from Aaron Rodgers and they can be sent home by anyone.

2. Is Johnny Knox OK?
That's the word on the street. The Bears wide receiver was taken to the hospital after a backbending hit that required him to be carted off the field. Fortunately, he's expected to have surgery to stabilize his vertebrae and according to reports his prognosis is good for a solid recovery.

3. Can the Eagles really still make the playoffs?
Somehow, yes. A lot of things need to happen, but it's not that crazy. 1) Philly wins out (duh), beating. 2) Dallas loses out, against Philly and at the Giants. The Giants go 1-1, losing to the Jets and beating Dallas. If those things happen, the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants will all finish 8-8 and Philly will win the NFC East through tiebreakers. *cues up Gary Wright*

4. What about the Chargers?
YES, THEM TOO. And they have two options -- either the Chargers can win out and the Broncos can lose out and the Bolts win the division. That's the "easy" way. Alternately, if the Jets lose out (against the Giants and Dolphins) and the Bengals can go 1-1 (losing to the Ravens) and the Chargers win out, they can make the playoffs as a wild card. Hope springs eternal in December and whatnot.

5. Should the Bears have called someone?
Yeah, and I'll go so far as to say Brett Favre could've been that guy. Marc Bulger might've made more sense from a perspective of knowing Mike Martz offense, but maybe he wasn't interested. Whatever, Caleb Hanie isn't getting it done.

6. Are the Texans cool with T.J. Yates?
Cool's a relative word, because there's really no excuse for a grizzled veteran of a rookie like Yates to get baffled by a Panthers defense that's running on fumes. Carolina's D showed up big time in Houston, but Yates made some pretty critical mistakes in the 28-13 loss and if Yates ends up with more passing attempts than Arian Foster and Ben Tate have rushing attempts combined, Houston probably lost the game.

7. Why did the Raiders use single coverage on Calvin Johnson?
Honestly, I have no idea. Johnson's the best wide receiver in the NFL and he walked out of a 28-27 win with 214 receiving yards a pair of teeters. It's one thing to trust your cornerback in coverage late in the game. It's another thing entirely to just throw caution to the wind and give the Lions an easy opportunity at going 98 yards for the win, which is what Oakland did Sunday. On the other hand, Darrius Heyward-Bey is starting to look like he could actually be a No. 1 receiver at times. That doesn't help the defensive scheming but it's something, right?

8. Should the Ravens be worried about their road record?
Hell yes they should. Baltimore's been unstoppable at home, rolling to a 7-0 record. On the road they've rolled over for lesser teams like the Jaguars, Seahawks and Titans. And now the Chargers. If Pittsburgh wins on Monday night, it's going to be really tough for the Ravens to land anywhere other than the fifth seed in the AFC, which means they're going on the road throughout the playoffs. And that probably means that the Ravens will be sitting at home in February.

9. Did Jim Caldwell save his job on Sunday?
I know Bill Polian reportedly said all Caldwell had to do was win one game, and the Colts did that by beating Tennessee 27-13 for their first victory on the season. But come on -- this team's going to draft their new franchise quarterback in April in Andrew Luck and Caldwell's not the guy that's going to train him to be Peyton Manning 2.0. Polian can pay lip service all he wants but having Manning/Luck on your roster is like sitting on pocket aces in the hold 'em game of finding a coach who wants to work somewhere with a franchise quarterback.

10. Are the Saints the best team in the NFC now?
If Greg Jennings is guaranteed to be out, if Aaron Rodgers offensive line is completely shredded, and if the game's in a dome ... then maybe, yeah. Drew Brees is as hot as it gets right now (and it's the right time to be hot) and he's going to crush Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season -- he needs just 305 to break it. And that's in two games, so it's broken. But if (when?) the Saints have to go to Lambeau for the NFC Championship Game, it's a whole different ballgame and the Packers will have a couple weeks to get healthy too. If the Niners can stay afloat, the Saints don't have those luxuries.

11. Should you jump off the Tebow bandwagon?
No you shouldn't have. As mentioned above, the Broncos made some critical mistakes that put the Patriots in a good position to win. The hype was so out of control that it was easy to freak out when New England started rolling. This is a game that Denver should've been more competitive in, but turnovers and a strong defensive performance from the Pats doomed them. They won't see the same sort of challenges against a tepid Bills team that gave up 200 rushing yards to Bush Sunday.

Worth 1,000 Words

GIF O' THE WEEK

This contest was over as of about 6:00 p.m. ET when dog-riding monkeys started herding sheep in Denver.

Award Watch Worth Watching

I'm tempted to open up the MVP race here, but let's get real: it's still Rodgers, despite Brees going ape smell. But how about Offensive Player of the Year instead? Typically speaking, this awards goes to "the most productive person on the team without the best record" or something like that, but I think Brees, if he breaks Marino's record -- and holds it -- is starting to lock it down. But you could make a great case for Calvin Johnson (gobs of touchdowns), Tom Brady and Rodgers too.

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Reggie Bush had a career-best 203 yards rushing in a 30-23 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday that made interim head coach Todd Bowles' debut a success. Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots recap all the action from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Posted by Ryan Wilson

Added bonus: Reggie Bush ran for a 76-yard score late in the fourth quarter to put the Dolphins up 30-13 over the Bills.

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Follow all the Week 15 action live: Inactives | Scoreboard

1 p.m. ET games: MIA-BUF | SEA-CHI | CAR-HOU | TEN-IND | GB-KC | NO-MIN | WAS-NYG | CIN-STL
4 p.m. ET games: DET-OAK | CLE-ARI | NE-DEN | NYJ-PHI

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By Will Brinson

(US PRESSWIRE)

You might recall earlier in the season when the guys who run Finsnation.com, a Dolphins blog, got real amped up about the "Suck for Luck" campaign in Miami. The Dolphins resurgence derailed that, but undeterred, blog proprietors Chris Joseph and Roger Paul are taking their anger out elsewhere: GM Jeff Ireland.

Joseph and Paul raised $1,500 to fly a banner over Sun Life Stadium during the Dolphins final home game of the season that will read, "Mr. Ross, save our Dolphins. Fire Jeff Ireland."

The money for the banner was raised by readers of the site and Twitter followers which is, well, kind of amazing.

"We just put it out there on Twitter, and the next thing you know it snowballed like crazy," Joseph told Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post. "This afternoon we put up a Paypal link, and within four hours we met our goal, just purely on donations. We're just overwhelmed by people's anger."


It's really all so touching isn't it? Unfortunately (for drama's sake anyway), the plane won't be able to fly over Sun Life during the game. There's a air space restriction that only allows the banner to fly up to an hour before the game.

But that's not slowing Joseph and Paul down -- they're having an "airplane watch party" while tailgating.

Unfortunately for the duo it looks like, based on Stephen Ross' actions, they're also going to have a "watch Jeff Ireland draft" party in the next couple of months too.

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By Will Brinson

The Dolphins lost to the Eagles on Sunday, falling 26-10 in South Beach for just their second loss in the last six games. But the effort reportedly won't be enough, as there are rumblings out of Miami that Sparano will still be fired at the end of the year.

That's according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who reported on Sunday afternoon that as of right now, Sparano is out at the end of the season, though GM Jeff Ireland is currently slated to stay on with the franchise.

Per Salguero, the team is "adamant no final decision has been made" regarding Sparano's future, but the reality is that they do intend to let the coach go following the season.

The logic behind canning Sparano and keeping Ireland is pretty obvious: owner Stephen Ross believes the roster's chock-full of talent (thanks to Ireland's assembly) but has been underachieving (thanks to Sparano's coaching).

Week 14 Recap

Brinson: Sorting the Sunday Pile, Yates booed Judge: Chicago badly misses Forte right now Podcast: Time for another change in Dallas? Prisco: Give Eli his due -- kid is clutch Freeman: Ryan's crew taking flight to playoffs The NFL Today: Week 14 video wrap-up

What's interesting about this, though, is that if Ross truly wants to chase a big-name coach in the offseason, he may face an issue with personnel control. It's believed that Ross would love to land either Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden in Miami, but both guys might demand more personnel control than what's offered if the team's under Ireland's control.

There are plenty of other candidates out there that won't demand control over what players are on the roster, of course, so it's not like Ross can't land a good candidate this offseason, provided he knows what he's looking for.

The real key may be whether or not Ireland believes that Matt Moore is the quarterback of the future as that will change the way Miami approaches the draft and free agency with respect to the availability of signal callers.

And, of course, if they think Moore's the guy, he actually needs to be the guy.


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