(Best E Casino) - There's a smell of tuna in the air in Miami and that means big changes are also likely in store for a team that finished with the worst record in the NFL.
Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga put off a potential sale of the team when he learned that Bill Parcells might be lured out of retirement. Not to coach, but to rebuild a once-proud franchise that suffered through its worst season ever and is mired in its longest playoff drought.
Parcells was named the team's executive vice president of football operations before the Christmas holiday and he made his presence felt just one day after the team finished a 1-15 season with a 38-25 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, firing general manager Randy Mueller. Director of Player Personnel Mike Baugh and College Scouting Coordinator Rick Thompson also left the team on Monday.
Who's next?
Speculation has run rampant that head coach Cam Cameron won't last the week. Cameron and Parcells already sat down and talked on Tuesday, but as of Wednesday afternoon, a move had not yet been made.
Parcells will do things his way. There's no doubt about that. He may not be around to see the fruits of his labor, as he usually leaves before the job is completely finished. Just look at this year's Dallas Cowboys, who are in position to win a Super Bowl a year after he resigned as head coach.
One constant, though. He's always made teams better than when he found them.
The Giants were 4-5 in a strike-shortened 1982 season before Parcells inherited his first head coaching job, then went 3-12-1 in his first year before winning a pair of Super Bowl championships. The Patriots were 2-14 before he arrived for the 1993 campaign, then made the playoffs in 1994 and reached the Super Bowl in 1996.
His biggest turnaround came with the New York Jets, who were in a similar situation as the Dolphins. The Jets were coming off a 1-15 mark in 1996. Enter Parcells: 1997, 9-7; 1998, 12-4, AFC East champs and within one half of beating the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
The Cowboys had three straight 5-11 seasons before Parcells took over and he had America's Team in the playoffs his first year.
Of course, all that came as a coach. He has been adamant about not coaching this team.
Don't expect a miracle turnaround to end Miami's six-year postseason hiatus. This team needs a lot of work, but if Parcells' magic touch extends to the front office, the team will be on a fast track back to respectability.
2007 REVIEW
To say 2007 was a down season is a gross understatement. The Dolphins compiled the eighth 1-15 season in league annals, and were the first to so since Carolina in 2001.
This team was never going to contend for a playoff spot, but who thought they'd threaten to be the first 0-16 club? At the start of the season, a record anywhere from 4-12 to 7-9 could have been expected.
They had six losses by exactly three points, including five in the first nine games. Had they won even three of those, things wouldn't look so dire right now.
Injuries, of course, played a major role. The Dolphins lost starting quarterback Trent Green five games into the season, lost a budding star in running back Ronnie Brown in the seventh game, and lost the heart and soul of the defense, middle linebacker Zach Thomas, in October. There were also five members of the secondary placed on injured reserve.
That's tough for any team to overcome. For one with a first-year head coach and not much depth, it was crippling.
In fact, the Dolphins now have back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since their first four years of existence from 1966-69.
There were a few bright spots, however.
Rookie center Samson Satele started from Day 1 and appears to be someone to build a solid offensive line around. Jason Taylor had a strong season with 11 sacks and another Pro Bowl nod. First-round pick Ted Ginn Jr. got plenty of time at wide receiver after the trade of Chris Chambers and began to develop late in the season.
Brown, before his ACL injury, was well on his way to the best season of his three-year career. Despite missing the final nine games, he led the team in rushing with 602 yards, in total touchdowns with five, and was the team's second-leading receiver with 39 catches. His return is critical.
LOOKING FORWARD
There is nowhere to go but up for this team, but where to start?
The quarterback situation must be resolved. Will Trent Green return from a concussion to play another year? Is Cleo Lemon a viable option? Was five games enough to make a solid judgment on rookie John Beck?
Having the worst record did provide the Dolphins with one thing. They have the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Do they make a choice, or trade down for more picks?
If Parcells decides to hold onto the pick, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey from LSU could be a dynamite selection. He could step right in for 38-year-old veteran Keith Traylor and provide a run-stuffer the Dolphins need.
More picks, though, could address more needs and add depth.
Will the team be active in free agency? Last year's big acquisition, linebacker Joey Porter, was virtually invisible for most of the season and only started playing like a Pro Bowl star over the final few weeks.
For the second straight January, the Dolphins are in a state of flux. Last year at this time, on the heels of a 6-10 season, the question was whether there would be a change of coaches. Nick Saban left. Will Cameron be fired?
Stay Tuna-ed.
