Albert Breer’s Mailbag: Two Good Reasons To Fire Dolphins Coach Mike Mcdaniel

Plenty of questions to benignant done this week, and I sewage to arsenic galore answers arsenic I could. Let’s go!

From #Mendoza2Miami (@FromRagsToGP): How overmuch worse does it request to get for Ross to occurrence group successful Miami?

Mendoza, this 1 really is up to Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross, and I’m not judge he’s been peculiarly forthcoming pinch much than a mates of group astir really he’s processing nan team’s shipwreck of a 1–6 start. As to really Ross mightiness spot this, I deliberation usually location are only 2 bully reasons to occurrence a coach this early successful a season: 

1) The coach has mislaid nan locker room and, thus, nan situation isn’t a bully 1 for nan team’s young, processing talent to play nan remainder of nan twelvemonth retired in.

2) The squad has a coach connected unit that it wants to audition.

On nan first count, there’s a batch of noise, though intelligibly Ross doesn’t deliberation his squad is astatine that constituent yet. On nan second, you do person protect coordinator Anthony Weaver, wide seen in-house arsenic a early caput coach. So nan elements are location for a move.

The team’s building makes things interesting, too, pinch Mike McDaniel reporting to GM Chris Grier. If Ross were to make a move connected McDaniel in-season and clasp connected to Grier, and Weaver gets nan squad rolling, would nan proprietor instrumentality nan interim coach pinch nan GM? It’s astatine slightest an absorbing script to ponder arsenic nan Dolphins effort to get disconnected nan mat.

From Francis Bannister (@jcahill89): Mike McDaniel going backmost to San Francisco erstwhile he yet gets fto go?

Francis, McDaniel was Kyle Shanahan’s guy—the only adjunct who was pinch him astatine each 1 of his stops, since he first became an NFL position coach (Houston, Washington, Cleveland, Atlanta and San Francisco)—so I wouldn’t norm that out. But I don’t deliberation things were cleanable astatine nan extremity there, truthful I’d really spot McDaniel landing pinch nan Rams aliases Packers arsenic much likely, though successful those cases, you person established, respected coordinators.

There’s besides nan anticipation that he looks extracurricular his ain shot family and goes to activity successful a spot wherever he’d conscionable beryllium handed nan keys to nan discourtesy and allowed to make it his ain show. This is, of course, putting nan cart earlier nan horse, but if nan Dolphins do determine to move on, McDaniel should person options.

San Francisco 49ers 

From C.E.D.R.I.C. (@Official_C_E_D): Most realistic waste and acquisition options for nan 49ers? Will they person to springiness up a batch aliases tin they find a bargain and still contend?

Ced, wherever astir group would look for nan Niners to thief themselves, would astir apt beryllium pinch an separator rusher to switch Nick Bosa successful nan rotation. The bad news: It’s not easy to find 1 of those. I could spot them making a tally astatine Trey Hendrickson, though it seems little apt now that nan Bengals would waste and acquisition their prima rusher, pinch Joe Flacco helping to respire life backmost into Cincinnati’s playoff hopes.

It’s worthy calling nan Dolphins (Bradley Chubb, Jaelen Phillips), Jets (Jermaine Johnson) and Titans (Arden Key), too, pinch Key being an intriguing anticipation because of his acquisition successful San Francisco, and affordability, some successful money and waste and acquisition return. However, he’s presently battling a quad wounded correct now.

The bigger portion of nan equation for nan Niners is that your halfway is aging. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa will beryllium turning 30 and 29, respectively, erstwhile they return adjacent season. Trent Williams will beryllium 38 connected opening day. George Kittle conscionable turned 32. Next twelvemonth will beryllium Christian McCaffrey’s 10th successful nan NFL, which, astatine tailback, is for illustration playing 20 years astatine quarterback. So I deliberation San Francisco has beryllium honorable pinch itself.

And that’ll mean asking difficult questions, specified arsenic whether nan team, without Bosa and Warner, is tin of competing for a title arsenic presently constituted. Because if it isn’t, it whitethorn not beryllium worthy flipping early assets that could inject younker into nan roster.

Raiders violative coordinator Chip Kelly and caput coach Pete Carroll person struggled to get nan discourtesy rolling. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

From Sports Junkie (@SportsJunkie_27): What is going connected pinch nan Raiders? Brady/Spytek look for illustration they’re connected a different page than Pete Carroll & Co. Who’s connected nan chopping artifact aft this horrible play truthful far? Chip Kelly?

Junkie, nan roster wasn’t location to statesman with, and that shouldn’t beryllium a astonishment to anyone.

Of late, nan problem has been nan messaging pinch nan Raiders. Three years ago, successful Josh McDaniels’s first year, nan Raiders aggressively traded for Davante Adams, and paid Adams, Derek Carr and Maxx Crosby, moves that possibly folks believe, aft a playoff twelvemonth successful 2021 nether interim coach Rich Bisaccia. This year, they hired Pete Carroll, traded for and salary Geno Smith, and re-signed Crosby again, earlier taking Ashton Jeanty pinch nan sixth pick.

Neither team, McDaniels’s first aliases Carroll’s first, was adjacent to competing for a championship, aliases moreover fresh to jockey for position successful nan AFC West. But flashy offseasons tin sometimes make fans spot things that aren’t there, and this seems to beryllium 1 of those cases.

I’d springiness nan Raiders time. GM John Spytek is crisp arsenic they travel and aligned pinch Tom Brady, who’s starring nan Raiders’ unit of deep-pocketed number owners. Carroll and his unit are tin of processing young talent. I deliberation nan team’s really successful position to make a leap adjacent fall. So let’s reevaluate successful February.

Buffalo Bills

From Stosh (@Stosh70817): Are nan Bills going to adhd a wide receiver?

Stosh, if personification who could beryllium a longer-term No. 1, for illustration New Orleans’s Chris Olave aliases Minnesota’s Jordan Addison, were to go available, past it’s thing nan Bills would investigate. My conjecture is Olave and Addison will enactment wherever they are for nan agelong haul, since that benignant of point would beryllium connected their radar successful nan 2026 draft.

Absent that, I’d opportunity if there’s 1 point they could adhd successful an ancillary portion astatine nan position, it would beryllium speed. That’s why New Orleans’s Rasheed Shaheed would beryllium an intriguing target. He’s successful a statement year, truthful that mightiness beryllium a short-term fix, but that would astir apt make him disposable for a small spot less. It’s thing nan Bills should footwear tires on.

From Adam (@zandermercury): Titans trading anyone?

Adam, I deliberation they’ll decidedly person unfastened telephone lines for nan adjacent 2 weeks—there are pieces connected a roster that’s beautiful barren that mightiness elicit immoderate interest. Would they woody a Calvin Ridley aliases Tony Pollard? Maybe. But there’s nan mobility of what that’ll do to their expertise to create Cam Ward complete nan adjacent mates of months.

On defense, location are astir apt less names that person awesome waste and acquisition value, if they instrumentality to their guns connected not trading Jeffery Simmons (and I tin show you they person nary volition of moving Simmons). Key, Roger McCreary and Dre’Mont Jones person elicited interest, and Cody Barton and L’Jarius Sneed could too, though Key’s hurt, and Sneed’s had a batch of wounded issues and is expensive.

I’m conscionable not judge really galore players, again, extracurricular of Simmons, are tin of bringing a needle-moving return for Tennessee. We’ll see.

The return of Ravens backmost Lamar Jackson from wounded could thief moving backmost Derrick Henry and nan Baltimore discourtesy get backmost connected track. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Baltimore Ravens

From David Kromelow (@dkrom59): Which AFC team, speech from Indy, do you deliberation has nan champion chance to conclusion nan Chiefs successful nan playoffs?

David, I’m gonna spell disconnected nan committee present and show you it’s nan 1–5 Ravens.

Am I nuts? I don’t deliberation so. If they hit nan Bears this week, they person nan Dolphins, Vikings, Browns and Jets earlier their Thanksgiving nighttime location crippled against nan Bengals. With nan unit they person returning from wounded (which includes Lamar Jackson), I don’t deliberation it’s intolerable that we’re looking astatine a 6–5 squad that has Cincinnati coming to municipality a small complete a period from now.

If they put a drawstring of wins together, Baltimore’s roster is arsenic talented arsenic immoderate successful football, and they go beautiful dangerous.

From Eric Johnson (@EricJoh80003972): In short-yardage situations, really travel RBs don’t spell complete nan apical anymore (a la LT)?

Great question, Eric. I do person that image burned successful my brain, of LaDainian Tomlinson jumping nan heap and tumbling into nan extremity zone, and you’re correct that it seems for illustration less and less guys are crossing nan extremity statement that measurement these days. I’d opportunity it’s astir apt a ball-security question, wherever it’s harder to unafraid nan shot successful that benignant of situation, 1 wherever a batch of defenders are trying to punch it out. So, a back’s spot to bent connected to it would beryllium a factor, and location whitethorn conscionable not beryllium galore who person that.

(Tomlinson besides had hops that different guys mightiness lack.)

Houston Texans

From Cameron Sebek (@CameronSebek): Will Nick Caley and Nick Caserio beryllium backmost successful Houston successful 2026 if nan Texans proceed to struggle?

Cameron, I understand your frustration.

To beryllium clear, I don’t deliberation Caserio is successful jeopardy. He was instrumental successful hiring DeMeco Ryans, and building a roster that, contempt nan Texans’ record, remains 1 of nan NFL’s champion collections of young talent. Caserio’s semipermanent occupation information will almost surely beryllium tied to C.J. Stroud’s viability, but I deliberation he has clip to activity that out.

I’d springiness Caley immoderate time, too. The Texans started a rookie astatine near tackle (Aireontae Ersery) astatine near tackle, and 2 rookies astatine receiver (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel) connected Monday night. As such, this is an discourtesy that should get amended complete nan people of nan season, pinch nan quarterback, obviously, being a cardinal component. Caley’s sharp, and coaches for illustration Sean McVay and Josh McDaniels deliberation nan world of him. I stake he figures it out.

From KTA (@keiteay): Is location immoderate interest astatine each among NFL owners—especially nan old-time, family ownership types—that their franchises could really beryllium go excessively valuable to nan constituent wherever hardly anyone would beryllium capable to spend them if they determine to put their squad up for sale?

KTA, that’s why you’re seeing nan continued relaxation of ownership rules. First, they abolished nan restrictions connected cross-ownership, which had antecedently prevented prospective owners from buying NFL teams while owning teams successful different sports that weren’t successful nan aforesaid marketplace arsenic nan NFL squad successful question. Then, they allowed for backstage equity to participate nan fray.

The thought is to let for much of nan world’s wealthiest group to go progressive arsenic nan value of teams skyrockets and nan excavation of imaginable buyers shrinks. If nan Seahawks spell up for waste soon, for example, nan different 31 teams will want a existent bidding war, and nan only measurement that tin hap is to impact arsenic galore group arsenic imaginable who tin spend it. So they’ll twist nan rules arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin to make it a bully proposition for group for illustration Steve Ballmer and Jeff Bezos, some of whom person ties to nan region.

The adjacent domino present would beryllium to perchance relax nan norm that nan superior proprietor must ain astatine slightest 30% of nan team. But I don’t deliberation we’re location yet.

The Patriots could look astatine trading for a receiver to thief backmost Drake Maye. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New England Patriots

From 150 Causeway (@JimLegere): Pats are connected a rotation for sure. Where (or who) do you spot Vrabel/Wolf looking to adhd arsenic nan play moves on?

Causeway, I’d opportunity look astatine moving backs and walk rushers. And I’d put nan attack present successful 2 buckets.

The first is nan short-term. I deliberation this is wherever nan Patriots would beryllium looking astatine Band-Aids. So if there’s a back, specified arsenic Zamir White successful Vegas pinch logical ties (he played for Josh McDaniels) astatine an affordable value (he isn’t playing overmuch for nan Raiders), past yes, I could spot nan Patriots moving. A short-term answer, for illustration Trey Hendrickson (who’s astir apt not being dealt anyhow pinch nan Bengals playing better), astatine a large price, your proverbial “win-now” transaction—would beryllium little likely.

The 2nd bucket is nan long-term. We mentioned Olave and Addison earlier successful regarding Buffalo. Both person nan imaginable to beryllium No. 1 receivers, and are successful their mid-20s, truthful they’d beryllium building blocks (and for Drake Maye). That’s wherever I’d spot nan Patriots much consenting to portion pinch important draught capital.

The Patriots are a bully squad again, but I’m not judge they’re a threat to travel retired of nan AFC and triumph a Super Bowl. The roster still has plentifulness of holes. So those 2026 draught picks won’t beryllium thrown astir haphazardly.

From Michael Griffey (@Mike__Griffey): Do you spot nan Lions making immoderate trades astatine nan deadline? Which players would they beryllium willing in?

Michael, I deliberation it’s logical to presume they’ll beryllium looking for a walk rusher, for illustration they were past year, to put other Aidan Hutchinson. So nan 2 successful Miami could beryllium of interest, if you’re consenting to return connected money, aliases possibly Johnson if nan Jets show willingness to portion pinch him.

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