Brian Flores called the Patriots’ defensive plays in New England’s shutdown of the Rams’ prolific offense in the Super Bowl on Sunday and on Monday, he was expected to be named the head coach of the Dolphins.
It’s clear the 37-year-old Brooklyn native won’t be expected to have the same success next season in Miami, as the Dolphins are believed to be setting themselves up to tank next season and could even release quarterback Ryan Tannehill, according to a report in the Miami Herald.
They would like to trade the talented but oft-injured Tannehill, but that won’t be easy, especially since he’s due to make $18.7 million in base salary next season and $19.5 million in 2020.
That’s a costly sum for a QB who has missed a total of eight games over the last two seasons and perhaps more tellingly, never has won more than eight games in a season.
Tannehill could agree to restructure his contract to make it more palatable to another team, but that is considered unlikely, according to the report.
Instead, Tannehill could be released by the Dolphins, which would allow the 30-year-old former first-round pick out of Texas A&M to pick his next destination.
And since the Dolphins have decided to cut ties with Tannehill, they’ve also opted not to pursue any of the free-agent QBs who might help them contend next season, like Nick Foles or Teddy Bridgewater.
They could turn to Luke Falk, whom they acquired off waivers last season from Tennessee. Falk, a sixth-rounder out of Washington State, has not appeared in an NFL game.
The tank might not last just one season, either. According to the Herald, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross likes the idea of trying to land Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 draft or even Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence in 2021.
That mindset could mean Flores is in for a long first few years in South Beach. He spent last season as the Patriots’ linebackers coach and took over as the defensive play-caller after Matt Patricia left to become the Lions’ head coach this season. The longtime Bill Belichick assistant flopped in his first season, finishing 6-10 and in last place in the NFC North.
Patricia is just the latest Belichick protégé to struggle after taking the reins elsewhere in the NFL, joining a list that includes Romeo Crennel, Al Groh, Josh McDaniels, Eric Mangini and Jim Schwartz.
Bill O’Brien has fared better in Houston, but has still won just one playoff game in five seasons with the Texans.
Flores, the lone minority hired to be a head coach this offseason, will look to change that in Miami, but it will almost certainly take a few years.
