Miami Dolphin Talk

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky.

MOBILE, Ala. – Identifying talented players isn't Jeff Ireland's issue.

The Miami Dolphins' General Manager knows what dynamic football players look like. He can tell you about their footwork, their catching radius, their instincts, the aura that permeates from their presence.

He's able to single them out privately, before the draft, raving about talents like Joe Flacco, Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Graham and Jon Beason.

That's not the problem. The problem the Dolphins have had for the past five seasons is this Ireland-led front office hasn't always been willing to do whatever it took to secure those dynamic playmakers.

With the exception of winning a 2009 bidding war for former CFL standout Cameron Wake, trading for Brandon Marshall and signing Karlos Dansby as a free agent in the 2010 offseason, the Dolphins haven't been able to pull the trigger on elite talents.

They've typically gone the safe route and fell short because they've landed average players, and the proof of that is the bulk of Miami's roster, which might possess four present Pro Bowlers, but only one (Wake) plays a premier position.

With $46 million in cap space and nine draft picks - five picks in the first three rounds – Ireland knows he's got "ammunition" and that it is time to make some bold moves.

It is time for Ireland to take some calculated risks that can produce big returns because this could be his last season running the Dolphins front office.

He's one of South Florida's least popular sports figures, and owner Steve Ross' patience has been worn thin by four straight losing seasons.

Based on Ireland's tone on Tuesday it is clear he realizes this could be his final shot.

"This is the year that you got to do something," Ireland said about the offseason, which the Dolphins set up by being frugal last offseason and trading away talents like Marshall and cornerback Vontae Davis. "We're in a very good position to utilize some of our cap space to bring in some veteran players on our football team, and we're in a very good position to bring in some young players from a draft standpoint."

"It's got to be a good mix, and we plan to mix it."

The way I see it, Ireland's under pressure to take and make a game-winning shot in free agency and the draft because this team can't wait on the Michael Egnew's and Olivier Vernon's of the world to blossom.

Ireland needs a proven, polished, dynamic receiver and seam threat tight end now, and even though coach Joe Philbin would prefer to build the team through the draft he better get with the program too because history tells us a new general manager likely means a new head coach isn't far behind. Just ask Lovie Smith, Hue Jackson, Mike Mularkey and Pat Shurmur about that.

Either way South Florida and Dolphins fan base win because the franchise will either improve by luring and drafting the type of dynamic players that help change an organization, close the colossal gap on the New England Patriots, the reigning AFC East power. Or those demanding change will likely get their wish in 2014 if the Dolphins produce yet another losing season.

"I feel like I've been aggressive where I need to be aggressive," said Ireland, who hasn't drafted a receiver before the third round. "Conservative? I think there have been some decisions that have been smart."

Calculated is a bit more accurate, fitting, but risk is in the eye of the shot taker.

"We've got to do what we've got to do this year," Ireland said before warning Dolphins fans they'll be excited by the moves made this offseason if Miami's plans come together. "The decisions that we made up to this point to get us to where we're at with our cap space and draft picks, that's all by design. We have a clear vision of how we're going to help this football team."

Unfortunately, seeing the shot, and then taking it doesn't guarantee you'll make it.

Bellicheat probably saw the same crap out of Henne as did we (we as in Chuck and Dan).  Normally his ego would have told him to grab Henne and try to make us look bad by making Henne into a guy like Matt Cassel was in Brady's absence but BB couldn't keep CH on the roster b/c their Brady understudy is Ryan Mallet. Wish we would have drafted him but...Oh well

Anyway it isn't like Bellicheat didn't pick up any 2011-12 Phin castoffs. Lex Hilliard was on their roster at some point and Will Allen who was a Dolphin DB for 6 seasons played for cheat this past year. Ya figure "cheat" no longer needs to snag cast off Dolphins like he did Ninkovich and hornswaggling Welker from us* to better his team but by god he's still trying. We used to play them tough at one time but we have lost like the past 12 or something.