According to a statement released by the team, Jeff Ireland has assumed full control of all personnel decisions, and Bill Parcells has stepped down to a daily consultant position. The statement also claims that this was part of the plan from the beginning.
Not exactly the news Dolphins fans probably wanted to hear with less than a week before opening day. As far as the present goes, I don’t think this effects much. Realistically, the foundation for this roster is already set in place, and with the season set to begin there aren’t many roster moves left to be made.
So this may seem like bad timing and an unneeded distraction, but it appears Parcells is just stepping down at the end of the personnel calender. Make no mistake, his presence will still be felt around the team facility. He’s going to continue to mentor and mold Ireland, as well as Sparano.
Could this be detrimental down the road? Of course. Parcells is one of most respected people in the business, and clearly knows the formula for success in this league. The Dolphins didn’t transform from the laughing stock of the league to respectability over night by accident.
Parcells brought a change of culture that was as clear as night and day, and with him no longer in co-control there’s a little more uncertainty heading forward.
I don’t think the fan base truly trust Ireland yet. He obviously had some negative media attention with the whole Dez Bryant debacle, and despite the bringing in of two game changers on offense and defense with Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby, there have been a few head scratching moves made over the past year.
But if Ireland has learned anything from Parcells over the past three years, the Dolphins should be in good hands, it’s just no longer a sure thing.
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