Most years, free agency starts a good five months before training camp. This year, free agency might start just days before training camp. Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland thinks that’s going to lead to an insane feeding frenzy as teams try to assemble their rosters when the lockout ends.
“I don’t know how to describe it other than nuts,” Ireland told the Sun-Sentinel.
Ireland says the Dolphins have made plans for how they’re going to run things when the league year begins, but those plans have to be revised as the lockout goes on, and the amount of time available to prepare shortens.
“As each day goes by you’re putting another plan together because that’s a day that’s gone,” Ireland said.
For his part, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano says he knows he’ll be prepared whenever players start reporting to the team facilities.
“All scripts and notebooks are ready for the players the minute they walk in the door,” Sparano said. “We’re prepared and excited about our plans going forward.”
But no matter how prepared teams are, Ireland is right: Whenever the owners and the players finally get a deal done, the next few days will be nuts, for everyone in and around the NFL.