There was a protest calling for Jeff Ireland’s dismissal in Miami on Tuesday, but the Dolphins General Manager claimed to know nothing about it.
Ireland called Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald and pleaded ignorance of the protest because he was too busy working in an office without a window providing a view of the gathering. Ireland also dismissed the notion that players are avoiding the Dolphins because of his presence.
“I absolutely think players and coaches want to be here,” Ireland said. “When we talk to people about the Dolphins, they still think highly of this franchise, its history, its direction. They have no problem coming here. And sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they make other decisions. But it’s a two-way street. We make our decisions also.”
That last point seemed aimed at those criticizing the Dolphins for not landing Matt Flynn as a free agent. Ireland said that these decisions usually come down to money and, not speaking specifically about Flynn, that he wasn’t going to make reckless moves that seriously impact the franchise. Ireland said that he’s done chasing free agent options at quarterback after signing David Garrard and that drafting one is still a possibility.
But what about a trade for Tim Tebow?
Ireland wouldn’t comment, but Salguero reports, via “several highly placed club sources,” that the team will not pursue a deal for Tebow. Per Salguero, the team is unwilling to revamp its offense for Tebow and they don’t think he’d fit into the West Coast scheme they want to run next season.
Here’s the place for all the caveats about not showing your cards at the poker table, especially when you’re talking about a team that is dealing with some serious fan unrest about their current direction. Tebow would put people in the seats, regardless of how well he fits the offense, and the call to make a move could come from a place even higher than the sources who spoke to Salguero.