Miami Dolphins draft Todd Gurley? Not if Joe Philbin has any say

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Todd Gurley will fall to the Miami Dolphins at the fourteenth pick in the NFL Draft, and by all rights they should take him: he’s a once in a decade talent, the rare running back worthy of a first round pick. And they need the help, as Lamar Miller is only half the answer at the position. But the Fins will take a pass on Gurley in 2015, and the reason will come down to simply two words: Joe Philbin.

The Dolphins head coach has been known for running off his most talented players because they had a personality or were vocal in the locker room, but that’s not the reason why he’ll object to Miami drafting Todd Gurley. The star running back is coming off an injury which won’t have him ready to go by opening day, meaning that while he may contribute to the team for the next decade, he won’t contribute significantly in the first half of the 2015 season. And that doesn’t work for Philbin, who could well be fired by then.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has made clear that he expects the team to make it to the playoffs this season, or else Joe Philbin will be out of a job after having failed to put together a winning season in three years. That means he needs to get off to a fast start this season, and he can’t do that if Todd Gurley can’t contribute until, say, week eight. So the coach will advocate for someone else to be taken in the first round, someone who can contribute from day one, in the hopes of saving his own neck. Perhaps he can’t be blamed for such defensive thinking, but it’s the kind of no-win scenario which inevitably harms a team when an unsuccessful head coach is brought back for one last desperate show-me season. The only way the Dolphins take Todd Gurley is if it’s over Philbin’s objections, in which case he already has one foot out the door anyway.

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4 Comments

  1. Mike Mostrowski on April 10, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    PHILIB SUCKS this team can not get a good pick up this team is a joke



  2. bob anderson on April 10, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    The Dolphins have more pressing needs than at running back. If Gurley might not be available until week 8, it would be idiotic for the Dolphins to pick him. I like the pressure to win this year. There’s no time like the present. Dolphin fans are tired of waiting.



  3. Ronnie harris on April 10, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    What kind of language are you trying to speak



  4. flrvspanky on April 11, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    I have watched coach philbin on the side lines, he has this look of total surprise when any thing happens. we need a coach that knows his players , in the locker room as well on the field. His time management during a game is a joke. he does not relate to his players at all. we need a general, not a private.. GO FINS