Top Potential Coach, GM Candidates for Inevitable Miami Dolphins Overhaul

Let's face it. The Miami Dolphins brass is in a heap of trouble. Over the offseason, Miami went on a huge spending spree. The Dolphins brought in high-priced free agents such as Mike Wallace, Dannell Ellerbe, Phillip Wheeler and others. Despite the high amount of spending, the Dolphins have remained an average NFL team.

On top of that, Miami has been heavily scrutinized due to the Richie Incognito incident. After making racist remarks toward teammate Jonathan Martin earlier this month, Incognito was "suspended indefinitely," according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com:

Despite this suspension, the Dolphins front office handled the situation poorly. The Dolphins released an official statement (via CBS Sports) regarding the incident:

"

The notion of bullying is based on speculation and has not been presented to us as a concern from Jonathan or anyone else internally. The reports that the NFLPA is investigating our players are inaccurate. Additionally, the NFL offered its assistance during this time, which we appreciated and gladly accepted.

"

This was an interesting statement, considering Jonathan Martin's statements made on his Facebook page (via CBS Sports): "Happy Halloween! Don't believe everything you read," and, "Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one."

Clearly Martin was upset, yet the Dolphins front office decided to remain indifferent.

After an offseason spending spree that went awry and possibly the largest scandal over the 2013 season, the Dolphins brass seem to be on their way out after the season ends.

This means that head coach Joe Philbin and general manager Jeff Ireland will be looking for new jobs. The question remains: Who should the Dolphins hire as replacements?

Let's take a look at a few worthy candidates.

Head Coach

Mike Zimmer

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator has been a hot name over the last several years as a head coaching candidate. Zimmer interviewed with the Dolphins but was passed over for Philbin.

Upon Zimmer's hiring in Cincinnati, he has made the Bengals defensive unit a force to be reckoned with. So far in 2013, Zimmer's Bengals are ranked seventh against the pass and eighth against the run. He is one of the largest reasons for the Bengals' recent success.

Zimmer has been passed up possibly due to his rough exterior in years past. However, that could be exactly what the Dolphins need at this point in time. Zimmer holds every player accountable for his own actions and can expunge players who could potentially become a locker-room cancer.

Dean Pees

Pees was promoted to defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens after serving two years as their linebackers coach. Pees took a rebuilt 2012 squad and was able to flourish with many new faces on the defensive side of the ball.

Currently, in 2013, the Ravens defense is ranked 16th in the league against the pass and ninth against the run. This is quite a feat for the amount of offseason rebuilding that the Ravens underwent.

Pees' success at the defensive coordinator position in 2013 shows that he has the ability to unite players who are unfamiliar with each other—something the current Dolphins staff was unable to achieve. A stout defense and a solid camaraderie in the locker room are two things that Pees would immediately bring to the Dolphins in 2014.

General Manager

Russ Ball

Ball currently serves as the vice president of football administration and player finance for the Green Bay Packers. He has held this position since 2008 and has 24 years of experience in the NFL.

Ball is known to be a people person with a fine ability to manage and would flourish if given the opportunity to do so with a head coach like Zimmer in his ranks. That duo would provide a perfect balance of hard-nosed coaching and the ability to relate to players, along with the ability to spend money wisely and build the team for the present and the future.

Nick Caserio

Yet another candidate for a winning football team, Caserio is very young—he is 37 years old—but extremely driven. He has worked up the ranks and has been serving as the New England Patriots director of player personnel.

Caserio's drive has allowed him to become well-respected in the executive ranks of the NFL, and he could be terribly difficult to pry from the side of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick—especially for a division rival. However, if the Dolphins would be able to acquire such a talented young executive, they could be on the verge of dominance for years to come.

The most important aspect for the Dolphins when looking to acquire these candidates is that they pull from winning franchises. All of the aforementioned options come from organizations that have been successful in recent years.

If the Dolphins are to right the ship in 2014 and put behind the woes of the 2013 season, these replacements would be the best options for years to come.