Miami Dolphins: If Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland Stay, Kiss Cam Newton Goodbye

If Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano and general manager Jeff Ireland are retained for the remainder of their contracts in 2011, then you can forget about the team from South Florida drafting soon to be Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.

Or Ryan Mallett or Jake Locker.

Or acquiring any other highly-touted signal-caller as this team's quarterback of the future.

The previous statement is NOT a call to remove the current head coach and general manager, it's just a statement of fact and one that would seem to matter to a large portion of the Miami Dolphin fan base.

Recently, I have scoured the blogs, websites, and social networks to get a firm grasp on the current  attitude of Dolphin fans and this is what I have found:

Nearly all of the fan base wants to replace offensive coordinator Dan Henning. From various reports, it appears that Henning will retire after the season which should address that concern of the masses.

About 75-90 percent of the fan base wants to replace Chad Henne as the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. These same individuals seem to be interested in drafting the exciting, but raw Newton, or the rifle-arm Mallett or the tough-guy Locker to be the team's new quarterback.

A few of the "Henne Haters" are clinging to the notion of bringing Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb, or another veteran to Miami, but I'll deal with these fantasies later.

The intense desire for a new quarterback, combined with a fan base that is split about 50-50 on whether to remove Sparano and Ireland, is what makes this situation very interesting.

Let's say for argument sake that Sparano and Ireland remain in power for 2011. At best, they will have a one-year mandate to win.  If there is a season next year, anything less than a playoff birth and perhaps postseason wins won't be good enough to keep their jobs.

So here is the kicker. What general manager and coach without job security is going to take a first-round quarterback who needs years to develop and mature? The answer is simple. No general manager and coach is going to take the chance.

Ireland and Sparano will take a player at a position that can help them win in 2011 and that is not a quarterback (which are traditionally among the slowest players to develop). Furthermore, without a second-round pick, Miami will likely be looking for a player who can contribute right away in the third-round.

If Sparano and Ireland are removed, then the Dolphins would be much more likely to draft a first round quarterback so that the new brain trust can put its own stamp on the team.

Is there any guarantee that Newton or any of the quarterbacks would be there when Miami picks?

No, but you could easily see a scenario where Miami packages players to trade up for a franchise quarterback and flashy marketable draw in a player like Newton (and selling out SunLife stadium has to be an important consideration for owner Stephen Ross). Regardless, a new front-office would probably get at least three years to turn out a winner and hence the time to let a new quarterback develop.

Now let's address the "Free agent fantasy players" that some fans want Sparano and Ireland to acquire.

Michael Vick is not coming to South Florida folks.

The Eagles will either sign him to a lucrative contract or, more likely, slap the franchise-tag on him, given his production in 2010.

For those who think the new labor agreement won't possibly include a franchise-tag, the owners will insist on one in any new deal because their franchises can't afford to lose the marketing power of the face of their franchise. Imagine what would happen to the Indianapolis Colts if impending free-agent Peyton Manning (you shouldn't even permit yourself to picture him in aqua and orange) was allowed to walk away.

As for the Kevin Kolb scenario, ask yourself this: Why would the Eagles possibly trade a young quarterback with substantial promise, especially when his contract number is about to decrease dramatically after a front-loaded deal?

They wouldn't unless they were blown away by the offer, which means Miami would overpay, or Philadelphia realizes that Kolb just isn't that good in which case the Dolphins shouldn't want him anyhow.

If the Dolphins want to acquire a veteran quarterback in the offseason to supplant or even compete with Chad Henne, Miami is looking at the likes of signing a Matt Hasselback, Tavaris Jackson, or Troy Smith.

In other words, those prospects don't look particularly appealing.

A new coach and/or general manager might be able to pry a young developing player away in a trade, but it's unlikely that the current regime will have the patience or the guts to do that.

Which is why if Miami keeps Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland for 2011, the most likely starter for next season is the player most fans seem to love to hate, Chad Henne.