Miami Dolphins: What's Next for the Franchise After an Embarrassing 0-3 Start

Oh, how this road looks way too familiar. This is how things work these days when you're a Miami Dolphins fan. They begin the season with good talent on both sides of the ball. Nothing great but enough pieces in place to win ball games. Well, instead of competing, they fall flat on their faces.  

Now, nobody expected the Dolphins to be Super Bowl contenders this season, but I'm pretty sure nobody in South Florida expected them to lose to the Cleveland Browns either. Did I mention the Browns were also missing their best player in Peyton Hillis?

Miami is now 0-3 and the season looks like it's over before it even began.

Fire Tony Sparano now.

Dolphins fans have wanted head coach Sparano's head for a while now. Truthfully, I was never really on the bandwagon until after this performance but you can understand why fans are upset with him.

He is 25-26 in his three and a half seasons as a head coach in Miami which is nothing to really brag about. What is most frustrating recently is the 1-10 home record that Sparano has given the fans of South Florida. That is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable if you plan on being around for a while. 

I've also never seen a coach that gets so excited over field goals. Miami is horrible in the red zone and is often forced to kick fields instead of scoring touchdowns. It doesn't seem to bother Sparano at all, it's like he settles for mediocrity.

There has been no word on a possible Sparano firing but let's assume he gets the axe within a few weeks.

Who does Miami go after?

Would they move Mike Nolan up to the head coaching position? Possibly. Nolan is a great defensive coordinator but as a head coach he has an 18-37 record. Granted, it was with a terrible San Francisco 49ers team but if you're going to make the switch it should be somebody you can count on. You don't want to be in this position again in a couple of years.

Last season Bill Cowher said the Dolphins were one of the few teams he'd come back to coach. Cowher is a proven winner with a 149-90 record overall and a Super Bowl victory in 2005. He would provide discipline that this team lacks and would never be satisfied with kicking field goals. He is also a big name that would get the fans excited again.

Another coach that would spark a change in the locker room is Jon Gruden. What you see with Gruden in the broadcasting booth is not what you get when he's on the sidelines. Like Cowher he is a proven winner and would instill discipline into the team. There were reports that he turned down a contract last season to stay on Monday Night Football, but coaches change their minds like underwear.

Whomever the Dolphins decide to go with, it needs to be a coach that takes no bull and strives for excellence. It also needs to be a coach that has a proven track record and not only inspires the players but the fans as well.

With some luck they may just get him

Let's be honest here, the Dolphins aren't going anywhere this season. If they can't get a win over the Cleveland Browns, it's hard imagining them winning anytime soon. They're starting at 0-5 in the face with trips to San Diego and New York. By then their season is over.

Miami's best bet is to just tank the remainder of the season and finish with the worst record in the NFL. Sounds crazy to Dolphins fans, I know, but it's worth sacrificing another year to be able to draft Andrew Luck. 

Luck is the best pro prospect we have seen in years. He is a quarterback that could come in right away and help this team win. He would be the first franchise quarterback since Dan Marino and the musical chairs of quarterbacks would finally be over for this team.

Chad Henne has made strides from last year but he is not a game changer like Luck has the potential to be. He also doesn't have the clutch gene and often disappears when the Dolphins need him the most.

Drafting Luck would also help with bringing in a big-name coach. You can win when you have a franchise quarterback leading your team. When you're still looking to replace somebody who retired over 10 years ago there's a problem.

It's time Miami begins to think about their future because this season is all but over.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]