Even in the NFL, timing is everything. John Harbaugh’s firing triggered a domino effect with the Miami Dolphins deciding to part ways with Mike McDaniel. But it was a strategic move to fired McDaniel when they did. Stephen Ross, the owner of the Miami Dolphins, has long been linked with the Harbaughs. Naturally, the moment Harbaugh became available, Ross was ready to move on from McDaniel.
Don’t get it twisted, McDaniel’s firing is justified, but if Ross was truly ready to be done with McDaniel, he wouldn’t have waited until Thursday to make the move. The only reason Ross was going to fire McDaniel is if he could ensure his replacement was worth it. John Harbaugh seems very much like a candidate worth firing your disappointing coach over.
What John Harbaugh would look like leading the Miami Dolphins
According to a story in Pro Football Network, Ross considered being aggressive in trying to land Harbaugh while he was in previous extension talks with Baltimore awhile back. He’s also reportedly tried to land Jim Harbaugh years ago as well. The relationship between the Harbaughs and Ross’s is deep so there’s reason to believe Ross won’t miss out on a Harbaugh this time around.
Miami is an interesting landing spot for Harbaugh. In a way, the Dolphins are similar to the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh’s former employer, in that they have elite skill players scattered around the field. Tua Tagovailoa is a wild card, but might need a coach like Harbaugh to tap back into the potential he once showed coming out of Alabama.
Harbaugh won’t put the same pressure on Tagovailoa to be the elite quarterback every other coach has put on him. I feel like Harbaugh will simplify the game as well for Tagovailoa. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as receivers, he shouldn’t have to be the hero. Tagovailoa proved he isn’t necessarily the hero type quarterback either. The other caveat is that Quinn Ewers could ultimately be the future and if he is, Harbaugh could develop him into a respectable NFL quarterback.
The other thing is De’Von Achane has shown he can be a good feature back in the NFL so running him is similar to having Derrick Henry – no, Achane isn’t like Henry, but you can run an offensive system similar to how you would with Henry.
Could there be a bigger move in mind for Stephen Ross with potential John Harbaugh pursuit?
What makes this move interesting if the Dolphins are aggressive in landing Harbaugh is that it could be the first step in luring Lamar Jackson to South Beach. There have been rumblings – though they haven’t materialized to much of anything – that Baltimore could field offers for Jackson after this season’s shortcomings. If they are serious, this could be the perfect chance for Ross to bring Jackson home.
Jackson, a south Florida native, could be interested in playing for the NFL team close to home and Ross could try to pull off the heist to land Jackson and help the Dolphins compete in the dangerous AFC East. What would a trade look like, well I couldn’t even imagine. But it feels like it would have to be a deal the Ravens couldn’t refuse. Tagovailoa doesn’t seem intriguing enough and I’m not sure the Dolphins would want to part ways with either Hill or Waddle if they get a quarterback upgrade.
Ross knows what he’s doing either way and what he wants is a coach that can make the Dolphins relevant again. In the process, he could be setting up a flurry of moves to completely change the current trajectory of the Dolphins. If it works out, it might have just been worth it to land the one family that, through all their successes, had been so elusive.