The Dolphins have promoted "longtime personnel man" Chris Grier to GM to replace Dennis Hickey, and he will be introduced this afternoon according to Armando Salguero of the MIAMI HERALD. Grier has 21 years of NFL experience and “comes with the stamp of approval” from multiple GMs, including the Panthers’ Dave Gettleman and the Giants’ Jerry Reese, as well as HOF coach Bill Parcells. Grier will “immediately join the group of men that will be conducting” the Dolphins’ coaching search, which includes Owner Stephen Ross, Vice Chair Matt Higgins, Exec VP/ Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and President & CEO Tom Garfinkel. Dolphins Exec VP/Football Administration Dawn Aponte and Ross confidant Carl Peterson “will not have say over this one” (MIAMI HERALD, 1/4). In West Palm Beach, Andrew Abramson notes Grier will have the GM title and "run the personnel side," while Tannenbaum will "have the final say over the organization." It is the "same setup in Miami when Bill Parcells was the football czar and Jeff Ireland the general manager" (PALM BEACH POST, 1/4). In Ft. Lauderdale, Omar Kelly notes Grier is the son of Bobby Grier, the former Patriots VP/Player Personnel. Tannenbaum “informed key individuals in the organization of the pending changes before the team released a statement” Saturday night stating that the Dolphins and Hickey “have agreed to part ways” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 1/3). NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Hickey "did not accept a lower role" in the team's scouting department ("NFL GameDay First," NFL Network, 1/3).
TIME FOR A CULTURE CHANGE? Following the Dolphins' win over the Patriots yesterday, Ross said, “The biggest thing is we need to change the culture” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 1/4). ESPN.com’s James Walker wrote the Dolphins “will do a complete housecleaning” in ‘16. The team has “tried partial fixes the past several seasons and it simply hasn't worked.” Letting go of Hickey also “opens the door for Miami to land the best head coach possible.” The Dolphins “cannot afford more ‘shotgun weddings’ between coaches and general managers who are forced to work together” (ESPN.com, 1/2).
