The Miami Dolphins have cast a wide net in their search for a new head coach, as names like Adam Gase, Mike Shanahan, Teryl Austin, Doug Marrone and Mike Smith have come up as targets for the team. The Dolphins have Lamar Miller, Rishard Matthews and Olivier Vernon hitting free agency and there is a chance some of those players may not return.
The Dolphins fired Joe Philbin during the season after a disappointing start to the year and Dan Campbell came in as interim coach. Campbell is getting a chance to interview for the head coaching position, but Miami has been looking at a number of candidates around the league, including Adam Gase. The Chicago Bears offensive coordinator has been one of the hottest assistant coaches when it comes to interviews, as the Eagles, 49ers and Browns are also reportedly interested.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Dolphins announced that the team interviewed Adam Gase on Thursday for their open head coaching position. The Dolphins have already met with Mike Shanahan, Mike Smith, Teryl Austin and Anthony Lynn and the team also has more interviews scheduled. Gase is one of the top options this year after helping turn around Jay Cutler and the Bears offense and he has past experience working with Peyton Manning with the Broncos. Gase is likely to get a head coaching job this year.
The Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins look at Gase as a solid candidate and that he is "viewed highly by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross." Adam Beasley reports that the interview was with "Ross and his team of advisers" and that the meeting "went well into the evening." The report says that the team is interviewing Doug Marrone on Friday and they will also interview Campbell, who took over as interim coach after Philbin was fired. Beasley reports that the Dolphins view Shanahan and Hue Jackson as "top-tier candidates" for the job.
The Dolphins have a major decision to make on the head coach and once that happens, the team has to plan out what they will do in the offseason with free agency and the draft. Last year the team spent money on Ndamukong Suh and other free agents like Greg Jennings and Jordan Cameron and this offseason the team has their own players to make decisions on. Lamar Miller should be a top target on the market for teams, while Olivier Vernon and Rishard Matthews are also free agents.
Vernon led the team in sacks this season and should be a coveted player on the market and there is a chance his price range could go too high for the Dolphins. Matthews had a strong season and stepped up with Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills struggling early on, but with DeVante Parker getting healthy, there is a chance Miami could let him go. Miller is a solid option to stay, but Miami also likes Jay Ajayi and could give him the chance to start.
