When the Miami Dolphins unexpectedly fired offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea after Week 17 of the 2019 NFL season, the speculation ran wild regarding what direction Miami would go afterwards. Some of the popular names were Jim Caldwell, Jerry Schuplinski and others.
A name that no one predicted? The Dolphins’ actual hire at the position, former Jets and Bills offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. And for the weeks that followed the hire, Dolphins fans everywhere speculated how and where the hiring of Gailey came from.
The Dolphins have finally answered those questions after both Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier met with the media on Tuesday morning.
Flores took responsibility for the hire, stating to the media during his press conference that the addition was his idea. Flores referenced past years of scheming defenses against Gailey’s offenses and credited Gailey’s play-calling as difficult to find success against.
Meanwhile, general manager Chris Grier made sure to include that a number of folks from around the league offered positive feedback upon the hiring of Gailey.
“…when the hire (of Gailey) became official, we had a lot of people around the league texting us that it was a great hire,” said Grier.
The next step for Miami will be formalizing what an ideal Gailey offense looks like and then narrowing down the scope of free agents and NFL Draft prospects that fit the bill — and proceeding to attack the Dolphins’ roster rebuild aggressively.
How long Gailey remains a piece of the puzzle is yet to be determined, but the Dolphins will see Gailey serve an important role as the Dolphins continue to rebuild their roster and mold young talent. One of the biggest reasons Gailey was brought into the fray? Flores made sure to credit Gailey’s track record as a teacher — making him a logical extension of the Dolphins’ player development themed ideals.
