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The Miami Dolphins need offensive linemen, receivers and perhaps a couple of quarterbacks.
And now they're looking for someone to find the players.
Embattled coach Dave Wannstedt gave up responsibility for personnel decisions Monday in exchange for a two-year contract extension through 2006. The Dolphins will hire a general manager who will have final authority over the draft and free-agent signings.
``This should make us more efficient at what we're doing and improve us,'' said senior vice president Rick Spielman, one of the candidates for the new position.
Wannstedt, relieved to receive a reprieve, accepted the reduction in his role.
``It's a seven-days-a-week, 52-weeks-a-year job nowadays,'' he said. ``This will help there, where I can spend a little more time with the football part of it.''
The Dolphins have endured lackluster results in the draft in recent seasons, which is one reason they've won just one playoff game in four years.
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The first candidate for the general manager's job to be interviewed was Spielman,
the Dolphins' personnel boss for four seasons while reporting to Wannstedt.
The team planned to talk to former New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller,
who traded Ricky Williams to Miami in 2002. Several newspapers also reported
Tuesday that the Dolphins have contacted former Green Bay general manager Ron
Wolf, who built the Packers' 1990s Super Bowl teams.
The new personnel chief will face plenty of challenges.
The offensive line and receiving corps need to be upgraded. Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, who led the AFC in sacks, will become a restricted free agent. Injury-prone quarterback Jay Fiedler is due a $2 million option in April and a projected base salary of $3.7 million for 2004 if he returns. Backup quarterback Brian Griese is likely to be released.
Wannstedt is 41-23 at Miami, including 10-6 this year. But the Dolphins have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1988-89, which prompted speculation owner Wayne Huizenga might fire his coach.
On the morning after a meaningless season-ending victory over the New York Jets, Wannstedt arrived at work at 5:30 and met with Huizenga several hours later. Huizenga left the Dolphins' complex by helicopter and later released a statement saying the restructuring will better balance authority within the organization.
``With the evolving nature of the NFL since the introduction of a salary cap, it has become increasingly difficult for one individual to be responsible for both coaching and player personnel matters,'' Huizenga said.
About two-thirds of the teams in the league have a strong general manager, Jones said. He said the Dolphins will consider a half-dozen candidates, and they expect to hire someone by next week.
Spielman, left temporarily in limbo by the restructuring, met with Huizenga for an hour Monday.
``It's a difficult process for me and my family to go through,'' Spielman said. ``But when the organization is taking this drastic of a step, I understand they have to go through the process.''
Some decisions about the new power structure, including whether the general manager has the authority to fire and hire the coach, will depend on who takes the job, Jones said. He said Huizenga and Wannstedt will be involved in the hiring decision.
There was one other change Monday: Wannstedt fired receivers coach Robert Ford.
This year's Dolphins had been widely touted as a potential Super Bowl team. Instead, they were eliminated from the playoff race a week before the end of the season.
``We have a lot of names
here and that's supposed to mean a lot, having guys who are All-Pro,'' linebacker
Zach Thomas said. ``We underachieved. We just didn't beat the good teams.''