Jeff Fisher, although not a Super Bowl winning coach, is the prized candidate this off season for teams looking to overhaul their organization. Fisher has already narrowed down his choices down to two different teams, the Dolphins and Rams.
Yahoo’s Mike Silver tweeted today:
“For those of you waiting for Jeff Fisher updates–he’s indeed heading to St. Louis today to check out Rams’ facility. Then, decision time… I don’t expect his decision to come before Monday. Could be longer. Today’s visit to Rams Park completes the interview process… This remains a 50-50 proposition. Both owners, Ross and Kroenke, made persuasive pitches… And for those who believe this is all about leverage, Fisher has not yet entered into serious negotiations with either team. Still deciding.”
So with the two teams battling it out for Fisher’s services, we decided to take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of each team’s pitch.
Miami Dolphins:
Pros
- Ross has a very big pocket book
- Strong foundation on defense
- Mike Nolan as your potential defensive coordinator
- South Beach
- The weather
- Less pressure with the Heat in town
- Reggie Bush coming off a career year
- Young talent (Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, Mike Pouncey, Daniel Thomas)
- Strong O-Line to go forward with (Mike Pouncey and Jake Long career pro bowl players)
- Helicopter rides!
Cons
- No franchise QB in place
- No franchise QB in place (on the list twice because it is a HUGE negative)
- Brandon Marshall can be a headache at time
- Tough division (Patriots, Jets)
- Jeff Ireland most likely there as GM
- No consistency in organization
St Louis Rams:
Pros
- Sam Bradford (If this was a year ago Bradford would have probably been too big of an advantage for the Dolphins to overcome. However due to his injuries this year and in the past and his drop in play there is now some doubt Bradford is a franchise QB. That being said, he is still much better then what they have in Miami)
- Weak Division (While the 49ers are a much better team I would still rather face them than Tom Brady twice a year)
- Steven Jackson
- Young foundation pieces on defense: Chris Long, James Laurinaitis
- Options of Fisher getting GM power or choosing a GM
Cons
- Lack of weapons on offense, and Jackson turns 29 this year.
- No stability or consistency on defense beyond Long and Laurinaitis
- St Louis is no South Beach (but then again, neither was Nashville)
- Most likely less lucrative of a financial offer
The Rams still remain the favorite to land Fisher, but stranger things have happen. The Jeff Fisher sweepstakes should end this week or next week at the latest as teams are looking to start their draft preparation.
