The Miami Dolphins made their general manager decision on Friday morning, hiring Green Bay Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan to be their new general manager.
While there was some hope for Chad Alexander due to his connection with John Harbaugh, the Dolphins went with Sullivan. But a different head coach option now emerges as a very fascinating and unexpected connection.
According to Tom Silverstein of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Dolphins might be in the running to poach Packers head coach Matt LaFleur from the Packers this offseason. It’s not as impossible as it seems.
Dolphins get unexpected Matt LaFleur head coaching update
“The Packers might have to offer him $12-$15 million per year to lure him into signing an extension,” Silverstein writes,” If the two sides can’t reach an agreement, it’s hard to believe Sullivan wouldn’t be interested in LaFleur if he’s Miami’s next general manager.”
Now that Sullivan is set to be the Dolphins’ GM, Sullivan could try to poach LaFleur from Green Bay to come to Miami and be the head coach of the Dolphins.
There has been some buzz about the two sides – LaFleur and the Packers – parting ways this offseason. But, as Green Bay gears up to face the Chicago Bears in the playoffs, it’s hard to imagine such a future.
But if the two sides cannot come to terms on a contract extension, LaFleur could come to Miami in a few different ways.
“In order for Sullivan to get a crack at him,” Silverstein writes, “the Packers would have to fire LaFleur, agree to void the final year of the contract or ask for compensation from the Dolphins.”
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If the Dolphins try to trade for LaFleur, the Denver Broncos model, which included a first-round pick and a second-round pick, would be far too much to give up for LaFleur.
Instead, just one day-two pick might be enough to justify the Packers moving on from LaFleur, especially since there is some growing dissatisfaction in Green Bay.
But, from the Dolphins’ perspective, the potential of hiring LaFleur to be the head coach would be an incredible turn of events. He’s a great offensive mind, and while it’s been shaky in Green Bay, he’d be an incredible hire for the Dolphins.
Fans shouldn’t rule this potential out just yet, especially if the Bears handily beat the Packers on Saturday night in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
LaFleur to Miami isn’t that far-fetched, as the new Dolphins general manager has opened the path for the Packers head coach to come down south and join the Dolphins as their new head coach after firing Mike McDaniel.
