The Miami Dolphins’ leadership brass talked up the hiring of new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey this week at the Combine.
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.
Chris Grier on the Chan Gailey hire, "when the hire became official we had a lot of people around the league texting us that it was a great hire."
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.
Backup quarterback Jake Rudock provided some clues as to what Miami’s offense will look like in 2020.
When the Miami Dolphins conducted an abrupt “about face” with their offensive scheme this offseason, the end result was assumed (at the time) that the Dolphins would be continuing on their path as a Patriots-centered system. That isn’t likely to be the case with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey — but we can’t be all too certain on what it will look like until we have the chance to talk to Gailey.
Gailey hasn’t spoken with the media since his hiring — but we got the next best thing this weekend with the Dolphins’ annual Cancer Challenge kicking off and putting coaches and players into the local spotlight. One of the players in attendance at yesterday’s golf tournament was backup quarterback Jake Rudock, who provided some context on what to expect.
Gailey’s offense in New York (and in Buffalo with the Bills, for that matter) was considered a quick-spread passing attack. It wasn’t nearly as heavy into multiple tight end sets like the Patriots system Dolphins fans were exposed to in 2019. That horizontal spacing was complimented with calculated vertical shots to bigger bodies — like what Miami has in wide receiver DeVante Parker.
From a personnel perspective, Miami has some good fits here that should ease the transition — but more run after catch threats will inevitably be needed at some point down the road to get the Dolphins into optimal productivity in the passing game. Whether that becomes a priority for the 2020 offseason or if it is put on the back burner as the team builds up the trenches is yet to be determined — but know that it is likely coming on the horizon.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt dishes on one key variable Chan Gailey will be looking for in a QB.
The Miami Dolphins’ offense will definitely sport a different look and feel next season than the one that Dolphins fans came to know towards the end of 2019. The triggerman is still likely Ryan Fitzpatrick — the Dolphins expect him back. But the offensive style is going to be one that invokes more modern spread concepts to the field. The offensive line may be completely different and sporting 4-5 new starters. And the man calling the plays will be Chan Gailey, not Chad O’Shea.
A fascinating sub-plot to Gailey taking the position from O’Shea in 2020 is that he’s actually served as the Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator before.
In the year 2000.
Back then, Gailey had signed on to call plays for Dave Wannstedt’s Dolphins team. Miami would go 11-5 on the back of one of the NFL’s most ferocious defenses — Gailey’s offense averaged 20.2 points per game (16th in the league). The following season saw Miami again go 11-5, this time scoring 21.5 points per game (8th in the league).
The game has changed. So has Gailey. The offense Gailey ran at the start of the millennium isn’t equivalent to the one that he ran just a few seasons ago in New York with the Jets. But key variables stay the same — including one that Gailey’s former head coach dished on via the Miami Herald.
“Chan wants to move the quarterback. He always has, at least. He wants an athletic quarterback. So I think you have to take a look at that when you look at quarterbacks,” said Wannstedt.
“Could he take a drop-back quarterback? Sure. But I know what Chan likes to do and what he’s had the most success doing. An athletic quarterback that can move around in the pocket a little bit. It doesn’t have to be Patrick Mahomes. But that’s what he liked about Jay Fiedler. He could move some on his feet.”
Dolphins fans might not be overly inspired at invoking the thought of Jay Fielder, but Miami has more appealing options on the table in the 2020 NFL Draft. Whether that be Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert or Jordan Love, Miami will have their fair share of athleticism to pick from at the quarterback position.
What do the Miami Dolphins’ recent coaching hires seem to suggest about the team culture in Miami?
The Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff is going to look drastically different than the one that walked off the field as winners for the Dolphins’ season ending win over the New England Patriots. That could be a bad thing, but it may well be a good thing when it is all said and done. Because the string of hires, while not the most inspiring considering the track record in prior settings, all have a common goal in mind.
Chemistry.
That’s the name of the game in Miami — everyone is expected to be in chorus in this organization. From the football operations to the coaching staff and all the way down to the players in the locker room, chemistry is the standard.
And while we haven’t heard anything to indicate that the Dolphins’ coaching staff had issues on this front, the willingness of Brian Flores to let some of his key assistants walk away seems to suggest that there was some room for improvement on this front. And with Flores’ subsequent hires on the offensive side of the ball, chemistry seems to be a root objective in the hires. The Dolphins have hired Chan Gailey, Steven Marshall and Robby Brown — all of the 2016 New York Jets’ offensive staff. This trio clearly shares a vision for how an offense is supposed to work — and that common goal seems to fit whatever Chris Grier and Brian Flores have in mind for the evolution of the Dolphins’ offense in 2020 and beyond.
No, the results weren’t very good when this group was last together. But neither were the key pieces of the Jets’ offensive personnel in 2016. The key skill players for the Jets that year were over the hill talents in Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. So criticism of the on the field product likely becomes unfair if all the blame is placed on the coaches. The offensive line? Also uninspired.
This isn’t to excuse the lack of production from the Jets offense. But Flores is clearly buying into his coaches just like he’s buying into players — if the mentality and the vision is correct, working in chorus will bring everyone closer to the goal. We’re a long way off from figuring out how well it works. But that seems to be the motivating force behind the successive hires from the same coaching tree.
The Miami Dolphins have coaxed Chan Gailey out of retirement to lead its offense in 2020.
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
The last time Chan Gailey coached in the the NFL was the 2016 season, and he returns for a second stint in South Beach after Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores was able to coax him out of retirement to replace one-and-done offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea.
Flores wants to simplify the play-calling and get away from the methodical, dink-and-dunk style of offense O’Shea brought over from New England. Gailey is known for a spread but balanced system. The tempo is a higher, while more three- and four-wide designs are employed. One commonality to his predecessor’s style is a reliance on play-action passing. Gailey’s offense will be easier to pick up for what figures to be among the youngest 2020 Week 1 rosters.
Even though there’s some irony to turning the keys over a 68-year-old for a fresh start, the move to the experienced Gailey wasn’t without calculus. Miami certainly could retain quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick one more year for a third reunion with the new OC. There is little doubt Miami will add a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Fitz can steer the ship prior to becoming a mentor. It is fair to remove Josh Rosen from Miami’s future plans.
From 2010-12, Fitzpatrick was Gailey’s quarterback in Buffalo. They were linked once again in 2015 and ’16 with the New York Jets. Looking at the seasons in which Fitzpatrick made 12 or more appearances, Gailey was his coach for five of them, including the top-two fantasy campaigns of Fitz’s career (per-game averages).
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Much will change before we have a clearer picture of the Dolphins’ personnel from a fantasy perspective. As mentioned, an eventual passing of the torch at quarterback appears inevitable in 2020.
Miami desperately needs a running back (or three) — something that should go without saying after its 37-year-old quarterback was the team’s leading rusher.
Another receiving option to complement 2019 breakout DeVante Parker is a priority. We saw flashes from WR Preston Williams (knee) before tearing his ACL, and tight end Mike Gesicki took a significant step forward in Year 2. All three face uncertainty in a new system.
The offensive line will require improved coaching and substantial talent upgrades across the board. It was among the worst in the league for paving lanes in the rushing game and in pass protection.
A look at recent Gailey offenses can help point to possible outcomes for the 2020 Miami team.
Table: Chan Gailey team rankings as OC (last 5 seasons)
Offense
Rushing Off
Passing Off
Year
Tm
Role
Yds
Pts
TO
Att
Yds
TD
Y/A
FL
Att
Yds
TD
Int
2000
MIA
OC
26
16
9
8
14
7
23
2
31
27
24
18
2001
MIA
OC
21
8
27
8
23
9
29
30
29
19
12
18
2008
KC
OC
24
26
13
29
16
28
4
6
9
20
8
21
2015
NYJ
OC
10
11
17
10
10
16
14
7
15
13
8
23
2016
NYJ
OC
26
30
31
13
12
22
14
13
23
27
28
32
When the offense is functioning properly, it finds success running the football. Some of this can be attributed to having better personnel at running back than quarterback. Generally speaking, RBs require some level of QB competence to perform well. Four years inside of the top 13 in rushes vs. only one in passing attempts is the more important takeaway.
Ball security has been an issue across the board with only one season in the top 10 for fewest turnovers. Personnel plays a large role in this area, too. Guys with ball-security issues tend to find their way to the bench. However, when a roster is devoid NFL-caliber skill players, it leads to guys like Fitzpatrick getting the star year after year.
Only one year in the top half of the league in yardage gained and two seasons among the top 12 in offensive points scored … teams with shaky defenses often rack up major yardage figures but fail to score a lot of points. Aside from those two years with Miami the first time around, Gailey’s teams have managed to get out of the cellar on defense only once (2015 Jets).
How about where Gailey’s offenses ranked as the head coach of the Bills?
Table: Chan Gailey offensive rankings as head coach (2010-12)
Offense
Rushing Off
Passing Off
Year
Tm
Role
Yds
Pts
TO
Att
Yds
TD
Y/A
FL
Att
Yds
TD
Int
2010
BUF
HC
25
28
31
25
18
32
13
32
19
24
17
25
2011
BUF
HC
14
14
25
27
13
16
5
1
10
15
10
31
2012
BUF
HC
19
21
28
13
6
13
4
29
23
25
13
22
Consistent theme … still a mess of turnovers. As mentioned, Fitzpatrick was his primary quarterback during this time frame. The most productive year for both rushing and passing the ball resulted in the fewest fumbles lost but the second-highest interception figure.
Do any of these stats really matter or translate to the 2020 Dolphins? Maybe. The primary correlation is most of Gailey’s teams were without adequate talent and protection. Sound familiar? The years in which he had a stellar rushing attack (Miami), his quarterback play lagged. During his entire tenure in the modern age of pass-friendly game plans, Gailey’s aerial system has struggled to matter in fantasy football for return on investment.
Fantasy football assessment
Miami currently has 13 picks in the upcoming NFL draft, including the fifth overall selection after a late-season surge produced a 5-11 record. No one will argue Flores didn’t motivate his team into a scrappy, competitive band of misfits, yet it resulted in only Parker having consistently reliable fantasy football utility.
It’s not a stretch to expect some regression from Parker and Gesicki in 2020 as they have to learn yet another new playbook. It’s not a stretch to expect regression from Fitzpatrick, despite knowing the offense, as he enters his age-38 season. It’s hardly a stretch to expect this backfield to be irrelevant, regardless of the personnel, due to quarterback deficiencies and offensive line woes. The point being, where can one confidently expect fantasy value to be found in the Gailey-led Dolphins offense in 2020?
Banking on a bevy of rookies and whatever Miami can lure to town in free agency to drastically upgrade the prospects of this entire offense is asking too much of one offseason. That’s not to say Parker cannot have another strong year, or that Gesicki isn’t capable of advancing once again in his third season. It is, however, a scenario in which keeping expectations at the bare minimum is wise. Miami is on at least a three- or four-year plan in its bid to turn around a once-proud franchise that has a rich tradition of offering fantasy football weapons.
Chan Gailey is coming out of retirement to accept the role of offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.
Chan Gailey is coming out of retirement to become the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, according to NFL Network’s Pelissero.
This comes just a few days after the Dolphins’ upset victory over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Despite their ability to end the season on a high note, Miami still finished with a 5-11 record, the worst in the AFC East.
Gailey, 67, will replace Chad O’Shea, who was let go on Monday. O’Shea lasted just one season with the team, indicating the franchise is looking to head in an entirely different direction.
There will likely be a total overhaul in Miami this offseason. The Dolphins have not hidden their pursuit of a young quarterback to take the reigns of their franchise. That, paired with multiple first-round picks, leaves the door open for Gailey to implement a spread-scheme offense tailored to those new additions.
Gailey’s arrival all but insures the return of Ryan Fitzpatrick as a veteran signal-caller in the Dolphins’ new offense. Fitzpatrick is under contract until 2020 and his connection with Gailey will likely motivate him to prolong his stay in Miami. Gailey coached Fitzmagic in New York and Buffalo.
Fitzpatrick isn’t the only one who will be experiencing déjà vu, though. Gailey was once already the offensive coordinator in Miami. He assumed the role under Dave Wannstedt from 2000 to 2001.
While his return breathes new life to the Dolphins’ offense, Gailey has been out of practice for quite some time. He has not coached since 2016, his last season as the Jets’ offensive coordinator.
His adjustment to a faster-paced NFL could see its fair share of bumps along the way. For the Dolphins, they’ll have hope he can learn and adapt on the fly.
Soundbites from Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s past time with Chan Gailey provide some clues as to what Miami can expect.
The Miami Dolphins’ unexpected offensive coordinator change has left fans scrambling to try to decipher what this means for the Dolphins’ offense in 2020. How will the personnel change? What new traits and qualities need to be accounted for in free agents and the draft? Will there be prominent tendencies in how the Dolphins’ offense operates?
These are all great questions — and don’t come with timely answers as Miami shifts into offseason mode and faces a 10-week lull before the opening of free agency in March. For any clues as to what the hiring means for Miami, fans must look into the past. And, fortunately for those eager for clues, new Dolphins OC Chan Gailey has worked with Miami’s quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, before. Several times as a matter of fact.
So what do past soundbites offer in the way of perspective? Here’s what Ryan Fitzpatrick had to say about Chan Gailey’s offense back in 2015, when the two were reunited in New York with the Jets.
“I was excited to reunite with Chan and this is an offense I’ve had a lot of history in and really enjoyed playing in it,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It’s a fun offense to be in. He does a great job of highlighting his talent. We’ve got some talented receivers here, we’ve got some talented guys in the backfield…he does a great job of utilizing team strengths and putting them in the best possible situation to win. And that sounds funny because you would think everybody does that but he’s got a knack for finding way to get your players the ball.”
That’s great news for the likes of DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, for starters. The duo of young pass catchers teamed up to combine for 1,772 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on the season for Miami — and with Gailey’s high utilization of spread sets, Gesicki figures to continue to benefit from this move. The expectation should be that Gesicki spends even less time attached to the line of scrimmage and even more time where he won in college — flexed into the slot.
As far as the rest of the personnel? Well, we’re going to need more time to comb through the clues and find out what missing pieces the Dolphins are looking to address this offseason.
Miami head coach Brian Flores has apparently decided to bring in former Buffalo head coach Chan Gailey to run the team’s offense now. Gailey has been out of the NFL since 2016 when he held that same position with another AFC East team, the Jets.
Blast from the past: Chan Gailey is coming out of retirement to become the #Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Gailey was also the Dolphins offensive coordinator from 2000-01.
There is a silver lining here as well. The Dolphins will likely bring in a young quarterback option next season. Still, Gailey’s hiring bodes well for current starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’ll likely move to the backup role but Fitzpatrick played in Gailey’s system both with the Bills and Jets. The veteran QB would serve as a backup/ defacto assistant coach in the system with a young quarterback.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added to his report on Gailey’s hiring that the Dolphins new OC will “run the show and tutor whichever new QB comes in.” Miami owns the No. 5 overall pick along with the No. 18 overall selection (via PIT) in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.
Despite a surprising turn with the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator position, head coach Brian Flores deserves the benefit of the doubt.
The decision to make a significant change to Miami’s offensive coaching staff isn’t one many saw coming from the Dolphins — especially now that the offense seems to have found their replacement for Chad O’Shea in long-time offensive assistant Chan Gailey. Gailey is a name that stormed out of no where to claim Miami’s vacancy as offensive coordinator and reports this morning indicate that this deal is effectively locked in.
Why make the change? That’s difficult to say, especially so early on. But Brian Flores has been quick to act on miscalculations before — as he did when he relieved offensive line coach Pat Flaherty of his duties during the preseason. For whatever reason, Flores felt prompted to make a change. And given how his first season as an NFL head coach went, Flores deserves the benefit of the doubt from fans.
Even if his choice in replacing O’Shea isn’t who everyone anticipated.
Gailey is well versed in calling plays for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, fans should expect to see Fitzpatrick not only back with Miami in 2020 but also under center for Week 1 of the season — with potentially yet another rookie quarterback behind him learning the group’s offense.
Who might that rookie be? Gailey’s track record seems to indicate a potential fit with Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, should he choose to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft.
There’s a lot of dominoes that need to fall between now and the next time the Dolphins suit up the pads. But this curious decision isn’t one that should be hammered by fans until the team’s intentions become more visible and clear. We’ll find out more in the coming months, but for now — time to familiarize ourselves with Chan Gailey, the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator!
The Miami Dolphins are reportedly set to bring Chan Gailey out of retirement to serve as the Dolphins’ new offensive coordinator.
Just when you thought you knew what direction the Miami Dolphins were going to take their next decision, Miami comes out of left field to keep you guessing. After Miami fired offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea yesterday, Dolphins fans began piecing together the possibilities — and considered the likes of QB coach Jerry Schuplinski, Jim Caldwell, Joe Brady and others as possibilities.
As it turns out, everyone was wrong.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero are reporting that Miami’s new offensive coordinator has been found — and his name is a familiar one for long time Dolphins fans.
Blast from the past: Chan Gailey is coming out of retirement to become the #Dolphins’ offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
That’s right! Former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is back into the fray after previously holding the same role for a very different regime back in 2000-2001 under Dave Wannstedt. Gailey most recently worked for the New York Jets back in 2016 where he was paired with yet another familiar face for two seasons under center — Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick served as Gailey’s starter at quarterback for the Jets in 27 contests over two seasons together in New York. The Jets went 13-14 in those games and Fitzpatrick tossed 43 touchdowns to 31 interceptions.
What more could this move indicate for the Dolphins? There’s a whole lot of information to sort through. But the first domino has fallen — and it is an unexpected one. Gailey was generally an afterthought for the NFL’s hiring process, but now he’s back into the fray as Miami’s offensive play caller.
