Ireland: "Every player is for sale"

[DolFan619]

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/06/wqams-dolphins.html

Ireland: "Every player is for sale"

WQAM's Dolphins Tonight program has taken a shot of the "Juice" lately, providing some pretty informative interviews with Dolphins executives, coaches, and players over the past month. It's turning into must listen programming.

On Wednesday night Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland spent about 12 minutes touching on various topics, and he provided a decent amount of insight into the Trifecta's thinking, their concerns, and their hope for where the Dolphins are, and where they hope to be headed in the coming seasons.

I plan on giving you a summary of what Ireland said, but if you want to listen to it yourself just click here.

The most controversial think Ireland said came from Jimmy Cefalo sidestepped into a Jason Taylor-ISH question about every player on the team having a trade price.

"Every player is for sale," Ireland said close to the end of the interview.

While that bold statement might be controversial, it's not surprising. Pat Riley put it best one time during my stint covering the Heat. He pointed out that, to executives of a professional team players are poker chips.

"You've got to have a lot of good chips to play the game right," Riley said during the Brian Grant, Eddie Jones era of Heat-land. And by the game, he was talking about personnel management.

The point is, some chips are worth plenty, like Jake Long, who one might think is untouchable. However, let Dallas offer up Tony Romo or have Cleveland dangle Derek Anderson, a quarterback the Dolphins did have interest in, and see how fast that trade starts getting worked on.

So, in professional sports, everyone has a price. Ireland just admitted it.

Moving on....Ireland couldn't put a timeframe on how quickly this 1-15 franchise can be turned around, but he hinted that three seasons was something they are shooting for. According to Ireland, how fast depends on 1. momentum, 2. leadership, 3. chemistry, 4. the ball bouncing the right way. That's typically GM talk.

He pointed out the he's still addressing areas of concern on the roster, and plans to continue doing so throughout the season by raiding other teams cut downs, searching the waiver wire.

"No doubt about it, we will be spending a ton of time in training camp, in the 53-man cuts, to try to steal a couple of players off waivers," Ireland said.

[fyo]

Seriously, every player has his price? Are we to believe that management would sell out a potential star like Jake Long for a quarterback like Tony Romo? What? They'll throw in a first round pick or two?

[YoFuggedaboutit]

I think what Ireland is trying to say is that nobody has a lock on a first string assignment on this team. 

And given the Dolphins are coming off this monstrosity of a 1-15 season that was a hair away from 0-16, he has every right to say that.

[Fau Teixeira]

i think he's trying to say what he said .. there is NO player on this team that isn't for sale .. period

new england comes along and offers us tom brady and randy moss for jake long .. guess what .. jake goes bye bye

EVERYONE has a price

[DolFan619]

  It's typical GM speak, if you ask me.