re: Saban to cleveland growing stronger per al.om

quote:

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The other thing that that can happen to some egomaniacs is that they don't set themselves up to fail twice and stick to what they are good at.

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I'm late to this thread, but as a Dolphins fan, I feel compelled to respond to this.

There is a great generalization floating out there that the college game and the NFL are on such vastly different levels that Nick Saban is suited only for the college game and cannot succeed in the NFL. I disagree with this wholeheartedly.

What Saban stepped into in Miami was such a team that was in its final stages of the Wannstedt/Speilman worst-drafting-ever era that completely rid the organization of any top tier talent and crippled them for years. (You are still seeing the effect of this. Wannstedt's drafting demolished a once proud as hell franchise.)

In 2004, the year before Saban got there, they went 4-12, had zero offense, led the league in turnovers and were top five in penalties committed. In 2005 in his first year, with only a handful of different guys through free agency (Kevin Carter, Keith Traylor, Gus Frerotte, Marty Booker, etc...) he brought the team to 9-7. They looked competent and played hard and smart for a change. The leading receiver was Marty Booker catching passes from Frerotte for God's sake.

The downfall was the next offseason when they were looking for a difference maker at QB and the team doctors overrode the decision to offer Drew Brees a hefty contract. Saban never recovered from this. He never wanted Daunte Culpepper, and his enthusiasm for building a strong NFL franchise waned because he didn't have his QB.

If he goes to Cleveland, they have the three aspects he adores in an offense in place. A top notch left tackle, a dominant running back and a QB who can run his style of offense smoothly without getting them into trouble. He would be able to stockpile his type of defensive players through the draft and implement the 3-4.

I don't think he goes, but to say he was a massive failure with Miami is not true. That situation was a five year project, and with the four years of horrid coaching and management before hiring Joe Philbin, you're still seeing them try to dig out of the hole.