NFL player calls for Ross to be out if allegation proven. And Flores staffers weigh in
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:
▪ Brian Flores and his attorneys asserted during their media tour Wednesday that they have evidence to support Flores’ allegation that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss to lose games in 2019, when Ross prioritized snagging a high draft pick.
If that allegation is corroborated (and the onus is on Flores’ legal team to prove it), Ross should no longer be an NFL owner, an NFL linebacker and ESPN’s most prominent voice said Wednesday.
“If a player offers another teammate to take money to tank a game, what happens to that player?” veteran linebacker K.J. Wright told CBS Radio’s Zach Gelb. “You would be thrown out of the league forever. Your kids may not be able to play in the league. If that is the case, he has no business being the owner of that team. No business being the owner of that team. That is reckless. So many guys put in so much work to have success. For him to do that is a disgrace for the game.”
Wright, a former Pro Bowl linebacker with Seattle, started eight games for the Raiders last season. He’s the first known active NFL player to express such sentiments publicly.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Wednesday that if the payment-for-loss offer is proven to be true, “Stephen Ross should no longer be an owner for an NFL franchise. He’s got to go. You talking about compromising the integrity of competition? You’re talking about a flagrant violation of that. If true, Stephen Ross cannot stay an owner of a National Football League team.”
Smith said the removal of Ross could create an opportunity for a Black owner. In the Dolphins’ case, it wouldn’t. Bruce Beal, who is white, has the contractual right to purchase the Dolphins if Ross decides to sell or passes away. Beal is expected to exercise that right when given the opportunity.
While precedent suggests the NFL will investigate Flores’ allegations against Ross, the league — as of Wednesday morning — declined to say whether it will do so after calling Flores’ lawsuit “without merit.”
Former Miami Marlins president David Samson, who has a law degree and now hosts a podcast, assures that “there will be an internal investigation. Even if untrue, the [NFL] has to investigate them. For their own credibility they have to investigate. The racial issue is a huge issue, but the biggest thing that came out is the possibility of the competitive integrity being questioned. If your fans think the fix is in, [that’s a problem].”
The NFL has been reticent to force disgraced owners to sell their teams. “Owners don’t want owners to be forced out because if you come for one owner once, then they come for you,” Samson said. “There will be a fall guy, though. There has to be fines. There has to be some [punishment if the allegations are proven to be true].”
▪ Two Dolphins assistant coaches have risen to Flores’ defense in the wake of his lawsuit alleging discrimination regarding his interview process with the Denver Broncos and New York Giants and his dismissal last month by the Dolphins.
“I’ve worked with Brian Flores for 3 years and this story that he is “Hard to work with” is news to me,” cornerbacks coach Charles Burks said on Twitter. “His coaching style is what you’d expect from a great teacher: Demanding, Detailed and a heightened sense of Urgency to make corrections.
“This is the Standard of coaching in the NFL. Unfortunately, if you’re a “Black Man” this can lead to a “Smear Campaign” keeping you from other opportunities. I’ve had the pleasure of working for Brian Flores the past three years. I’ve experienced nothing but accountability, direction, and inspiration from Brian Flores. He was and IS a true leader of Men.”
After Flores filed the lawsuit Tuesday, Dolphins defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander said on Twitter: “I already had a lot of respect for Brian Flores before today. Today confirmed he’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. Respect the experience that I had with him as a position coach on his staff the last 2 seasons and the courage he’s displayed with the news of today and what that can mean for his own career in the coaching profession.”
▪ In addition to the 29th pick, the Dolphins will have a second-round pick in the 50 range overall and a 49ers pick — either late in the third round or a compensatory pick at the end of the third round. Either way, the pick would be in 94-102 range.
Overthecap’s Nick Korte said there’s a possibility the Dolphins could get one compensatory pick at the end of the fifth round. If Bills and former Dolphins punter Matt Haack qualifies for a compensatory free agent listing — and there’s a complex formula involved in determining that — then Miami will receive a compensatory pick for losing Davon Godchaux to New England.
Incidentally, PFF’s mock draft has Miami selecting Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning at No. 29, noting: “Miami had the worst offensive line situation in the NFL this season, and it can’t allow that to go unaddressed again. The Dolphins will likely acquire some proven veterans in free agency, but they should also attack it in the draft. Penning has elite physicality in the run game, and his pass-blocking improved each year of his college career.”
▪ Robert Hunt finished as the highest graded Dolphins offensive lineman in Pro Football Focus rankings; Hunt was rated 36th of 82 qualifying guards.
Though Hunt played well at right tackle to close the 2020 season, the Dolphins appear intent on sticking with him at right guard, where he played the entire 2021 season.
“I got some stuff to work on still, but I think I can be great at guard and tackle in my opinion,” he said. “I’ve been starting to get the hang of it [guard] here a little late. That is starting to work well for me. There’s some stuff that I can improve on.”
▪ The Dolphins hope that either of their two finalists for the head coaching job — 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel or Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore — would keep much of the defensive staff.
Dolphins brass likes how that unit is run.
Dolphins linebacker Duke Riley said the amount of defensive disguises and different looks is “more than I’ve experienced. It’s something that’s beneficial. It makes everything look the same to opposing offenses.”
That’s one reason why Dolphins management would love for the new coach to keep defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, though it’s not believed to be a requirement.
Riley appreciates getting a chance to play for a defense that was the league’s best during the seven-game winning streak.
“It’s fun to get out there with guys who love the game,” he said. “The thing about this defense is no one wants to let each other down. That’s why you see a lot of guys swarming to the ball. I’ve never played with a guy who’s as much of a ballhawk as Xavien Howard. He does it at practice too. It’s an amazing thing to see. Everybody loves to make plays for each other.”
▪ There will be a Shula in the Super Bowl: Rams linebackers coach Chris Shula.
Shula, 35, is the son of former Bengals coach Dave Shula and the grandson of deceased Dolphins Hall of Fame coach Don Shula.
Dave Shula, now the wide receivers coach at his alma mater Dartmouth, and several members of the Shula family will attend the Feb. 13 Super Bowl in Los Angeles.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 1:19 PM.
