The Dolphins apparently are pleased with the efforts of consultant Troy Aikman, as it relates to their search for a General Manager.
Via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN game analyst will continue to serve as an advisor in the process of searching for a head coach.
Obviously, the Dolphins didn’t have a head-coaching vacancy when Aikman was first retained. They now do. The fact that Mike McDaniel was fired this week serves only to bolster speculation that Aikman’s advice included making a change — especially given his frank and sharp criticism of McDaniel’s handling of the fourth quarter of a Week 15 Monday night game against the Steelers.
And while the blatant Tom Brady conflict of interest as Raiders minority owner (and now close collaborator with G.M. John Spytek regarding the Las Vegas football operation) and Fox NFL broadcaster has stretched the rubber band far enough to include less problematic dual-hat situations, Aikman’s role in the hiring of a new G.M. and head coach in Miami will give him a vested interest in the success of the Dolphins based on the advice he was paid to provide. Which will undermine, if only a bit, his objectivity throughout the tenure of G.M. Jon-Eric Sullivan and whoever becomes the successor to McDaniel.