the Miami Sports Dude

GM Randy Mueller is in Mobile watching and scouting practices for Saturday’s Senior Bowl. But all the talk surrounding Mueller has been the Titans’ unending desire to talk with him about their vacant GM position. Randy keeps saying he wants to stay in Miami and everyone keeps saying how much happier Randy is now that Nick Saban has gone off to steal other college teams’ top recruits.

The Dolphins have given Mueller more power, more say and more influence over the coaching staff in regards to personnel matters. But he still lacks one thing – and extension. And until the Dolphins give him one, this is going to be the on-going story.

Mueller’s denials sound eerily like Nick Saban before he bolted for Alabama. ''Here's what I'm going to say,'' Mueller said. “I have no idea about the Tennessee thing. I have not talked to Tennessee.” And “I've been here since we hired the coach. And that's all I have to say about it. End of story.''

As I mentioned yesterday, denials round these parts carry as much weight as, say, a U.S. President who lands on a aircraft carrier with a giant banner that reads 'Mission Accomplished.'

Not to stick Mueller in the same boat with a snake like Saban or to imply that I don’t believe him. It’s just that, well, I don’t believe him. And his seemingly prickly answers to the question-that-won’t-go-away only adds fuel to the fire.

But I don’t fault Mueller here. If other teams want to talk with him and he has a right to do so, then more power to him. It’s not like he’s turning his back on us or is breaching a contract agreement. His contract says he’s allowed to pursue other jobs if he so desires.

I blame Wayne Huizenga and the Dolphins brass. Hiring Cam Cameron is a feather in their cap and the fact that they’ve finally gotten with things and are letting their GM do his job says a lot about their willingness to change for the better. But I’m still critical about the way they went about this whole business post-Saban-era. This team should have hired a GM or locked Mueller in long term, from the beginning. Then, they should have made their coaching search. This is an organization that is still trying to find its bearings in a sea of new-thinking. But if we lose Mueller, we will once again be a sinking ship. A new coach with a promising future is nice. But take away his best talent evaluator and that new coach with a promising future is suddenly Edward Smith.

The Dolphins need to get serious here and give Mueller an extension. Today.