Will the Dolphins target Cowden for GM?

[Pape]

On a similar note, I saw someone on Xitter suggesting the Giants bring in Josh McDaniels to coach up Jaxson Dart. I was wondering why he'd settle for a lesser Drake Maye.

as in McDaniels as a HC hire?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

as in McDaniels as a HC hire?

Yes.

 

[Family]

as in McDaniels as a HC hire?

Yes.

So you really think someone's gonna turn it over to McDaniels again after one year?

Nobody's going anywhere.

Cowden will get whatever he wants and Wolf will be happy being an assistant.

I bet they all like each other as football people with different skills, and are ok with titles, as long as the money is there.

This is where the haters will see if Kraft is cheap.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Hopefully correct, but I wouldn't want to rely on that. Look at Pioli and Dimitroff.

Lures:

1. $$$$
2. Being not only de facto, but official GM
3. Getting credit for a rebuild

Those are fixable problems.

Dimitroff had a good 12 year run at the Falcons, but has been bouncing around for 5 years and can not land another GM job. GMs are like HCs. Most only get one shot and after that you are an assistant or a consultant. So everyone should pick wisely - Mayo didn't.

 

[TheRainMaker]

NE will be promote him to GM.

 

[Family]

NE will be promote him to GM.

If he cares.

If he's making GM money, has control with Vrabel over Wolf, and left things as is, Cowden becomes more desirable to be a GM candidate if he decided to leave in my book.

 

[Huckleberry1]

The critical thing is who has final say over the 53. That person can't be poached, but any other FO employee can be poached if given that power by his new team.

Technically Wolf has final say, but it's pretty clear that he's only going to go with players Vrabel wants. I doubt Wolf would balk at allowing them to give Cowden the GM title and " final say," but like Wolf Cowden would only go with players Vrabel wants.

It seems pretty clear that Wolf was brought in as Unca Bob's guy to keep an eye on Belichick. Of course, that only accelerated Belichick's decline into paranoia and egomania.

And, as it turns out, Wolf has also been a catastrophe as GM (Maye excepted, a wash-out draft in '24, 14 different starters on the O-line as JAGs were switched in and out in obvious desperation, terrible coaching by the buddies Wolf brought in from Cleveland). If this forces a decision, then great -- provided that it's the right one!

Wolf drafted their franchise quarterback, and was integral to the draft they had this year, according to Cowden and Vrabel, but I'm sure you know more than they do, and that they are lying.

 

[Love The Drake]

Technically Wolf has final say, but it's pretty clear that he's only going to go with players Vrabel wants. I doubt Wolf would balk at allowing them to give Cowden the GM title and " final say," but like Wolf Cowden would only go with players Vrabel wants.


Wolf drafted their franchise quarterback, and was integral to the draft they had this year, according to Cowden and Vrabel, but I'm sure you know more than they do, and that they are lying.

I wouldn’t call this draft top tier but it is too early though.

 

[Sect140]

Let Wolf go and officially make Cowden the GM.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So you really think someone's gonna turn it over to McDaniels again after one year?

Nobody's going anywhere.

I'm not saying that. I'm saying I've seen Giants fans on Xitter hoping it would happen.

Personally, I think McDaniels might want to give HC one more try a few years from now (if anyone'll have him), but right now I think he's having the time of his life with Maye.

 

[TomPatriot]

https://nesn.com/2025/11/dolphins-reportedly-could-poach-patriots-vp-to-fill-front-office-opening/amp/

“Cowden, who has served as an interim general manager in Tennessee while also undergoing multiple GM interviews over the last eight seasons, has an extensive scouting and personnel executive background with the Panthers (2001-14), Titans (2016-22) and Giants (executive advisor, 2023-24),” Rodrigue wrote in an article detailing several names to watch. “Cowden, Patriots executive VP of personnel Eliot Wolf and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel have rebuilt the flailing Patriots into a 7-2 team in less than one season together.”

My hunch is no and I think we all know why.

 

[fnordcircle]

So the thought is Cowden might not view a team owned by Stephen Ross that's headed for it's 6th head coach and 3rd GM in 16 years and saddled with Tua's contract that has all of @ $1M in cap space next year as an ideal opportunity?

Or he'll view it as such an obvious **** show that if he produces a 6-8 win season people will call him a magician.

 

[Love The Drake]

I'm not saying that. I'm saying I've seen Giants fans on Xitter hoping it would happen.

Personally, I think McDaniels might want to give HC one more try a few years from now (if anyone'll have him), but right now I think he's having the time of his life with Maye.

I think McDaniels may take the Giants, Browns, or Bengals job if offered.

I don’t think he would take the Dolphins job.

Giants with Dart, Nabors and that Defense is a top location for a offensive HC.

I think Kraft and Vrabel keep him here, but the Giants job is close enough to here his family may not even have to move.

 

[Triumph]

Miami is a suicide mission.

The HC is staying since Ross fired the GM. That means that McDaniels and Ross are tight for the time being. The only problem is that McDaniels coaching style has worn thin which typically happens to a soft players HC. Secondly, you're stuck with Tua the player or his contract before you can fix that dumpster fire.

 

[rkarp1]

Cowden has been passed over a couple of times and allowed to leave teams a couple of times.
other than being Vrabel's guy, is he qualified? or is he another Mike Lombardi?
we don't really know for sure. what we do know is that the team has had two productive drafts in a row, and had a very good free agency offseason in 2025. the team seemingly has turned around very quickly in a very short amount of time. the common thread is E Wolf. He isn't going anywhere

 

[Family]

I think McDaniels may take the Giants, Browns, or Bengals job if offered.

I don’t think he would take the Dolphins job.

Giants with Dart, Nabors and that Defense is a top location for a offensive HC.

The Giants already have a failure QB guru head coach.

Why would McDaniels jump back in now?

He's still even being paid by the Raiders.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Cowden has been passed over a couple of times and allowed to leave teams a couple of times.
other than being Vrabel's guy, is he qualified? or is he another Mike Lombardi?
we don't really know for sure. what we do know is that the team has had two productive drafts in a row, and had a very good free agency offseason in 2025. the team seemingly has turned around very quickly in a very short amount of time. the common thread is E Wolf. He isn't going anywhere

What does that mean?

 

[Hugepatsfan]

People say just promote Cowden and ditch Wolf which I get, but maybe Wolf isn't the guy whose voice is drowning out Cowden? Vrabel seems to be a coach with input on the personnel side and it's possible that any GM who works with him won't ever fully be the "real" GM. It's possible that Cowden wants that professional challenge and responsibility and it's Vrabel who's keeping it from him so no matter what they do with Wolf, Cowden eventually is going to leave Vrabel's shadow.

The truth is... I have no idea what the balance of input and decision making power is between Vrabel/Wolf/Cowden/Highsmith/Groh/others. Whatever it was this past year seemed to work so I hope they can find a solution of promotions and job roles or whatever that keeps it all in tact. If that's not feasible than hopefully they make the right decisions to keep it in the best shape they can.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

It seems pretty clear that Wolf was brought in as Unca Bob's guy to keep an eye on Belichick. Of course, that only accelerated Belichick's decline into paranoia and egomania.

And, as it turns out, Wolf has also been a catastrophe as GM (Maye excepted, a wash-out draft in '24, 14 different starters on the O-line as JAGs were switched in and out in obvious desperation, terrible coaching by the buddies Wolf brought in from Cleveland). If this forces a decision, then great -- provided that it's the right one!

Your first line doesn't seem clear at all. And if that was really all Wolf was here for why would Kraft have kept him last year (two years removed from the firing of the guy he was supposedly here to keep tabs on). It's not like Kraft didn't make the swift decision to fire Mayo, who he had a personal relationship with.

I get that Wolf is unpopular here, but the conspiracy theory stuff people constantly try to spin is crazy. Kraft fired Mayo after one year which should make it clear and obvious he'd have been willing to fire Wolf if he thought it was right. And it's very obvious that Kraft targeted Vrabel and has trust in him so there's also ZERO reason for anyone not to believe that if Vrabel wanted Wolf out he'd have been gone. And Cowden is one of Vrabel’s guys so the dynamic between Wolf and Cowden would have been a part of Vrabel's call on that.

The bottom line is that if you apply any logic to the situation, Wolf is still here because Kraft and Vrabel saw value in it and think the ucrrent dynamic works. Anything else is made up conspiracy theory BS.

If Cowden gets a job offer and the power dynamic/job role split between him and Wolf is an issue then all signs point to Kraft/Vrabel making the call to let Wolf go if that's what they think makes sense.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think McDaniels may take the Giants, Browns, or Bengals job if offered.

TBH I don't think Vrabel would have hired him if he thought McDaniels would bug out after a year, because having Maye have five OCs in five years would be insane.

Also, McDaniels spent several years here each of the last two times he was OC.