"So you say the idea of Joe Philbin being named the new Dolphins head coach doesn't excite you? Well, that's a given. That was the running theme of this coaching search's conclusion, no matter which small name was picked.

Philbin is a career assistant. He's 50. He spent 19 years at various colleges. He slowly worked up the Green Bay Packers ranks, from assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach to the offensive coordinator who didn't call the plays.

Can he lead men as a head coach? Become the voice of a franchise? Was Green Bay's electric offense the result of head coach Mike McCarthy, who actually did call plays, or quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who won't be coming to the Dolphins?

Yes, it's hard fill in so many blanks and wholeheartedly endorse Joe Philbin as the new coach.

Here's what's easier to endorse: The idea of Joe Philbin. The theory that must be behind hiring him. Because this is bold thinking in some respects. It's downright novel, in others, when you hold it to the light.

It only works if the Dolphins braintrust of owner Steve Ross, General Manager Jeff Ireland and advisor Carl Peterson did their due diligence and came to two overlapping conclusions to chart the franchise's future:

1)This guy Philbin is ready to be a head coach.

2)Matt Flynn is a franchise quarterback.

That second part is the Philbin Corollary. Flynn is a free agent who worked with Philbin the last four years in Green Bay. This helps separate Philbin's candidacy from the other finalists in Denver assistant Mike McCoy and Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles.

So here comes an understudy coach in Philbin who worked with an understudy quarterback in Flynn, who just so happens to be a free agent. You can connect the dots to the thinking: The new era is the Green Bay Dolphins on offense."