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Report: Fins Interviewing GM Finalists This Weekend

DAVIE (CBSMiami) – The Miami Dolphins appear close to hiring a general manager to replace Jeff Ireland, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero.

According to the Herald, the Dolphins hope to interview two finalists for the position as early as this weekend. The team is currently calling the seven men who have interviewed for the position to let them know if they made it to the final round of interviews or not.

Salguero reported the Fins plan to hire the next general manager before the Super Bowl and possibly as early as Monday.

The Dolphins have interviewed the Browns' Ray Farmer, Tennessee's Lake Dawson, Pittsburgh's Omar Khan, Tampa Bay's Dennis Hickey, Detroit's Brian Xanders, and in-house candidate Brian Gaine, according to the Herald.

One of those men will reportedly be the next general manager of the Miami Dolphins. The early odds-on favorite was Farmer who has also spent time working with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's considered a fast-rising star in the talent evaluation department, which the Dolphins desperately need help with going forward.

Xanders has a somewhat checkered past from his time in Denver, but did help put most of the pieces together of the Broncos team that is playing in the Super Bowl this weekend. Gaine is reportedly well-regarded inside the facility, but was also Ireland's number two.

Whoever takes the job is walking into an uncertain future with the team. Reports of a power struggle between Dolphins executive Dawn Aponte, head coach Joe Philbin, and Ireland, were alleged to be the root cause of Ireland's exit.

Aponte, Philbin, and the new general manager will all report directly to owner Stephen Ross, which could set the stage for a second power struggle as Aponte and Philbin are reportedly aligned together.

On the field, the new general manager will have a lot of work to do deciding which players to re-sign and which ones to release. Some salary cap management/contract restructuring will also likely be due, and then identifying free agents to sign and who to draft are all ahead in the next four months.

Job number one will be addressing the offensive and defensive lines. On offense, the Dolphins need a complete makeover on the line with the exception of center Mike Pouncey. Defensively, the Fins have to decide whether to re-sign Paul Soliai or Randy Starks.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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