MIAMI -- Two years ago, Dolphins boss Bill Parcells spoke privately about a promise he made to himself that someday he would help mold the football minds of others, just as NFL mentors Al Davis, Tom Landry and Chuck Knox did for him.

It was a promise that has kept him around Miami despite a clause in his contract that would allow him to walk away at any point because Parcells isn't yet done grooming Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano.

On Tuesday, Parcells took the first public step toward sending Ireland on his own, relinquishing full authority to the third-year GM.

The team announced the decision in a three-sentence statement.

"Effective immediately, Jeff Ireland will assume full control over all aspects and decisions in regard to the Miami Dolphin football team and support staff," the statement read. "This was the intent of the structure put in place in the past. Bill Parcells will remain with the club on a daily consultant basis."

A high-ranking source on the business side of the organization said team owner Steven Ross supported Parcells' decision, while also supporting Ireland's ascent into a more powerful role. The source said it was the organization's belief that Parcells had been planning this transfer of roles for a significant amount of time.

During the past year, Ireland and Parcells have discussed all football matters jointly; with Parcells often insisting Ireland make the final decision without his help as a way to continue the learning process.

Parcells, though, still maintained final say.

Now, that final authority rests with Ireland -- although Parcells still will maintain an office in the team's facility. As a "daily consultant," Parcells is expected to be around the team nearly as often as he had been.

On Tuesday, for instance, team representative Harvey Greene said Parcells was in his office breaking down game footage of the Buffalo Bills (Miami's opponent Sunday in the regular-season opener) at the time when the statement was being e-mailed to reporters.

"That doesn't exactly sound like a guy who's packing it in," Greene said.

Still, the timing initially seemed peculiar. The Dolphins, a team dedicated to avoiding off-field distractions, chose the first week of the regular season to announce the organization's most recognizable leader was moving into a lesser role.

A team source explained the timing of the decision: This week essentially marks the end of the league year for the personnel department. Rosters are now set. There is no free agency period looming, and no NFL Draft to begin evaluating.

For someone such as Ireland, it might be the quietest point of his season.

The Dolphins did not schedule a news conference to discuss the situation because they did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. The three-sentence statement still sent an immediate jolt through the NFL community Tuesday, creating wonder about whether Parcells was quitting or if deeper reasons instigated the decision.

But Parcells has long been planning to turn over the team to Ireland, but he has been waiting for the right time to do so.

For the past 18 months, since owner Stephen Ross bought the team, Parcells has been under no contractual obligation to the team.

An opt-out clause allowed him to walk away at any point while still collecting the remainder of his four-year, $16 million deal.

Parcells still had more than a year remaining on that contract, which he signed Dec. 20, 2007. Whether Parcells sticks around beyond this season in his consulting role remains to be seen.

The Dolphins, searching for explosiveness on kick returns, will meet Wednesday with Clifton Smith, one of the NFL's most dangerous returners over the past two seasons. Smith averaged 28.3 yards a kickoff return with one touchdown for Tampa Bay in 2008 and 2009 before sustaining a season-ending concussion on a hit from Carolina's Dante Wesley.

------



Miami Herald sportswriter David J. Neal contributed to this report.

------



(c) 2010, The Miami Herald.

Visit The Miami Herald Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.herald.com/.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.