Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has taken the time to defend his general manager, Jeff Ireland. "He's done a great job with the draft," Ross said. "[Ireland is] a great talent evaluator. He's as hard working as anybody I've ever met. He's a smart as they come on the football side. The idea is, what are you judging him on? "The team is certainly not the same team it was when he started here. It's a lot better," Ross said of Ireland, who took over a 1-15 franchise that won 11 games the next season. However, the Dolphins have produced three losing seasons since that 2008 playoff season. "When people feel like you should be there, that's when the greatest frustration level always comes. We're a lot closer," Ross said. "We got to get a break, but you play the game to win. I'm only interested in winning football games."