The Miami Dolphins landed a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but not the one they reportedly wanted the most.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday reported the Dolphins contacted the Bengals about acquiring the No. 1 overall pick, which the organization would use to draft Joe Burrow. Cincinnati, however, didn’t even give Miami the time of day and selected Burrow, who looks like he’s going to be one of the league’s best quarterbacks for the next decade-plus.
The Dolphins, in turn, were forced to stay at No. 5, where it selected Tua Tagovailoa. Mind you, the Los Angeles Chargers snagged Justin Herbert one pick later.
Rapoport also shed light on what the framework of a Bengals-Dolphins blockbuster would have looked like had the sides reached that stage.
“What would the price have been? Sources say Miami was willing to trade all three No. 1 picks it had in 2020 — including the No. 5 pick that wound up being Tua Tagovailoa — and potentially more,” Rapoport wrote for NFL.com. “There was not a consensus on what it would take, just that Miami wanted to try. The Bengals made sure it wasn’t a thing.
“Owner Stephen Ross was among the voices pushing hardest for the trade, according to sources. In the end, the Bengals never considered it. They selected Burrow, and the rest will live in Bengals history.”
Tagovailoa does have a winning record over two seasons in South Beach, but the jury still is out on whether he’s a legitimate franchise QB. Burrow and Bengals, meanwhile, can punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.
