NFL Analyst Suggests Dolphins Should Be In Tom Brady-Led QB Market
Miami is in a tricky spot when it comes to its salary cap and draft capital
Tua Tagovailoa’s future in the NFL is uncertain, and the Dolphins could be on the hunt for a contingency plan this offseason.
Miami fell short to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round with rookie Skylar Thompson under center. The defeat ended a season mired with injuries at the quarterback position.
Tagovailoa suffered at least two concussions, and Teddy Bridgewater suffered multiple injuries. For the former, it was a “what-if” season.
The Dolphins were 6-3 in games Tagovailoa started and completed, though his Week 16 contest against the Green Bay Packers could be voided due to a missed concussion. But the fact the third-year quarterback has not been able to stay healthy has created cause for concern over his wellbeing.
General manager Chris Grier must decide if the team is comfortable rolling out Tagovailoa in 2023 with the looming thought he could suffer another concussion, though it is believed his concussions this season does not make him susceptible to more in the future. Neuroscientist Dr. Chris Nowitzki, on the other hand, is skeptical.
“I think they need to be in the quarterback market this offseason,” ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears said on “NFL Live” on Tuesday, per ESPN video. “It’s really about what quarterbacks, though. Who is available for you that gives you a chance? We can’t get rid of what we saw, and we know Tua came into the league with some injury history.
“And when you’re a general manager — and look, Tua played well enough to earn another opportunity to continue to prove himself as a quarterback. … Teddy Bridgewater was a good backup, but all backups are not equal when it comes to this specific scheme. I think they need to take a real hard look at one, do we need to get another quarterback to protect Tua, or do we get a guy that’s going to raise our level of play with what we did in the offseason to acquire these guys like Tyreek Hill, and Terron Armstead and on the defensive side, Bradley Chubb, as well.”
This begs the question: Which quarterback could the Dolphins acquire in the offseason? Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr are the top three names rumored to hit the market.
A potential problem for Miami is its salary cap. It is projected to be over $20 million over the cap, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. The Dolphins also are lacking in draft picks due to illegal tampering with Brady and retired head coach Sean Payton. Miami will have five draft picks in the 2023 NFL draft and don’t pick until the second round.
Grier could get creative with the salary cap, as laid out by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, so the Dolphins could get one of the top QBs on the market if they choose to.
Here are Miami’s odds to acquire the top trio of quarterbacks, according to DraftKings Sportsbook:
Brady: +750
Carr: +3000
Jackson: +1000
The Dolphins are among the favorites to acquire Brady and Jackson, but their AFC East rivals in the New York Jets and New England Patriots have better odds. Carr interestingly is a longshot.
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback theoretically is a fit in McDaniel’s scheme, and he has familiarity with Tyreek Hill being his opponent when the wide receiver was with the Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps fullback Alec Ingold will have to do some recruiting from his past Raider days if Miami becomes interested in Carr.
Things surely will change as teams gain a clearer picture of the offseason landscape, but the Dolphins could add themselves to the QB market once they finalize their offseason goals.
