The club, by the way, is comfortable thinking the future at left tackle is Martin not Long.

That would leave more salary cap space to spend on wide receivers. That means the Dolphins don’t have to be so frugal at tight end. The Dolphins would have more money to help Ryan Tannehill get the football in the end zone.

A quick side note on Tannehill:

The Dolphins today don’t know whether he’s going to be a franchise quarterback that should be around for a decade. Indeed, a club source said Sunday it might take another season or perhaps two before the team knows for certain about Tannehill.

So kindly hold the Dan Marino comparisons.

A work in progress

But has Tannehill this year already earned the team’s indulgence and trust for the next couple of years? Yes. The Dolphins are certain of that. He’s your quarterback for the next couple of years.

With their quarterback in place, and the wide receiver position a top priority, the Dolphins also have a decision to make at running back.

It must be said starter Reggie Bush, unsigned for next year, has made his case for being retained. He scored three touchdowns Sunday, including two as a pass catcher. He has not left a lot of yards on the field.

He’s a hard worker and a good teammate and leader. He’s solid.

So the Dolphins will try to re-sign Bush, according to team sources. But because they have Lamar Miller on the roster — and Miller is 218 pounds and runs a 4.4 and his time is coming — the Dolphins will only re-sign Bush at their price, not at his.

So even there, at what seems like a dilemma, Ireland is working from a position of strength. His choice is to keep Bush, a good player, for money the team is comfortable paying, or lose Bush and, in his eyes, upgrade to Miller.

It’s a no-lose situation. So, yes, this has the potential to be a huge offseason for the Dolphins.