Day 2 of NFL Draft: Miami Dolphins will make franchise-defining decision today
The Miami Dolphins have a franchise-defining decision to make Friday.
That’s a strange sentence to write on the second day of the NFL Draft. Usually, such big decisions are first-day type stuff. Usually the Dolphins spend the second day of the draft blowing picks.
John Beck.
Pat White.
Daniel Thomas.
Johnathan Martin.
Chad Henne.
Jamar Taylor.
Just to name a few.
But Friday might be different. And better. And impressive if the Dolphins make the right decisions on what their direction is going to be. And, believe me, these calls general manager Chris Grier are about to make will be franchise-defining.
So the decisions boil down to two choices:
Continue to tank in 2019 in full-on fashion (with no apology) and set the focus on the 2020 draft for a franchise quarterback.
Or take a detour from the tanking road and try to speed up the rebuilding process with a quarterback.
So far Friday morning, the road being traveled seems to be the latter. Because the Dolphins Friday morning spoke to the Arizona Cardinals — again — about a trade for apparently available quarterback Josh Rosen, per a source. This, by my unofficial count, marks at least the third time the Dolphins have talked to the Cardinals about Rosen.
So there is interest on both sides.
And there is posturing on both sides.
And it’s interesting because the one side that doesn’t want to keep Rosen is acting as if he’s really, really good and he’s loved and he definitely could be on the roster in Arizona.
And the other side that wants to acquire Rosen is acting as if he’s OK but, you know, we’re not sold he’s a franchise quarterback after he threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season so if you don’t lower your asking price substantially we’ll just do something else.
And the funny thing is the Dolphins don’t have a long-term starting quarterback on their roster and the Cardinals know it.
And the Cardinals cannot have Rosen on their roster because they just drafted Kyler Murray No. 1 overall and there isn’t a gigantic market for Rosen — something the Dolphins fully understand.
So here we are.
Let’s be honest about what Rosen is in the eyes of multiple teams, including the Miami Dolphins:
He has a franchise quarterback arm. He has franchise quarterback size. He’s a good athlete.
But he’s not dynamic athletically in any way. He thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room and can be challenging to people who know more than him. He’s an introvert on many levels. And he’s not a leader.
The Dolphins drafted Clemson’s Christian Wilkins on Thursday, in part, because he is going to be the leader of the defensive line. Guys in his unit will follow him. Guaranteed.
So it feels strange they would go too far to then acquire a quarterback — a quarterback! — with little to no leadership ability.
But I digress ...
The point is we have something of a standoff with sides wanting to make a deal but holding their ground, at least initially.
My hope is the Dolphins don’t budge.
Me? I’m fully invested in #tankfortua.
Or #foldforfromm.
Or #hangitupforherbert.
Half measures are not the answer. Either you fully tank so you get the huge payoff in 2020 or don’t tank at all because half-measure pain still hurts and you don’t get the huge reward at the end.
I’m uncertain if the Dolphins feel this way. I believe owner Stephen Ross feels this way. I doubt either Grier or head coach Brian Flores feel this way.
So far, Ross is prevailing and if you don’t believe it, check out how many great players the Dolphins added this offseason before the draft.
Anyway, failing a Rosen trade — perhaps for a fourth- or fifth-round pick — the Dolphins can always draft a quarterback.
That move would again split the baby because no quarterback coming to a franchise in the second or third round is expected to be an immediate starter. He might earn the job if he’s really good. But that wouldn’t be the plan when the draft card is turned in.
And so where would that put Miami?
With a backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick initially that fans would be excited could develop into Tom Brady or Russell Wilson or Drew Brees. And when that doesn’t happen in 2019, fans will want Miami to pick a QB in the first round next year.
The Dolphins will be turning themselves into the Arizona Cardinals — picking quarterbacks high two consecutive years.
The options in the second round are:
Missouri’s Drew Lock.
North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley.
Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham (Fake GM Mando’s favorite).
West Virginia’s Will Grier.
Washington’s Jake Browning.
And some others.
The chances any of these guys become franchise quarterbacks are really low. We always point to the exceptions such as Brady and Brees, but forget the 193 (not a real number) other quarterbacks drafted in rounds 2 through 6 the past 20 drafts that were bombs.
And make no mistake that such a decision would come at a high cost. Because if the Dolphins invest a second- or third-round pick on a bomb quarterback, they failed to improve their roster. They failed to add perhaps a starting right tackle, or starting left guard, or a rotational edge rusher.
These are high stakes decisions for an NFL franchise.
Me? Again, no half measures. Give me the starting offensive lineman in the second round over the likely backup QB.
So this is the part where I spell out what I would do, thus you can stop reading now ...
The Dolphins set off on a course this offseason. It is the course of tanking. I don’t love it, but I understand it. I accept it because there’s no other choice.
So don’t deviate!
Don’t lose focus. Continue. Carry it through.
You passed on a potential franchise quarterback in the first round when Dwayne Haskins was not selected. You picked a good starting defensive lineman instead. You picked certainty over potential.
Keep doing it.
Pick the starting guard. Pick the starting right tackle.
Pick those pieces over the guy who the odds say will be your likely backup quarterback — at best.
And as for Rosen: I don’t give up a second-day draft pick for him. That means I don’t give up a No. 2. I don’t give up a No. 3.
No. 4? Maybe.
Rather give up a fifth.
A majority of fourth- and fifth-round selections are out of the NFL in three years on average. So take a flier on an outside opportunity.
But buying with a second or third-round choice? Not for that guy.
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 12:15 PM.
