Dolphins at NFL Combine to get full measure of the quarterbacks (and others), but mostly QBs
The Miami Dolphins’ contingent will be in Indianapolis by Monday, and the point of the entire NFL Combine for this team can be boiled down to the thing that encompasses everything else the team will do this offseason: Get comfortable with a quarterback.
That’s it.
That’s job No. 1.
Every other decision, every other move the next few weeks and months, will revolve around what happens with that one issue.
The Dolphins are still not comfortable with any quarterback in the 2020 draft to the extent they absolutely are committed or would like to commit to one player.
Put another way, the Dolphins don’t believe they have their guy yet. Not 100%, anyway.
The Dolphins feel they still don’t know all the quarterbacks well enough to make that important decision on any of them, according to a source familiar with the team’s thinking.
And before fans throw their phones or tablets or newspapers in a fireplace after reading that last paragraph, consider this clarification: The Dolphins have watched and studied all of the quarterbacks in this draft.
They have discussed many of them internally.
They have especially concentrated on the first-round quarterbacks — including Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and even Jacob Eason, who is very much an acquired taste.
But they don’t know these guys.
They have not sat in a room as an organization and put all of these players under extreme pressure.
They have not asked the uncomfortable questions that delve into each player’s weaknesses.
They have not asked questions meant to measure leadership.
They have not quizzed them on their football knowledge.
They have not, in short, gotten the full measure of all the candidates to determine who is best-suited to be the face of the Dolphins for years to come.
That’s about to happen. The process — which will include lunches, dinners, a visit to South Florida, classroom sessions elsewhere, and, yes, a Pro Day — begins in Indianapolis.
And the Dolphins insist — insist! — no decision is made.
If it were made, something would be amiss with Miami’s process because it would be incomplete. And also, no one would be saying much about the subject, which Dolphins people have already been cautioned internally not to do.
After all this work is complete, then the talk about possibly trading up from No. 5 overall with Detroit (No. 3) or the New York Giants (No. 4) can become serious because it would be done with an actual player in mind.
Some things about Miami’s process this year will be interesting to gauge:
Will owner Stephen Ross participate?
He went on multiple trips with general manager Chris Grier to watch quarterbacks play last year. He is ardent about wanting a young, franchise quarterback from this draft.
Is that desire so keen that he wants to continue seeing for himself which is the right fit?
The Dolphins, as they have in the past, will make Dan Marino part of the process. He has studied and graded quarterbacks for the team for years. He has also been part of the meetings with practically all players but particularly quarterbacks.
And he was at the Senior Bowl as part of the Miami contingent that met with players last month.
Marino will have a seat at the table on this one.
Also interesting will be seeing the role new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey plays in the quarterback search.
Gailey did not go to the Senior Bowl. The organization apparently felt it was a better use of his time to work on his offense and be at work in South Florida than meet with, say, Herbert or Love in Mobile.
So is Gailey joining the process in Indianapolis to find the player whom he will be largely responsible for developing the next couple of years?
Yes, according to the Dolphins.
All of this is important as the Dolphins work toward their biggest quarterback decision since 2012 when then-GM Jeff Ireland drafted Ryan Tannehill in the first round.
All of this is important as the Dolphins work toward finding their first elite quarterback since they drafted Marino 37 years ago.
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 4:53 AM.
