Dolphins apparently sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick in year better veteran QBs available
The Miami Dolphins are looking for a quarterback. The entire Earth knows this, even as coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier insist every chance they get that a quarterback is only one of multiple positions the team is studying this offseason — putting the most important position in the same conversation with a right guard.
Luckily for the Dolphins, there are any number of ways they could find a quarterback this offseason, and probably a good one to boot.
They could draft one, using their No. 5 overall pick in the NFL draft’s first round to select the best quarterback available. And chances are they’ll land a talented young player if they do this right.
They could sign one, using their enormous stash of salary cap space, to chase and actually land any veteran quarterback on the open market they covet. And this offseason, unlike most, the list of veteran quarterbacks available in free agency or via trade is extensive.
Teddy Bridgewater.
Marcus Mariota.
Phillip Rivers.
Probably Jameis Winston.
Probably Andy Dalton.
Case Keenum.
Maybe even Tom Brady.
Yeah, crazy.
And to be clear: It won’t be Tom Brady.
Everything I’ve heard so far -- which cuts through a lot of agenda clutter -- suggests Brady will return to the New England Patriots in 2020. This contrary to national writers actually assigned to the story and a couple of local New England reporters for which I have a lot of respect who believe Brady is gone.
But stay or go, it’s clear Brady will not be playing for the Dolphins.
Owner Stephen Ross made clear during the Super Bowl it doesn’t makes sense for the Dolphins because they’re rebuilding and Brady is going to be 43 years old in August. And it doesn’t make sense for Brady because the Dolphins are rebuilding and he wants to win now.
And Flores last week eventually agreed with Ross after going off on a Ryan Fitzpatrick is great tangent.
“I think ‘Fitz’ did a good job, a really good job last year,” Flores said. “His leadership was something that really helped us a year ago. I’m really focused on the guys that are on our team right now. As far as Tom Brady and free agents, that’s coming up and I understand the question.
“But right now, we’re having conversations and we’re kind of looking at everything – Chris, myself, our personnel staff, we look at everything. Every avenue, Chris has got a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for everything. That’s a good thing. We kind of bounce ideas off of each other. It’s a really good working relationship. We’ll see what happens as we move forward.”
No, coach.
Close the Brady-to-Miami door before you contradict Ross, who is your boss, and you turn this into a national story.
“Like I said, I feel that ‘Fitz’ has done a really good job,” Flores continued. “I agree with Steve as far as why would (Tom Brady) want to come to Miami? I do. I’ll leave it at that. I do agree with Steve.”
The next day, the NFL Network reported for about 15 minutes that Brady agent Don Yee was in Indianapolis and the Dolphins were among the teams meeting with him about interest in Brady.
And I reported the Dolphins were not meeting with Yee about Brady.
And the NFL Network story quickly faded.
That’s the landscape, particularly as it involves veteran quarterbacks this offseason.
Which leads me to three things:
1. The Dolphins apparently have no significant interest in signing Tom Brady, perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history, even though he may be available in free agency this spring.
2. The Dolphins have no significant interest at this point in signing any veteran quarterback this spring to replace Fitzpatrick as their starter.
3. The Dolphins do have interest and every intention of drafting a quarterback in the April draft and that guy will be the hope for tomorrow.
So now you’re caught up on the apparent Miami Dolphins quarterback plans for this offseason.
And if I had to name names, I would say the guys on the roster after the April draft will be current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, future starter Justin Herbert and once and future backup Josh Rosen.
All good?
Well, I’m not. At least not totally.
Because what I see is the Dolphins putting their franchise quarterback egg into the draft basket. And off the personnel department will go, expecting that precious egg to hatch championships.
But I don’t see that Plan B, Flores said exists.
I don’t see Plan C, unless it’s named Rosen.
I see one addition of a rookie first-round selection.
I see the Dolphins addressing the future -- they hope.
And while that’s good for years down the road if that quarterback does what the Dolphins expect, it forfeits the 2020 season to Fitzpatrick.
I see the team kind of punting on the idea of improving the quarterback room by trying to upgrade on Fitzpatrick.
This is what I mean by that: While the Dolphins seem laser focused on drafting a quarterback they hope will be the man in a year or so, they’ve gotten comfortable with the idea of Fitzpatrick being good enough for the time being.
That bothers me. Because the Dolphins, especially Flores, talks about creating competition for everyone. And trying to upgrade and making the team better all the time.
But then the conversation turns to Fitzpatrick and everybody goes all wobbly.
The Dolphins use adjectives like, “great” when speaking of Fitz. They applaud his leadership in 2019 like he’s the only leader the Dolphins have ever had. For goodness sake, the Dolphins even went out and hired Fitzpatrick’s former coach in Buffalo and New York, Chan Gailey, to be the offensive coordinator and that assures Fitzpatrick of being comfortable.
And I wonder where’s the urgency to upgrade on Fitzpatrick for 2020?
Look, Fitz did solid work last season in adverse circumstances. It was commendable. And in most offseasons, that could earn him another year.
But this offseason, with tons of talent about to hit free agency, doesn’t that status quo demand extra scrutiny?
I see a chance for upgrade.
Because I saw 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions from Fitzpatrick, not 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. I saw 40 sacks, not 20.
I saw a modest 85.5 quarterback rating, not 95.5.
And I saw 5-11, not 11-5.
So forgive me if I factor the actual production in there while everyone else concentrates on Fitzpatrick’s great leadership and epic beard and all the other good things Fitz offers. Because I think the right thing to do is be dispassionate about this and have the full picture.
I simply believe it’s incongruent to want to upgrade the quarterback room with a starter of tomorrow while accepting the status quo on the starter of today.
Me? Upgrade everybody, if possible.
I try to upgrade both. Or at least I try.
And I can hear the Dolphins now: Ryan Fitzpatrick is just as good as any quarterback we might add and he’s signed for the relative bargain price of $8 million in 2020.
That’s a fair argument. But it’s only half-right.
Fitz is probably cheaper than most of the other vet QBs that will be available. But he’s not better than all of them.
Bridgewater is better than Fitz.
Mariota, Winston and Dalton might be better, depending on what day it is, and they all are younger.
And this is where I remind you where we were a year ago: “We understand, and Ryan knows, too, that he’s not a long-term solution for any team.”
Chris Grier said this in March of 2019. And here we are in March of 2020 and the same guy who everyone knew wasn’t the solution is sounding a lot like Miami’s solution for the second consecutive season.
No, Flores isn’t saying that Fitzpatrick will definitely be the starter in ‘20. But we know a rookie would have to be better than Dan Marino to come in and start immediately over him, when Fitzpatrick is so established and so familiar with Gailey’s offense.
Indeed, even Marino didn’t start right away as a rookie. He sat behind a quarterback that went to the Super Bowl the year before.
The rookie the Dolphins expect to draft in the first round? He might sit behind the quarterback who became a seemingly untouchable hero after his team went 5-11 last year.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 2:49 AM.
