A look at the quarterbacks the Miami Dolphins could have had since 2001
By Brian Miller
Teddy Bridgewater to Jimmy Garrappolo
How Bridgewater bounces back from a devastating knee injury is anyone’s guess but his entry into the NFL was highly touted. Bridgewater looked promising his rookie season. Taken 32nd overall in the 2014 draft, Miami easily could have drafted the prospect but opted to ride it out with a struggling Tannehill and drafted Ja’Wuan James at 19 overall instead.
In round two the Dolphins could have drafted QB’s Derek Carr or Jimmy Garrappolo. Both have a lot of upside. In Oakland Carr has struggled in his return after a knee injury and in San Francisco Garrappolo is 3-0 as the starter after he was traded by the Patriots. Would either quarterback make a huge difference over Tannehill? Maybe not but they would have a huge advantage over Jay Cutler.
Miami through the years have failed to draft mid-round or early round quarterbacks to develop as back-ups instead relying on veterans from other teams who are no longer valued.
Overview
Since that 2011 draft few quarterbacks, in fact the above listed nine have really stood out as players Miami could have drafted given their draft position. Not assuming a trade up or down could have been made given the fact that a trade wasn’t made. That is nine potential quarterbacks who has shown some success in the NFL (except for Quinn), in 16 seasons.
While many want a different quarterback the reality is a sure bet starter hasn’t landed in Miami’s lap at the right time in the right situation. This year the Dolphins need to buck this trend and make quarterback a priority.
Tannehill’s contract now is team friendly and given the questions surrounding his knee, now may be the best time to find a player that can be groomed to replace him. At 30 years old and now missing a full season, Miami needs to think ahead and not rest on what they hope will happen.
To get a better idea of what quarterbacks have been available since that 2001 draft, take a look at the all-time quarterback draft list on NFL.com.