Miami Dolphins quarterback situation heading into 2018
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins and the rest of the NFL are heading towards the 2018 NFL league new year in March. For the first time since 2012 the Dolphins have an issue at the quarterback position.
When the season kicks into gear with OTA’s and mini-camps then eventually training camp, Ryan Tannehill will be the starter. The question is who will be his back-up and will that back-up be a rookie?
Currently the Dolphins have Tannehill, Jay Cutler, Matt Moore, David Fales, and Brandon Doughty on their roster but Matt Moore is a free agent to be and Miami is not likely going to re-sign him. Nor should they. The same can be said for Cutler
In 2017 the Dolphins didn’t think too highly of Matt Moore. Not enough to hand over the franchise keys for a season. Instead they opted to pay $10 million to rent Jay Cutler for a season. That was a disaster and really highlighted the need for the position to be addressed.
The issues at quarterback heading into the 2018 season are twofold. On one hand you need a reliable back-up that can step in and lead the team if Tannehill misses a few series. On the other hand you need a reliable back-up that can step in and take over immediately if Tannehill’s knee goes out again. The common thread here? The Dolphins need a reliable back-up.
This is where the draft comes into play. Miami has been linked to a first round quarterback being drafted but at this early stage it is all rumor and conjecture. Drafting a quarterback in round one spells the end for Tannehill as early as 2019. It is a committment to changing quarterbacks for the long-term.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they need to draft a quarterback. Early would be preferred.
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Miami can’t no longer wait for Tannehill to completely develop and no, he has not developed entirely yet. They can also no longer bet on his now surgically repaired knee to not be a problem. Tannehill’s at his best when he can run with the ball but will his knee issues of the past two seasons stick in his mind and mentally challenge him to give up his style of play?
Behind Tannehill there is not much to work with. Cutler and Moore should be gone in another month and that leaves Fales and Doughty. Neither one have shown they are ready to take over starting duties and that has to now be in the minds of the coaches and executives.
Miami’s options are simple. Go the free agent route or draft a quarterback. Free agency will be expensive and the draft will not likely produce a player ready to start should Tannehill go down.
It is for this reason that Miami may turn to a quarterback early in the draft. Maybe even as early as round one. Regardless the Dolphins must fix the positions depth and be prepared for a season without it’s starting quarterback. Something they didn’t bother to do until he went down.