Miami Dolphins Ryan Tannehill could see a landing spot with Bengals
Believe it or not, Ryan Tannehill will have trade value ahead of next season. There are expected to be at least a few teams interested in acquiring him, and the Bengals could be a viable option.
No matter what your position is on Ryan Tannehill, the fact is that he plays at the most pivotal position in football, and many within the NFL still view him as a starting-caliber player. After seven seasons, the Miami Dolphins appear ready to move on from Tannehill, and into a different direction, but there are expected to be teams interested to acquire Tannehill for at least the 2019 season.
As is always the case, there are teams out there in need of a quarterback. In a seemingly weak draft class of quarterbacks, Tannehill should gauge some interest from a number of teams. On Monday, Antwan Staley of USA Today wrote how the Redskins could be a potential trade partner for Miami to part with Tannehill. Washington is a possibility, with other teams like the Jaguars, and maybe even the Giants, possibly inquiring about Tannehill’s availability. The team that I have at the top of the list, however, is Cincinnati.
There has not been a lot of talk about the Bengals search for a quarterback whether through free agency or the draft. In nearly every mock draft that you may have looked at thus far, it’s been almost unanimous that LSU linebacker Devin White has been mocked to the Bengals. Even in the cases where writers believe they will go in a different direction, it seems clear that Cincinnati will not take a quarterback in the first round.
That’s not to say that Cincinnati won’t draft a quarterback at all as there is a good chance they could take one in the mid rounds. However, the Bengals have to be thinking of eventually moving on from Andy Dalton. Cincinnati is finally going to be welcoming in a new coaching staff, and potential hire Zac Taylor is probably going to want to go in a different direction sooner or later.
It’s not initially expected that the Bengals would move on from Dalton just yet, but if they view Tannehill as an upgrade over Dalton they could certainly make it happen. Dalton is due $16 million in 2019, but Cincinnati can let him go, and save themselves the full amount. Tannehill’s contract is not as friendly after his restructure with the Dolphins back in March, but the Bengals and Tannehill could restructure his contract again if there is a trade in place.
As it stands, Tannehill is due $18.7 million in 2019 with a cap hit of $26.6 million provided he is on the Dolphins next season. If Miami cuts or trades him prior to June 1st, they would have $13.2 million in cap savings. A designated post June 1st cut or trade would provide $18.75 million in cap savings.
Cincinnati is in a similar situation as Miami as they tend to be in that middle tier of teams that continues to miss the playoffs, but they aren’t bad enough to be drafting near the top. Even when the Bengals made the playoffs six of seven seasons from 2009 to 2015, Cincinnati lost in the Wild Card round every time for an 0-6 record in that span, indicating they were never really a legit contender.
More from Phin Phanatic
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
Unlike the Dolphins, however, the Bengals don’t appear set on a full rebuild. For one, they have a really good offense with playmakers like A.J. Green, and young guys like Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd. Cincinnati’s primary issues comes from their defense, but they understand they can vastly improve that side of the ball with smart drafting.
If they can do that, and the Bengals believe that Tannehill is better than Dalton, even slightly, then they may think that he puts them in position to get Cincinnati back to the playoffs. A strong majority of Dolphins fans may think otherwise, but who cares? If it helps Miami to finally cut ties with Tannehill, and gain some capital in the process so be it.
The question remains what exactly is Tannehill worth in a potential trade. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and teams are typically willing to part with higher picks in order to acquire one. Just last off-season, Tyrod Taylor, who only ever played well against the Dolphins, was traded for a high third round pick. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Miami can get the same for Tannehill.
If there is a team out there that is willing to give the Dolphins a second round pick then they should pounce immediately unless that team is the New England Patriots. We could all foresee Bill Belichick sprinkling some fairy dust on Tannehill if he were traded to New England, and turn him into an All-Pro quarterback that would dominate the division for the next decade.
While a third round pick is realistic, the Dolphins should not be upset if they can only muster a fourth or even a fifth round selection for him. It’s pretty clear that Miami is ready to move on from Tannehill, and teams may use that against the Dolphins in negotiations. If you’re the Dolphins, you need to suck up and take it.
It remains to be seen how Miami approaches the Tannehill situation, but Dolphins fans shouldn’t expect something to be done quickly. The start of free agency is approximately six weeks away, but a potential trade or cut involving Tannehill will likely be much later.
Miami will attempt to get the best compensation as possible for Tannehill, and that’s probably not going to happen until after the draft. Teams will know where they stand after the draft, and we’ll probably have a better understanding of what Tannehill’s trade value is upon its completion.
With David Fales and Luke Falk as the only other quarterbacks currently on the roster, the Dolphins don’t want to make it look as though they are desperate in trading Tannehill right away, and get low compensation as a result. As I said, if all they can get is a fifth round pick for him they should take it, but if they can wait it out for a few weeks or months to get a possible third for 2020 that’s the smarter play.
There should be about three or four teams at least that will be interested in picking up the phone to inquire about Tannehill. I, personally, just have the hunch that he winds up in Cincinnati, although there are no rumors or speculations to back that up. As long as he doesn’t end up in the AFC East, resulting in the Dolphins seeing him twice a year, then I really don’t care where he winds up.