Miami Dolphins’ rebuild is back on schedule after QB trade speculation
The Miami Dolphins rebuilding is back on schedule, not that it was ever off schedule, now that a top QB has re-signed.
There was a ton of speculation that Russell Wilson would have been traded if a long-term deal was not made. The Dolphins may have been a potential trade partner, but now that Wilson has signed an extension to stay in Seattle, Miami can turn their intentions back to the original plan.
Since the firing of former head coach Adam Gase, the strategy of the Miami Dolphins has been clear: rebuild. Miami has backed their intentions of rebuilding by having one of the quietest offseasons in recent years.
The primary goal surrounding the rebuild is finding a future franchise quarterback. It was reported months ago that the Dolphins have their sights on the 2020 quarterback class, which is expected to be top-heavy at the position. After acquiring a couple of 2020 draft picks already in the Ryan Tannehill and Robert Quinn trades, that report looks to be accurate.
Over the past several weeks, however, an unexpected player looked too soon be available. At the beginning of April, QB Russell Wilson gave the Seattle Seahawks a deadline of April 15th to get a long-term deal done as he enters the final year on his current deal. Easily a top 5 quarterback in the NFL, talks quickly circulated that the Seahawks would be obligated to trade Wilson ahead of the 2019 season if a deal was not reached.
Almost immediately, the kind of return the Seahawks could get in a potential trade began to spruce up. To acquire a person of Wilson’s caliber, the capital to part with would be heavy. Clearly, with multiple first-round picks, the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders were the top teams rumored to get a deal done. The Dolphins, however, are another team that could have parted with the necessary assets.
To get a deal done, Miami would have likely had to part with a deal similar to two first-round picks and possibly a player. That may sound like a hefty price at first, but if you’re Miami it’s a deal that you absolutely make. A move would have certainly changed the direction of the rebuilding process, but surefire quarterbacks like Wilson don’t come around very often. Wilson already has one Super Bowl under his belt and should have had a second. Despite the fact that he is 30 years old, the Dolphins could have had Wilson as their quarterback for possibly the next decade.
On Monday, it did not appear that Wilson and Seattle were anywhere near a deal. With speculation that Wilson wanted to go elsewhere, it appeared that we were about to see a Russell Wilson trade possibly even before the 2019 NFL Draft. A Wilson trade would have rivaled the deal that sent Odell Beckham to Cleveland as this offseason’s biggest blockbuster.
Unfortunately, to the dismay of Dolphins fans and many others across the league, the Seahawks filed their taxes at the last hour and got a deal done to extend Wilson. In the early hours of Tuesday morning for those on the East Coast, Wilson took to Instagram to announce that an agreement had been made.
Both sides agreed to a four-year deal worth $140 million. The deal includes $107 million in guaranteed money, with an NFL-record $65 million signing bonus. Based primarily on guaranteed money, Wilson’s new deal makes him the highest paid quarterback in the league.
On many levels, it was disappointing news for Dolphins fans to wake up to. Although it would have been far from a guarantee to get a deal done, the idea of possibly having a guaranteed franchise quarterback sure was exciting.
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Now the Dolphins organization can turn their attention back to the original plan. That plan in place is bypassing the majority of quarterbacks in 2019 and waiting for 2020 to draft a potential franchise guy. It’s likely that Miami will stay take a QB in this class, but more than likely it will be in the mid-to-late rounds as a developmental project.
The Dolphins need a ton of help at various positions. They are a leading candidate to trade down in the first round if the opportunity presents itself. Trading down could even be a possibility with a Drew Lock or even Dwayne Haskins still on the board. While many fans would be pounding the table for Miami to take either player, it may be the team’s best opportunity to acquire additional picks.
The Dolphins primary goal at this point is to acquire additional picks for 2020. If there is a team willing to part with a first or second-round pick next year Miami may be wise to accept that deal. Should Haskins or Lock be available at 13, teams may be willing to give the Dolphins what they want if they are high on either player.
Even if those quarterbacks are off the board by then, Miami may still receive some trade offers. A number of teams in the back half of the first round are going to be looking for perennial pass rushers. The top-tiers are expected to be off the board within the first twenty selections. Teams that are in win-now mode such as the Kansas City Chiefs or Los Angeles Rams might be willing to give their first-round picks in 2020 to move up.
There are a number of directions that the Dolphins could go, but it looks like Miami will build the trenches before drafting a franchise guy. That’s really the smart play here. If the opportunity of Wilson becoming available had arisen then the Dolphins definitely should have tried whatever they could do to get him. Now that we know he’s staying with Seattle then it’s back to the original plan.
Patience is necessary for this rebuild to work. Although Dolphins fans have been more than patient for the past two decades, it’s going to take at least another year or so before Miami finds their QB of the future. The important thing is that when that time arrives, the Dolphins, in fact, find the right guy. Should they miss on that player then this rebuild is going to last a lot longer then anyone had anticipated.