Chris Grier still needs to make this QB move this offseason for the Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are in a real quandary. They are negotiating zealously with Tua Tagovailoa and his representatives on a long-term extension. Tagovailoa participated in select drills recently in the mandatory minicamp. He did attend, but did not play in team situations or in any situation that could have led to an injury.

What happens if Tua's "hold in", turns into a protracted hold out during training camp and it carries into the preseason? This is not uncommon for quarterbacks that are looking for very large extensions. He might not want to risk his body getting banged around and suffer an injury until the dollars, which are projected to be in excess of $50 million per season, are worked out. This would be an unmitigated disaster. Can you imagine if Tagovailoa holds out this summer?

Grier must be proactive and sign the best available quarterback under a cap-friendly deal just in case this whole Tagovailoa negotiation goes south and he is advised by his representatives to put his feet in the sand and get ready to hold out during training camp.

The Dolphins need to find a reliable QB2 this offseason before it's too late

Miami has local product Mike White and Skylar Thompson in the cupboard, waiting for their chance. If neither of them ever takes another snap for the Dolphins, plenty of people would be quite happy. They are very pedestrian at best and cannot be entrusted to the Ferrari-like offense that Mike McDaniel is running with his track team of superstars.

Of the remaining veteran quarterbacks remaining in free agency, only former Dolphins and TItans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is competent enough to come in and finish a game, if Tagovailoa gets injured, or in the event of a protracted Tagovailoa hold out.

There are retreads like Blaine Gabbert, A.J. McCarron, Brian Hoyer and Ben DiNucci, but neither are sexy enough to run the Dolphins offense. Therefore, Tannehill wins the job by default and should be signed by Grier soon. He has made a lot of money during his day in the sun as a starting quarterback and would probably be willing to sign an incentive-laden deal that would bring him back to Miami.

When Tannehill was drafted in 2012, owner Stephen Ross commented that he wanted Tannehill to play his entire career with the Dolphins and be their future. He wanted to one day put him in the Ring of Honor. Neither of those things will occur at this stage, but Tannehill could prove to be a cost-worthy insurance policy. The rest of the QB free agents can't be looked at as solid options.

It's time for Grier to clean out the rest of his quarterback room, and gain cap space in the process. White is on the books for $5 million this season and as a post-June 1 casualty, would yield very little dead money under the cap rules. That money could go to Tagovailoa's extension or even to a Tyreek Hill extension, which is also projected to occur this summer.

Miami needs to bid adieu to White and his balloted salary and sign Tannehill for close to the veteran minimum in a cap friendly deal. You might recall that Tannehill was the first-round draft choice of the Dolphins in 2012 and played for Miami through the 2018 season. He was then traded to Tennessee for next to nothing.

Look at what other backups have been signing for around the league. Take Joshua Dobbs for example. He started and played fairly well for both Arizona and Minnesota last season and he signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with San Francisco. That would save Miami almost $3 million under the cap by cutting White and offering the same type of contract to Tannehill, who still has a home in South Florida.

Tannehill is the only quarterback out there that can lead the offense in the event of a Tagovailoa holdout or injury. Miami cannot have another situation where Tagovailoa was injured and Teddy Bridgewater was also unable to go and the Dolphins were stuck starting Thompson in a playoff game at Buffalo. The Thompson experience did not end well and Miami was bounced from the playoffs in McDaniel's first season. The game was not competitive and Thompson looked clearly overmatched and under prepared. This can't be the case moving forward. It's time to bring back Tannehill.