If the Dolphins wanted to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, there are not many options
The Miami Dolphins could draft a quarterback but would they really do so late in the first round? That is if they even want to get rid of Tua Tagovailoa.
The Draft:
The NFL draft is upon us! Who is the next Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen? This year's quarterback crop is exciting, but the downside, there are a lot of teams looking for their franchise quarterback. Secondly, all those teams looking for their franchise quarterback are potentially in the top 10 draft order, which is a major concern for the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins also do not have a full draft class at their disposal. They lost their 3rd round pick based on tampering, and their 4th rounder for Bradley Chubb.
Unless something crazy happens, I highly doubt that a top tier quarterback will fall to the bottom half of round one, similar to an Aaron Rodgers slide. This year's draft class is focused on one key player and that is Caleb Williams.
Caleb Williams is everything you would expect for a 1st overall selection. Size and arm strength are considered his best assets. He’s got a laser of an arm and has the ability to move/shift from the pocket to make plays with his leg.
The Chicago Bears own the 1st overall selection, and to get Caleb you have to draft 1st overall. Miami would have to mortgage their future with draft allocation to obtain this player. Not only the full draft assets for 2024, but most likely assets in 2025 and 2026.
Another prospect to keep in mind that you might not have to sell the farm for is Michael Penix Jr. Penix Jr is a player that just led his team to the championship game. The results were not the best and there is a lot of work to be desired, but Penix could turn into a legit dual threat. One area of concern - he’s got an injury prone label. A big one. He’s already tore his ACL during his collegiate career. In the NFL, where the speed and players are faster, this might cause Penix to slide, which could bode well for Miami.
One last key thing, Penix has declared that he will participate at the Senior Bowl. Which should provide the Dolphins an opportunity to see what he can do.
These are the best three options that I can think of. Of course, there is a potential fourth one, which is to resign Tua, but at this time, I don’t think that is legit. Tua hasn’t shown to me that he is worth a 50MM cap hit. The Dolphins are on the wrong side of cap availability. This team will look different next season. I don’t believe that the Dolphins core will be back and that is mainly due to the high priced veterans the Miami Dolphins have on their squad.
Based on all the suggested approaches, the most ideal solution would be to trade for Justin Fields. Dolphins fans have seen what Tua can do in this offense, now it’s time to look at this differently. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, and not the ideal cure to get over this hangover.