The numbers do not add up for Mike White to come back for 2024 season
White's cap number of $5.2 million is simply too high for an unproven backup that will never start in Miami. He threw six passes in mop up duty last season and his sole incompletion was a pick six.
Backup quarterback Mike White, who threw six passes last season in relief of Tua Tagovailoa at the end of six regular season games, has a high cap number and is not worth bringing back under the terms of his current contract.
White has a cap number of $5.2 million this season and that amount is simply too much for a backup quarterback who has the unimpressive resume that White possesses.
Should the Dolphins elect to waive White before the season, they would only be responsible for a cap hit of $1.7 million. For a team looking to extend Tagovailoa this offseason with a contract that is fit for a King, the difference in cap space in waiving White could be better used elsewhere.
The Dolphins could also restructure White's contract and give him guaranteed money upfront with a lower base salary, but that would be throwing good money away for bad. If I were Chris Grier I would rather keep the signing bonus money in the bank and simply cut my losses. White is not worthy of a significant signing bonus or even anything above the veteran league minimum of $1.21 million.
It would be best for the Dolphins to waive White before the draft and give him an opportunity to latch on elsewhere. They could find a veteran quarterback in free agency to take White's spot and offer something close to the league minimum on a one-year deal. The deal that the veteran turns down today looks awfully good when there are no other jobs to be had.
Further, Miami still has Skylar Thompson on the roster who has shown flashes of readiness when he was forced to spell Tagovailoa during the 2022 season when Tagovailoa and then-backup Teddy Bridgewater were both injured. Thompson won a game that propelled the Dolphins to go to the playoffs that year and showed that he was capable of running the offense.
Thompson's cap hit is barely over a million dollars as he is still operating under the rookie contract that he signed in 2022. For a backup quarterback, that is a bargain given today's market.
The Dolphins could also bring in a formidable third-string quarterback as an undrafted free agent after the draft concludes. I do not think that Miami would spend one of their six draft choices on a backup signal caller when they have so many other holes to fill, especially along the front lines.
Miami could target a quarterback like Austin Reed from Western Kentucky, or possibly Sam Hartman from Notre Dame, who had a pedestrian-like week at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Combine earlier this month. They do not appear to be likely draft choices and the Dolphins will probably be on the phones with their agents as we begin the seventh round to offer free agent contracts. Hartman might be a late-round selection based on his film and stellar college career, but there is a significant chance that he will go undrafted.
Florida State's Jordan Travis might go undrafted due to the serious leg injury that he sustained last season and would probably start the season on the PUP list. Travis was instrumental in leading the Seminoles to the ACC Championship last season and a berth in the Orange Bowl. The playoff committee elected to leave the undefeated Seminoles out of the playoff due to the fact that Travis was not able to participate.
Travis is equally dangerous throwing the ball and running it on designed plays. Travis is most dangerous when he escapes the pocket and can throw on the run, or scamper downfield for a first down. He could be a diamond in the rough. Travis was viewed as a first-round selection by many draft experts before the devastating injury.
Another name that rings a bell is Carter Bradley of South Alabama. Bradley is the son of former Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley and has a strong understanding of the game and how to attack defenses. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl in front of the scouts, but is a long shot to get drafted.
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