It is glorious to be under the spell of “FitzMagic for the 2019 season if you are a Miami Dolphins fan.
As magical (and horrific) as this ride is going to be, Miami eventually needs a franchise quarterback.
Should they try to find the next great signal caller in the 2019 NFL Draft?
Or hope the chips fall “right” and they somehow land a top pick in 2020?
Each situation has its own pitfall and promise, let’s weigh the pros and cons of each direction.
You want a star QB in 2019? It’s going to cost you.
Kyler Murray has emerged as the trendy pick to Arizona at the top of the draft. Miami should only have eyes on moving up in the draft if Ohio State quarterback Dwyane Haskins is the target.
Haskins has been long linked to the Giants at pick number six. I don’t see Miami mortgaging the recent stockpile of picks to move into the top five.
If the Giants somehow pass on Haskins, then it could get interesting.
The next teams on the board with quarterback needs, at least in the eyes of some, are the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals.
Denver holds pick 10 while Cincinnati has number 11. Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton are veteran starters, but their organizations could have an eye on the future.
Miami cannot feel safe that Haskins will pass one or both of these teams.
If the Dolphins are going to get Haskins, they will probably have to approach their division mates the Buffalo Bills who hold pick nine.
Will their hated rival want to do business with them?
If the price is right, perhaps. Miami would likely have to swap first rounders and throw in possibly a second round pick to move up four spots.
A nice contingency plan for the Fins could be Drew Lock at 13, if he is on the board Miami may take a look.
The smarter play would be to trade down if that is the case and see if you can get him later while adding more picks in 2020.
Holding for 2020 has many risks
We have all heard the “Tank for Tua” hype, and barring anything unforeseen he is probably the top pick next year.
The only guarantee to get Tua is to be the worst team in the NFL this year.
Miami is bad, but they are not the worst team in the league.
Twelve teams finished worse than Miami in 2018, it seems hard to imagine all 12 will be better than them this year.
That being said, Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Georgia’s Jake Fromm should be on the Dolphins radar and in play.
Miami will be a dreadful team in 2019 and should end up near the bottom five this season.
With an abundance of cap space and draft picks, for once the Miami Dolphins have some leverage and flexibility.
Let’s just hope they use it right.
My opinion is the Dolphins should use these advantages in 2020 when the available talent pool is deeper.
The price for Haskins in 2019 may simply be too high for a team with so many needs.
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