The Miami Dolphins signing of Zach Wilson is now official. The former Jet and Bronco signed a one year deal with six million dollars in guaranteed money.
Wilson, a former second overall pick, is the most recent highly touted college quarterback who has joined a new team after faltering early in their career.
While this trend is nothing new, the optics have taken a more positive turn. Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Geno Smith are prime examples of signal callers taken in the first few rounds who have revitalized their careers since changing uniforms.
What each of these players have in common, however, isn’t just their newfound success. Rather, they all joined new teams as backups before ultimately becoming starters. Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield both played in Carolina before Darnold became the backup in San Francisco. Geno Smith, on the other hand, was a journeyman before signing with Seattle to sit behind Russell Wilson.
Becoming a Trend
These newfound results have led to an influx of quarterbacks entering this “rehabilitation” program and finding new teams. For instance, former highly touted quarterbacks like Mac Jones, Trey Lance and Daniel Jones have all changed teams over the last few years looking to reignite their careers.
The logic is sound. These players were regarded as the best of the best during their time in college, and are still on the right side of 30. Any team looking to take a swing can sign them for cheap, rather than drafting a signal caller high. The risk profile is vastly less, and these moves don’t guarantee anyone a starting spot. It makes sense from a team perspective, especially considering Miami’s history.
The last time the Dolphins acquired a former first round pick quarterback, it was a trade for Josh Rosen in 2019. However, Miami moved a second rounder to make that happen, while the Wilson signing only cost the team his salary.
There are obviously tools there with Wilson. He has high-end arm talent despite his pro day becoming a meme in the last few years. Turning him into Miami’s reclamation project could pay dividends à la Sam Darnold in Minnesota. The Vikings are still reaping the rewards of the Darnold experiment, as his signing in Seattle may net them a compensatory draft pick.
The argument can certainly be made that signing a more established backup was a better move. A year five, Zach Wilson was only worth six million dollars for a reason. However, Miami has been trying to improve on the margins. Taking a chance on a player’s ceiling could be a fine gamble for the team if Mike McDaniel can work his magic.
