THE RIGHT FITZ?
How Fitzpatrick fits into Dolphins’ plan to add a new QB in 2020 NFL draft
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier have a decision to make — one that could drastically alter the future of the franchise and their own careers for years to come.
The 2020 NFL draft is scheduled to start on April 23, when the Dolphins leadership will decide on drafting a franchise quarterback on which to hinge their future.
The options:
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, whose November hip injury raises concerns about his long-term health and durability. A decision to draft him could also hinge on a looming trade offer, which could include multiple draft picks, adding to the stakes.
Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Utah State’s Jordan Love are the others, two quarterbacks with differing strengths, warning signs and potential.
This list works under the assumption the Dolphins are unable to pry LSU’s Joe Burrow away from the Cincinnati Bengals as the expected No. 1 pick.
But crazier things could happen when the draft officially begins.
Miami’s quarterback situation will likely see another signal-caller join a wily, veteran and an elephant in the room as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen remain along for the ride that is the Dolphins’ rebuild under Flores and Grier.
“Fitzpatrick did a great job for us last year, and he’ll be a good guy to help show this person — whoever it is — how to be a professional and learn from him, so we’re excited about that,” Grier said during the NFL combine in February.
The 38-year-old Fitzpatrick, entering his 16th NFL season, was a consummate teammate and appreciated leader as Miami’s starting quarterback last season.
The Dolphins finished with the worst rushing offense as Fitzpatrick was their top ground-gainer and were the sixth-worst overall team last season. Miami was also one of 10 teams to average fewer than 20 points per game.
But the Dolphins finished 12th in passing yards per game, thanks to averaging 409.2 offensively in their final five games.
The young group of Dolphins players galvanized around Fitzpatrick, who led Miami to wins in five of its last nine games after a 0-7 start.
Fitzpatrick exhibited the type of leadership the Dolphins craved during the first season of their rebuilding process, and he will be relied on to be the bridge quarterback between himself and a future starter.
That future starter may or may not be Rosen, who was acquired in a trade during the draft last year. He will likely find himself competing with Fitzpatrick again to be Miami’s starter, hoping to grasp new coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense and gain ground on the rookie quarterback in the process.
“Josh, I expect him to come in, learn the offense, develop the way he was developing over the course and the latter parts of last season,” Flores said of Rosen at the combine. “He’s going to get an opportunity to compete and get better every day.”
The Dolphins passed on Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins, sending a second- and fifth-round pick for Rosen to the Arizona Cardinals, who took Kyler Murray with the first pick in 2019.
One year after being drafted 10th overall, Rosen found himself with his second team in two years. He responded as well as he could in Miami, particularly after being relegated to the backup role after a brief two-game stint as Dolphins’ starter.
Rosen strived to improve in practice while learning from Fitzpatrick along the way — a scenario the Dolphins could find themselves dealing with again this coming season.
The Dolphins may eventually have to move on from Rosen, especially if their new rookie quarterback pans out, but hanging onto him remains advantageous.
Rosen’s contract is extremely favorable: He’s guaranteed close to $2.1 million in 2020 and nearly $2.9 million in 2021. That’s a significantly cheap starter or backup and a contract that won’t be difficult to move based on salary alone.
While another quarterback adds to the competition between Fitzpatrick and Rosen, it could also lead to a distraction the Dolphins would need to learn how to navigate.
The Dolphins never really created much competition for former starter Ryan Tannehill, and as a result they find themselves in this situation at the quarterback position.
Whether it’s Tagovailoa, Herbert or Love, the Dolphins hope their next quarterback can fill a void Dan Marino left when he retired 20 years ago by being a franchise player who can help Miami reach the playoffs on a consistent basis.