So another Panthers quarterback is on the waiver wire, the latest courtesy of the Dolphins, who have spent the last eight months amassing assets in a hurricane of a trade/free-agency blockbuster transaction.
So they take another shot to solve their quarterback problem. There’s your problem!
But something is missing. It’s not a problem of team needs. It’s a problem of a quarterback problem. Or lack thereof.
With the Panthers searching for their guy over the weekend, as has been their habit lately, they chose McCown, a local player. It’s a guy with enough good years left. It’s a guy who hasn’t been the starters in three of the last four years.
It’s a guy with a cap hit of $4.5 million this year.
It’s not a perfect quarterback situation. (No one in this business is.)
But it’s not a perfect Dolphins situation, either. What could that be?
They tried Deshaun Watson. Then they toyed with Kirk Cousins. That ended in a decision to keep Ryan Tannehill, the guy whose options, against the quarterback market, looked much better then.
Tannehill is a restricted free agent. He had an opt-out next year. And a team could franchise him then or negotiate a long-term deal. It looks like they’ll try to both. If they ever did that.
They didn’t do either. They thought the 2020 free agent class wouldn’t offer a top-tier answer. So there is the idea of trading for Case Keenum. And what about the Johnny Manziel? Or the Tom Savage?
Now they have a curious dropoff from Watson to Bridgewater. Everyone knows Bridgewater started for a good team. And he made it through a year with his injuries.
This is where we could find out about a Miami team with this anything-but-insignificant need. Who’s coach and what they do with Tannehill is an interesting addition for next week’s NFL Scouting Combine.
It’s an interesting addition for now. The Dolphins want a versatile player to line up in the backfield or in the slot with Taven Bryan. If they want to work him into the defense, they’ll explore outside linebackers like Myles Garrett, Harold Landry or Ziggy Ansah.
We know what happens with quarterbacks and the Dolphins. This latest Watson drama indicates the team wants another guy. The last one didn’t work. The next guy probably won’t, either.
Welcome to the wasteland.
• Draft primer: 5 things to watch for this year and off-the-board hints from Dave Mahler | Pro Bowl | TE Anthony Firkser and OT Ryan Ramczyk | QB Lamar Jackson | CB Adoree’ Jackson | OT Cyrus Kouandjio | RB Derrius Guice | CB Jaire Alexander | WR Courtland Sutton | WR Simmie Cobbs Jr. | OLB Uchenna Nwosu | CB Iman Marshall | RB D’Onta Foreman | NT Vita Vea | RB Alvin Kamara | LB Matt Leo | DE Harold Landry | DE Nick Bosa | QB Josh Allen | LB Rashaan Evans | CB Quenton Meeks | DT Maurice Hurst | LB Preston Smith | TE Evan Engram | K Chris Boswell | P Marquette King | K Cody Parkey | LB Darian Stewart | T Cam Robinson | OT Jermon Bushrod | S Terrence Brooks | DE Shaq Lawson | RB Chris Carson | TE Niles Paul | CB E.J. Gaines | WR Josh Reynolds | LB Barkevious Mingo | OL Jermaine Grace | CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson | TE Jesse James | TE Chris Gragg | RB Adrian Peterson | LB Tim Williams | QB Sam Darnold | S Markelle Martin | CB Tre’Davious White | RB Melvin Gordon | OL Earl Watford | S Nate Gerry | K Mike Nugent |
