The Miami Dolphins are in the quarterback market.
Realistically, Tua Tagovailoa's not coming back anytime soon, and having to go 15 weeks with Skylar Thompson isn't going to cut it on a roster that's otherwise built to contend for an AFC East title and more. This version of the Dolphins are in the middle of their contention window, which makes punting on a season after two weeks not really an option.
However, not every team is against punting on the season after two weeks. In fact, some are actively doing so! It's a bold strategy. The Panthers announced on Monday that they're benching starting quarterback and first overall pick Bryce Young, all but ending one of the most ill-fated attempts at team building that the modern NFL has seen.
Maybe Young returns sometime in December when the Panthers remember, oh yeah, this is what Andy Dalton plays like, but the writing's on the wall – Young's time in Charlotte is pretty obviously coming to an end.
And while that's sad for Young (unless he wants to get out of Charlotte, and who could blame him), it presents the Dolphins with an interesting opportunity. Redemption arc!Trading for Bryce Young could be Mike McDaniel's best QB option
The Dolphins need a quarterback who can get the ball to their playmakers. Bryce Young needs an offense that doesn't ask him to be a Top-15 QB. The match makes so much sense that it's one of the few popular ideas on Twitter that isn't overly Logged On. ESPN's Ben Solak hit on the idea earlier in the year:
Is this the best idea that anyone's ever had? Perhaps not. Is it an idea that someone's once had? It sure is! But the notion that Mike McDaniel knows how to get the best out of Young sounds better than, say, CJ Beathard. Watching Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold rip it up under competent coaching staff makes it pretty easy to see a world where Young succeeds with the right ecosystem around him. You have to squint a little to see the vision, but that's life when you're looking for a new QB in Week 2.
It's a deal that works for everyone. The Dolphins get to take a flier on a guy who went first overall only two years ago, the Panthers get to salvage whatever's left of their organizational reputation by recovering a mid-round pick for the worst draft decision of all time, and we all get to make fun of the Panthers. Let's make it happen.
