Tua Tagovailoa's injury has exposed several issues on the Miami Dolphins' roster, notably their lack of preparation at the backup quarterback position.
This team isn't built to win games without Tua.
Fortunately, they found a way past the New England Patriots and, thanks to poor performances around the division, somehow find themselves still in the AFC East mix.
The Dolphins need to add more talent to the quarterback position, even if Tagovailoa remains the long-term starter. Their failure to sign an adequate backup before the season has hurt them. It won't be surprising if they continue to explore their options in the weeks ahead, but not every potential option is worthwhile.
Dolphins urged to trade for Trey Lance before the deadline
With the November 5 trade deadline fast approaching, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has named a trade each team should make. Benjamin believes the Dolphins should make a move to acquire former first-round pick Trey Lance from the Dallas Cowboys.
"Tua Tagovailoa may return, but it feels irresponsible to trust he'll stay upright and/or safe," writes Benjamin. "Coach Mike McDaniel was with the San Francisco 49ers when the dynamic but unpolished Lance was drafted high."
Benjamin's logic for the trade is totally understandable. Yes, the Dolphins should explore their options at quarterback, and the idea of bringing in Lance makes sense. McDaniel worked with him in San Francisco, and he is a young quarterback he could develop behind Tua. However, at this point, Lance hasn't shown nearly enough for it to work.
Lance doesn't help the Dolphins in the short term. He isn't currently a good enough backup quarterback and wouldn't give the team a better chance of winning games than Tyler Huntley or Skylar Thompson. Lance couldn't even win the Cowboys' backup quarterback job this summer after throwing two touchdowns and five interceptions in the preseason.
And if Lance doesn't provide a short-term fix, the Dolphins shouldn't trade for him. He is in the final year of his contract, meaning Miami would have to give up draft capital and either pay him or lose him in the offseason.
If the Dolphins plan to add a young quarterback to develop behind Tagovailoa, they should wait until the draft rather than making a trade for a player who might not be on the roster beyond this season.
The idea of adding a young, developmental quarterback makes sense. But the answer isn't Trey Lance.
