Ryan Tannehill Traded to Tennessee: What Are the QB Options in Miami?

ryan tannehill

Getty Ryan Tannehill remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

The Miami Dolphins have traded quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Tennessee sent a fourth and seventh-round draft pick in exchange for the former Dolphins starter.

To facilitate his trade to Tennessee from Miami, Tannehill has restructured his contract with the Titans, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“#Titans QB Ryan Tannehill’s new contract is for 1 year with $7M fully guaranteed,” Rapoport reports. “It goes to $12M+ with playtime, other incentives.”

I previously reported rumors linking former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to the Dolphins. Miami is desperately looking for a quarterback after losing out on both Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater. This is what I wrote earlier about the Ryan Tannehill situation in Miami.

With former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles agreeing Monday to a reported four-year deal worth $88 million (with $50.125 million guaranteed) with the Jacksonville Jaguars, former Jaguars starter Blake Bortles could also be an option for Miami when he is eventually released.

Mike Florio of NBC Sports acknowledge the Bortles possibility but laid out a few more names.

So now what will the Dolphins do? Ryan Fitzpatrick is available, as is Trevor Siemian. Blake Bortles soon will be on the market. Josh McCown is also on the market, but he has made it clear that he plans to wait before making his next move.

Miami has more than enough cap space with a little over $29 million, according to Spotrac. They could also decide to address the situation in this April’s NFL Draft. The Dolphins have the No. 13 overall pick in the first round, as well as at least 1 pick in each of the 7 rounds.

The top quarterback prospects are Heisman finalists in Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco projects them both in the top-10 in his most recent mock draft.

Miami could also decide to draft Missouri’s Drew Lock or Duke’s Daniel Jones in the first round, while West Virginia’s Will Grier is a possible option in the second day of the draft. Lock is currently projected at No. 10 to the Broncos by Prisco, and Jones would go No. 15 to the Redskins.

Grier is an intriguing option, as he produced impressive numbers in his time at West Virginia. Over 22 games, Grier completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 7,354 yards and 71 touchdowns. He flashed running ability, too, as he tacked on five scores on the ground in two seasons.

Todd McShay provided this analysis during Senior Bowl week, tempering expectations.

“West Virginia’s Will Grier was solid but unspectacular on Wednesday. I thought he got into a good rhythm in 7-on-7s, but he is really benefiting from having three Mountaineer pass-catchers on the roster.”

Also, Walter Football ranks him as the No. 7 signal-caller in this year’s class, even behind Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson. The site had this to say:

“Multiple team sources who have seen Grier in person say he has just average arm strength and has a hard time driving the ball when he can’t set his feet. Some in the media are pushing Grier as a first-round pick.”

Miami could combine these options by signing a holdover option like Bortles or ?McCown, and wait for Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Georgia’s Jake Fromm next year.