Fear and a timid spirit have stifled the Miami Dolphins' organization for far too long.
Two decades have been plagued by an epidemic I call "Paralysis by Quarterback."
The fear of being bold and daring, having a conviction about a quarterback and going after him, or just requiring a quarterback to actually compete on a regular basis has crippled South Florida's NFL franchise for more than two decades.
Settling has become Miami's comfort zone under past leadership.
It settled on Jay Fielder, who allowed the Dolphins to waste one of the NFL's better defenses in the early 2000s.
The Dolphins settled on Chad Henne in the second round in 2008, passing on Matt Ryan in the first round because they wanted a safer pick in left tackle Jake Long and got outmaneuvered for Joe Flacco by the Ravens.
Miami rode the Henne wave for three seasons before determining the investment wasn't worth the return in 2012.
That's when the organization moved on and used a first-round pick on Ryan Tannehill, selecting the former Texas A&M receiver who played quarterback for 19 collegiate games. The Dolphins invested seven seasons in him before deciding to move in 2019.
Count it up. At what point did the Dolphins make a bold move at quarterback since Dan Marino retired in 1999?
Was it trading for Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon or Josh Rosen? Was it drafting John Beck, Pat White or Brandon Doughty? Or how about signing Daunte Culpepper, Chad Pennington, Matt Moore or Ryan Fitzpatrick to serve as bridge quarterbacks?
All of those quarterback maneuvers were safe, calculated decisions designed to keep the ship afloat.
In 20 years the Dolphins haven't made one bold move to address football's most important position. My fear this offseason is that General Manager Chris Grier, coach Brian Flores, and their staffs will let history repeat itself and then make some valid _ but usually weak _ excuse as to why they were conservative.
And as a byproduct, the Dolphins will continue to remain irrelevant in the national landscape, floating out at sea like the rudderless ship this franchise has resembled for two decades.
Considering the Dolphins have nearly $100 million in cap space, are projected to own 14 selections in next month's NFL draft and also possess two first-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, this is the time to be bold and daring.
This is the time to have a conviction about a quarterback _ any quarterback _ and then go get him because the resources and money are there.
If that quarterback's LSU's Joe Burrow, keep raising the stakes on a trade offer until the notoriously frugal and rebuilding Bengals are forced to accept it.
Is giving up three first-round picks for Burrow too much if the outcome is a top-10 quarterback for the next decade?
Packaging the No. 5, 18 and 26 pick to Cincinnati for No. 1 still leaves 11 picks in the 2020 draft to build with.
If that quarterback is Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, whom I firmly believe will be a top-three selection in the draft because of his pedigree and intangibles, then do what it takes to move up to the No. 2 spot.
Entice Washington with a bounty of picks that will convince the Redskins' decision-makers that losing out on Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young, who is universally viewed as the best prospect in this draft class, won't cripple their franchise. They already have Ryan Kerrigan, Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat.
And do it now before the price goes up, and Washington realizes Tagovailoa's upside is greater than that of Dwayne Haskins and Ryan Anderson. Other areas can be addressed with an array of selections Miami could ship their way.
For two decades this franchise has operated in fear, settling for the Jordan Loves and Justin Herberts of the world. That type of behavior and shortsighted reasoning has fostered a loser's mentality, one that is fueling football apathy in this once-proud NFL community.
Playing it safe with the football's most important position _ or as I call it, "Paralysis by Quarterback" _ has kept the Dolphins on the Mediocrity Merry-go-Round we've ridden for two decades.
It's time we get off!
It is time Miami's decision-makers get a conviction about a young, developmental quarterback and do whatever it takes to land him, because the Dolphins franchise and the fan base that supports it can't, won't, and most importantly, shouldn't tolerate another decade of conservative quarterback moves that have led to this franchise's irrelevancy.
