HEADLINES

Dolphins To Explore Trading Ryan Tannehill

January 4th, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by Micah Powell

It was reported in December the Dolphins were ready to move on from starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Instead of just cutting the sixth-year signal-caller, the team is expected to see what he could, if anything, fetch in a trade, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. 

By cutting or trading the QB, the Dolphins would open up $13.2MM in cap space. Alternatively, they could clear out $18.7MM in savings by making him a post-June 1 cut, but that would come with the downside of another dead money hit in 2020.

While the team would like to recoup anything at all for Tannehill, attempting to find a suitor for him in a trade is tricky according to Jackson. Talking to a veteran NFL general manager, Jackson says a team is likely to ask for Tannehill to renegotiate his contract before offering a mid-round pick. That is something the quarterback and his agent, Pat Dye, are likely to balk at, forcing the Dolphins to cut the quarterback and allowing him to pick his own team at the highest bidder.

“The contract numbers are really high on him,” said the league executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The question is would he renegotiate to facilitate a trade. But why would he renegotiate? A team will ask to renegotiate and I think Pat Dye would say no if it involves a pay cut. And then they would be forced to cut him.”

More than likely, the Dolphins will cut the veteran passer, but teams desperate for an option under center have surprised before.

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