Josh Rosen To Start For The Dolphins
It’s been a tough week for veteran quarterbacks. The Eli Manning-era in New York came to an end earlier this week. Ben Roethlisberger may have played his last game for the yellow-and-gold after going down with an elbow injury and Drew Brees is out of the Saints’ lineup with a thumb injury. Now, another veteran quarterback is on the outs, as the Ryan Fitzpatrick era in Miami appears to be over.
Josh Rosen will make his first start for the Dolphins against the Cowboys on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). Rapoport hears that coach Brian Flores made the decision this afternoon.
Rosen, who Miami gave up a second-rounder for, started 13 games for the Cardinals as a rookie last season. The offensive line in Arizona wasn’t a strength because of injuries and a lack of talent and Rosen struggled, completing just 55.2% of his passes. Rosen will again be saddled with a poor offensive line and it’s arguable that the weapons around him in Miami are inferior to the ones he had out in the desert.
The former No. 10 overall pick has seen action on two occasions this season, both coming late in Miami’s pair of blowout losses. He’s completed 8-of-21 pass attempts for 102 yards so far during his time in Miami.
NFL To Investigate Dolphins’ Tanking?
The Dolphins claim they aren’t tanking, but their fans are skeptical of that. Turns out, the NFL is a bit skeptical, too. The league’s competition committee is likely to look into whether the Dolphins have purposefully stripped down their team in 2019 in order to lose games and secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft. 
“The committee will probably have the questions posed to it again, if not by the media, maybe by teams,” a league source told Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. “It’s likely the competition committee will have to address this issue.”
The committee would certainly have a good case to make, should they prob into the Dolphins’ affairs. In the last few weeks, the Dolphins have unloaded young stars Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil in exchange for draft capital. Meanwhile, they’ve been outscored 102-10 through two weeks of the season.
“It’s a bad look,” said one team source.
There is some precedent for the league looking into potential tanking. Five years ago, the committee questioned the Browns’ motives, but ultimately did not take action.
This time around, it’s possible that the NFL will give real thought to installing a lottery system for the draft, similar to the NBA.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/18/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: QB Trevor Siemian
NFL Workout Updates: 9/18/19
Here is Wednesday’s latest from the workout circuit:
Cleveland Browns
- QB Joe Callahan, QB Eric Dungey, RB Keith Ford, WR Keith Mumphery, WR Damoun Patterson
Miami Dolphins
- DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, S Kentrell Brice, S Su’a Cravens, S Deiondre’ Hall, S Doug Middleton
Oakland Raiders
- WR Emanuel Hall, DB Sean Harper, CB De’Vante Harris, LB Matthew Thomas
San Francisco 49ers
- OL Marcus Applefield, OL Jaryd Jones-Smith, OL Kyle Murphy
Dolphins To Stick With Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the team’s starting quarterback for Week 3. Fitzpatrick hasn’t been able to get much done, but given Miami’s major holes on both sides of the ball, it’s not likely that Josh Rosen could do much better.
- The Dolphins may or may not be tanking, but they claim the tank won’t continue into 2020.
Dolphins: We’ll Spend In Free Agency
The Dolphins may be tanking, but they won’t be taking all the way through 2020. In Tuesday morning’s press conference to formally announce the trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers, GM Chris Grier said the ‘Fins are ready to put some resources towards free agency in March.
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Fitzpatrick To Steelers]
“We’ll be very aggressive,” Grier said. “We’re not going to sit on a bunch of money.”
A bunch of money is exactly what the Dolphins have after moving Fitzpatrick, trading Laremy Tunsil, and shedding Kiko Alonso. They also have tons of draft capital, which gives them the ability to find their next franchise quarterback and fill other glaring holes on the roster. Or, as Grier put it:
“We can do anything we want.”
It’s fair to be skeptical of the Dolphins, especially in light of their dreadful start that has players looking for life rafts out of Miami, but the Dolphins could theoretically take a page from the 76ers and use their stacks of cash and picks to turn the franchise around.
Dolphins Trade CB Minkah Fitzpatrick To Steelers
The Minkah Fitzpatrick saga has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Dolphins have traded the cornerback to the Steelers. Miami will receive a 2020 first-rounder in return. ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe adds (via Twitter) that the teams will also be swapping late-round picks.
Here’s the full breakdown of the trade: The Dolphins will receive a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, and a 2021 sixth-round pick. The Steelers, meanwhile, get Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round choice, and a 2021 sixth-round selection.
We learned yesterday that league-wide interest in the 2018 first-rounder was “real and serious,” with roughly 20 teams reaching out to Miami. Earlier tonight, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported (via Twitter) that a trade was imminent, and he listed the Steelers (along with the Redskins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Eagles, and Seahawks) as potential suitors. While the Dolphins weren’t necessarily shopping the cornerback, they were receptive to offers and asking for a first-rounder “and something else.”
Fitzpatrick is an undeniably gifted defensive back who has been less than thrilled with the multiple roles he has been asked to fill in Miami’s defense to date. His ability to play as both a slot corner and a roaming safety made him a desirable asset. Through two games this season, the 22-year-old has compiled 12 tackles and one forced fumble.
The Dolphins offseason (and preseason, and regular season…) teardown is essentially complete. As ESPN’s Field Yates tweets, Miami has three first-rounders (their own, Steelers, Texans) and two second-rounders (their own, Saints) in the 2020 draft, and they also have the Texans 2021 first- and second-round picks (as well as their own).
While yesterday’s report indicated that a Fitzpatrick trade would ultimately represent the end of the team’s teardown and draft-pick accumulation, it sounds like the Dolphins aren’t necessarily eyeing a return to relevance in 2020. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote earlier today that there’s “growing suspicion” that the Dolphins may be eyeing a two-year rebuild. The team may even pass on a quarterback during the 2020 draft with the hope that they’ll for Clemson signal-caller Trevor Lawrence in 2021.
While the Steelers were in the market for a cornerback, the trade is a considerable risk for a team that just lost Ben Roethlisberger for an entire season. Considering the draft capital they gave up to acquire Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh’s front office has made it clear that they’re not giving up on the 2019 campaign. On the flip side, since the front-office is apparently high on the former 11th-overall pick, giving up a potential top-1o selection may still be a net positive, regardless of the Steelers’ 2019 record.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/16/19
We’ve got another batch of workout updates from the past few days, all via veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer on Twitter (unless otherwise noted):
Detroit Lions
- OT Caleb Benenoch, OL Justin Evans, CB Alexander Myres, CB KeiVarae Russell, OT Zach Sterup
Houston Texans
- OT Caleb Benenoch (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter)
Indianapolis Colts
- LB Curtis Akins, S Corrion Ballard, S Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DT Carl Davis, DT Deon Simon, RB David Williams (via Wilson)
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
- LB B.J. Bello, LB Andrew Dowell, LB Connor Strachan
Oakland Raiders
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Amara Darboh, WR Ryan Davis, WR Ishmael Hyman (via Wilson)
Dolphins Discussing Kenyan Drake Trade?
The Dolphins may trade second-year DB Minkah Fitzpatrick before next week, and one report this morning suggested that a Fitzpatrick trade, if completed, would represent the end of Miami’s extensive teardown.
But not so fast. Per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, the Dolphins have engaged rival clubs in trade talks concerning running back Kenyan Drake (Twitter link). If the team were to deal Drake, it would make a little more sense than the recent trade of Laremy Tunsil and the potential trade of Fitzpatrick. After all, Drake is eligible for free agency in 2020, and quality running backs are easier to find than high-quality left tackles.
But while Drake has not been heavily-utilized in his three-plus years in Miami, he has shown plenty of promise. He has averaged 4.7 yards-per-carry in his young career, and he has also been a contributor in the passing game. Although he would not likely yield a major return in a trade, it’s easy to see why other teams would be sniffing around the Dolphins’ carcass in the hopes of finding worthwhile talent.
However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears from a team source that the Dolphins have had zero conversations about a Drake trade, and he’s also heard that Drake has not asked to be dealt (Twitter links). Though this is purely speculation, it could be that rival clubs have placed calls just to see if Drake is available, and the Dolphins have rebuffed those overtures.
After getting just four carries in the team’s Week 1 loss to Baltimore, Drake reportedly had a great week of practice and is primed for a larger workload going forward.
Minkah Fitzpatrick Getting Serious Trade Interest
Earlier this week, the Dolphins gave second-year DB Minkah Fitzpatrick permission to seek a trade, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that roughly 20 teams have reached out to Miami brass and/or Fitzpatrick’s agent, Joel Segal, to inquire. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) confirms that league-wide interest in the 2018 first-rounder is “real and serious,” and both reporters hear that a deal could be completed prior to Week 3.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes that the Dolphins are said to be seeking a first-round pick “and something else” in return for Fitzpatrick, and given the number of inquiries they’re getting, that may not be as high of an ask as was originally thought. Miami is still not actively shopping the Alabama product, but the Fins seem to be doing just fine in getting potential suitors to come to them. However, Schefter’s sources suggest that Miami will have to lower its asking price to consummate a trade.
Fitzpatrick is an undeniably gifted defensive back who has been less than thrilled with the multiple roles he has been asked to fill in Miami’s defense to date, though his versatility is one of his best assets. Other than the Cowboys, it’s unclear what teams have talked to the Dolphins about a trade, but presumably teams with needs at safety and cornerback have made inquiries.
If the Dolphins do trade Fitzpatrick, La Canfora says it would represent the end of the team’s teardown and draft-pick accumulation. Miami would be armed with even more draft capital to start its rebuild, though after trading Laremy Tunsil and (perhaps) Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins will need to use some of that capital to reload at LT and in the defensive backfield.