Dolphins would be crazy to select QB in 1st 2 rounds of NFL draft

I’m not in the business of sticking up for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. I leave that job to others.

But I had to step in on this one.

I had an email exchange Monday with someone who thinks the Dolphins should draft a quarterback this week.

Respectfully, I believe that person is wrong.

I agree 100 percent with general manager Chris Grier saying the Dolphins won’t draft a quarterback in the first round on Thursday night.

“I would say that’s not somewhere I’m looking at in the first round,” Grier said a week ago.

“It’s not a position that we’ve even talked about. There are some good players, but we’re very happy with Tua and where he is with us.”

Good for Grier.

Hey, if I was running the Dolphins’ draft, I’d say “Hell no!” to drafting a quarterback in the second round, too.

Tua is a legit Pro Bowl quarterback and you can win a Super Bowl with him, so it’s time to move on to other issues.

I’ve written that, and I believe that.

I’m not anti-Tua.

Yes, I recently wrote the Dolphins shouldn’t extend Tagovailoa’s contract this offseason (largely for financial and injury/health reasons), and they certainly shouldn’t give him big money this offseason (the quarterback pay scale is way too high and restricts building around them).

I stand by that statement and that thought process.

The Dolphins need money so they can build around Tua. That’s the key.

I don’t support the Dolphins wasting a valuable draft pick trying to find Tua’s possible successor.

That’d be crazy.

To repeat, and expound, here’s my stance:

With any luck, Tua, whose contract I would extend if he plays well and stays healthy this season, will be the Dolphins’ quarterback for the foreseeable future. But you must be aware of the fact that the Dolphins are in “win-now” mode because it’s easier to build now, when Tua counts $23.1 million against the salary cap, than when Tua’s contract blows up to, say, a $40 million a year salary-cap hit, a number that restricts building around him.

In light of that urgency, this year’s first- and second-round draft picks need to be immediate contributors. That wouldn’t be the case for a quarterback.

If Tua has a multi-week absence the Dolphins have backup quarterback Mike White, who is better suited to step in than an unproven rookie — regardless of how high he was drafted.

That’s my stance on Tua, and the Dolphins drafting a quarterback in the first or second rounds.

I’m well aware that Tagovailoa struggled against the top teams in the league last season.

I have been harping on the fact that Miami’s offense only averaged 16 points per game last season in seven games against playoff teams. And its defense allowed a whopping 32 points per game in those same seven games against playoff teams.

Those eye-popping statistics aren’t all on Tagovailoa.

Those numbers highlight a problem with the players, coaches and their strategy/philosophy/play-calling.

I keep telling people that this is beyond Tua.

No one seems to grasp that concept, that something in the NFL is beyond the quarterback.

Tua is fine.

As things stand right now, the Dolphins have a bigger problem with coach Mike McDaniel than their quarterback.

Teams and fans expect way too much from quarterbacks.

Despite what you hear, it’s not all about the quarterback. Those guys need help. The NFL is still all about the team.

Drafting a quarterback in the first round wouldn’t be impactful, especially when you consider the Dolphins, with pick No. 21, would likely be choosing between Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.

I applaud Grier for his stance.

The Dolphins have their quarterback.

Let’s hope they focus on drafting an edge rusher and an offensive tackle in the first two rounds.