The Miami Dolphins have a quarterback already in Ryan Tannehill, but with new head coach Adam Gase coming in, prospects like Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch or Jared Goff could be potential options to develop behind Tannehill for the future.
Adam Beasley at the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins are among the teams looking at Wentz, who is participating in the Senior Bowl this week in Mobile. Wentz is from North Dakota State and many scouts have been intrigued by the quarterback, as he has the size to be an NFL player and the arm strength to develop into a starter. NFL.com reports that there has been a "buzz" about Wentz at the Senior Bowl, while Beasley reports that Wentz wants to be the first quarterback taken off the board.
Beasley writes that Wentz has a "rifle" for an arm and that his size at 6-6 and 235 pounds makes him appealing to NFL scouts. While the Dolphins do have Ryan Tannehill, Beasley writes that Wentz would be "great value" for Miami if he slips into the second round and ends up as a selection for the team. Beasley writes that it's "unlikely" that Miami will take Wentz at number eight, but there is always a chance they consider the pick if he gets past the Brows, Cowboys and the 49ers. Beasley writes that Reggie Ragland could be an option for the Dolphins, as they have a major need at linebacker.
The Dolphins also have a number of key players hitting free agency this offseason, including Lamar Miller, Rishard Matthews and Olivier Vernon. Miller and Matthews should each be targets to return, while Vernon's return could come down to money. If Miller doesn't return, Miami may look at players like Matt Forte or Arian Foster as options. Forte is not expected to return to the Bears, while Foster reportedly is going to be cut by the Houston Texans.
Matthews had a solid season while stepping in ahead of Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker, while Vernon put up 7.5 sacks and has continued to be a consistent pass rusher for the team. Vernon may be looking for Cameron Jordan money at around $50 million and that could be too much for the Dolphins.
The team may look at making some salary cap cuts, as the Dolphins already have over $100 million committed for players next season. Jordan Cameron, Cameron Wake and Greg Jennings all potentially could be salary cap casualties this offseason. Cameron and Jennings were signed last year, but both players did not have great production in 2015 and could be let go. Wake has been a consistent pass rusher for the team, but he is coming off of a serious injury and with Vernon potentially returning, Wake could get cut to help free up some money.
