The Miami Dolphins free agency period in the 2023 offseason has been an active one. The Dolphins' free agent signings have included wide receiver Braxton Berrios, safety Deshon Elliott, and tight end Eric Saubert. However, the sneakiest signing during NFL free agency is backup quarterback Mike White.
Mike White is the sneakiest Dolphins’ free agent signing
In 2023 NFL free agency, the Dolphins have brought in players to fill holes on both sides of the ball. And maybe the most interesting part about it is that they’ve raided their AFC East rival, the New York Jets, in the process.
Former Jets Braxton Barrios, offensive lineman Dan Feeney, and quarterback Mike White have all moved — like so many New Yorkers — to sunny Florida.
Dolphins' free agent signings have made the team better, but no player is more likely to help the team win games next season than White.
Miami’s roster is undoubtedly one of the most talented in the league. But the elephant in the room is the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The highly-drafted QB had a breakout season in 2022, leading the league in quarterback rating and throwing for over 3,500 yards.
With a solid running game and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal, Tagovailoa finally looked like the signal-caller the Dolphins drafted No. 5 overall in 2020. Despite that positive development, 2022 was a dark year for Tua.
The QB suffered two admitted concussions and likely three after he was wobbly yet allowed to return in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills. Four days later, a hit against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football left him knocked out on the ground in an incredibly scary moment.
With two potential concussions in less than a week, Tagovailoa sat out two games and then came back in Week 7. He played without incident until Week 15 when he again finished a game against the Green Bay Packers only to be diagnosed with another head injury after the game.
That concussion cost Tagovailoa the rest of his season, including a winnable Wild Card playoff game against the Bills.
As sad and unfortunate as it is, the truth is that it’s questionable whether or not Tua should still be playing football. And while the Dolphins have him penciled in as the team’s starting QB in 2023, another concussion or two could (and probably should, for his own sake) end his career.
That’s why, in 2023, there is no more important position on the Dolphins’ roster than backup quarterback.
The Dolphins free agent signings in 2023 NFL free agency had to include a QB. The franchise could have looked for a starter to replace Tagovailoa, like Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr, but instead decided on a high-level backup in Mike White.
White was a fifth-round draft pick in 2018 by the Dallas Cowboys but didn’t see his first action until 2021 with the Jets. In his first start, he set records, going 37-of-45 for 405 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. After that, injuries and the talent on a 4-13 Jets team ultimately cost him the starting job.
In 2022, White again came in to relieve the ineffective Zach Wilson and again looked incredible in his first start. In this third start, though, a massive hit from a Bills defender broke his ribs and he again missed time.
The Jets are now on to Aaron Rodgers, but many Jets fans thought giving the reins to White full-time could have improved the team in 2023 as well. Instead, White became one of the Dolphins' free-agent signings.
Now White could go a long way to determining whether or not Miami competes for a Super Bowl next season, making him a key in Dolphins' free agency.
The Dolphins are taking a risk with White. He is obviously talented enough to win games in the NFL, and if Tagovailoa goes down in the short- or long-term, the Miami offense is in good hands. However, he’s also had his own injury issues, and there’s a chance that even after some good moves in NFL free agency, the team could once again find itself down to QB3 in a big moment.
If Mike White can stay healthy and productive with better protection and better weapons than he ever had in New York, he could be the signal-caller to lead the team to glory if the worst-case scenario plays out for Tua. That's not what Dolphins (or NFL) fans are hoping for, but it is a realistic possibility, given Tagovailoa's health.
And if that happens, White will absolutely be the sneakiest Dolphins free agent signing in 2023 NFL free agency.
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