On Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins did a rather odd thing, trading away Jaylen Waddle mere days after signing Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract.
On paper, these deals felt rather counterproductive to some, as why would the Dolphins invest so heavily in a veteran quarterback only to trade away his weapons? But in the opinion of Dan Orlovsky, it actually makes some sense.
Why? Because the Dolphins could be interested in drafting Ty Simpson now that they have multiple first-round picks in their coffers.
“I think they can get a draft wide receiver that they can build around earlier in the draft. But it does make me think because there's been two teams and you've heard me say this, that I've said, like, these are the great places for the Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. Arizona would be one and Miami would be another,” Orlovsky declared.
“And I know they just paid Malik Willis. I know that. But given the timeline and given just the style of the quarterback with the style of offense that would be in Miami, at least under this regime, it makes me think even though they signed Malik Willis, they should do their homework and entertain drafting Ty Simpson in Miami.”
Would it be unusual for a team to sign a veteran quarterback to a long-term deal only to effectively draft their replacement with a premium pick? Yes, but it's not unprecedented, as the Atlanta Falcons just did the exact same thing with Michael Pennix Jr. and Kirk Cousins, even if that hasn't worked out particularly well for any of the involved parties. Still, unless the Dolphins are 100 percent sold on Willis, Simpson has to at least be an option, as until a team has a franchise quarterback, they need to do pretty much anything they can to lock one up.
