Evaluating the Idea of Picking Up Daniel Jones

The Miami Dolphins have been mentioned as a team that could be interested in picking up former New York Giants first-round pick Daniel Jones

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) attempts a pass agianst the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Daniel Jones' sudden availability has led to all sorts of speculation as to which team could become his landing spot and, yes, the Miami Dolphins have been mentioned.

NFL reporter Jordan Schultz included Miami as one of five teams expected to pursue him after he clears waivers, which is considered a near-certainty because nobody is going to want to pick up the contract he signed with the New York Giants during the 2023 offseason.

Sources: There has been significant interest in former #Giants QB Daniel Jones since his release. Once he clears waivers, expect the Ravens, Vikings, Lions, 49ers, and Dolphins to pursue him — not only for a chance to join a contending team, but also to develop in an offensive… pic.twitter.com/35fXRrVzFG

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 24, 2024

CBS Sports NFL analyst Pete Prisco encouraged the Dolphins to pursue Jones, not just for the end of this season but into next year as well.

WHY THE DOLPHINS WOULD PURSUE JONES

As a former sixth overall pick, Jones certainly can intrigue NFL teams, particularly those coaches who believe they have the formula to unleash his favorable traits.

It's the kind of reclamation project one could argue Mike McDaniel already successful produced when he took over as Miami Dolphins head coach and helped turn Tua Tagovailoa from a disappointing high first-round pick into a franchise quarterback the team deemed worthy of a lucrative contract extension.

The argument also could be made that Jones would represent an upgrade over either Skylar Thompson or Tyler Huntley (if he ever gets off IR) as the current backup to Tagovailoa for the rest of the 2024 season and then maybe he could handle that role again in 2025 if both sides agree to continue the relationship.

The Dolphins also could benefit from signing Jones even if he leaves as a free agent next offseason because if he gets a rich enough contract — and QBs tend to get overpaid — they could be in line for a compensatory pick.

WHY THE IDEA OF JONES TO MIAMI DOESN'T WORK

Published reports suggest Jones is looking to sign with a playoff contender rather than being focused on the possibility of playing time, and the other teams mentioned by Schultz certainly are in better positioning at this time than Miami.

So convincing Jones to choose Miami instead of, say, the Detroit Lions might be a tough sell.

And then there's the simpler factor: Would Jones really be an upgrade over Thompson and Huntley?

It's pretty well know that the Giants benched Jones to safeguard against an injury down the stretch that would have triggered guaranteed money, but the underlying factor was the team's poor record and Jones' lackluster performance.

Jones is a good athlete playing quarterback, but accuracy and quick decision-making aren't exactly his forte, and that's what this offense kind of calls for — and didn't get from Thompson, Huntley or Tim Boyle when Tagovailoa was on IR earlier this season.

The reality is it's actually fair to wonder whether the Dolphins would get better play from Jones if he were called upon or whether Thompson would have more success given another chance to start?

Truth is, Jones is not a savior for the backup quarterback situation and that issue probably won't get fixed until the offseason.

Until then, the Dolphins have to hope that Tagovailoa stays healthy because he's the one who can make this offense function the way it's currently constructed.

Adding Daniel Jones definitely would be an interesting move because of his former first-round pick status and there would be some merit because of the compensatory pick possibility, but it's not something that likely would make a huge on-field difference if it came to pass.