Evaluating the Idea of Picking Up Daniel Jones

The Miami Dolphins have been mentioned as a team that might be interested in signing 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. This is considered a near certainty because nobody will 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

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

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.

Mike McDaniel has already successfully produced this kind of reclamation project. 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 him worthy of a lucrative contract extension.

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

The Dolphins could also benefit from signing Jones even if he leaves as a free agent next offseason. If he gets a rich enough contract — and quarterbacks 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 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?

The Giants benched Jones to safeguard against an injury down the stretch that would have triggered guaranteed money. Still, 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.

It's 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.

The truth is, Jones is not a savior for the backup quarterback situation, and that issue probably won't be 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 would definitely 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 would likely make a huge on-field difference if it came to pass.