Observations on the Dolphins-Garoppolo Report

A report suggested the Miami Dolphins could be interested in acquiring 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo "in the coming months"

Among the many stories speculating on a potential trade partner for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was one suggesting "a 'surprise' destination for the veteran wouldn’t be all that surprising."

That team was the Miami Dolphins.

There was a lot to unpack in the report on Heavy.com by NFL writer Matt Lombardo, so let's get to it.

THE OBVIOUS JIMMY G CONNECTION

The reason the Dolphins would be mentioned is pretty obvious, and that's the connection between Garoppolo and new head coach Mike McDaniel from their time together with the 49ers.

To that point, yes, head coaches often go for players with whom they are familiar, one glaring Dolphins example coming when Adam Gase reached out to Jay Cutler — after he had retired to go into the broadcast booth — during the summer of 2017 when Ryan Tannehill was sidelined for the season.

Given the success the 49ers have had with Garoppolo, it certainly would make sense for McDaniel to have a soft spot for the quarterback.

THE WON-LOSS RECORD ISSUE

Garoppolo joined the 49ers in 2017, the same year McDaniel arrived with Kyle Shanahan, and compiled a 31-14 record as a starter in the five seasons since.

And yet the 49ers are going to move Garoppolo because they came to the conclusion they needed better at the quarterback position, which again should serve as evidence that won-loss records as a way to measure quarterbacks is vastly overrated.

It also proves teams don't need an elite quarterback to have success, though it obviously increases the margin for error.

The question with Garoppolo is whether the 49ers would have had the same record with a different starting quarterback.

GAROPPOLO VERSUS TUA

Like Garoppolo, Tua Tagovailoa has a good record (13-8) as a starting quarterback, though anyone who watched the Dolphins the past two seasons knows it's the defense that did most of the heavy lifting in the victories.

In results and playing style, Garoppolo and Tagovailoa actually are fairly similar, but the Heavy.com piece included an eye-catching quote from an anonymous NFL executive in terms of comparing the two.

“I know this,” the executive told Heavy. “Jimmy G is way more liked in league circles, as a player, than Tua is. He’s accomplished way more, and that matters at that position, almost more than anything else. And, remember, Mike McDaniel knows Jimmy really well.

“With a new head coach, all he cares about is winning and winning now,” the executive added. “He could be looking at Tua, shaking his head and saying, Eh, I don’t know.’ Maybe he loves him … But, if he hasn’t seen enough from him during workouts or OTAs, this is his honeymoon with that ownership and front office, make the deal now.”

Of course, McDaniel was nothing but complimentary toward Tagovailoa throughout the offseason, but the Dolphins clearly have made it a point to try to build his confidence in the hope he can take a big step forward in his third NFL season.

THE BOTTOM LINE

That the Dolphins would be mentioned as a potential trade partner in any Garoppolo story might come as a surprise given everything the team has said about Tagovailoa and how they went about in the offseason giving him upgrades on offense, such as Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead.

Then again, the Dolphins were linked throughout 2021 to Deshaun Watson and then this offseason to Tom Brady, so it's not like their actions have suggested a full-blown commitment to Tagovailoa to this point.

Having said that, there are reasons to be skeptical about the idea of the Dolphins trading for Garoppolo, starting with the former second-round pick's contract, which calls for a 2022 cap number of almost $27 million (per overthecap.com).

Garoppolo also has a long history of injuries, the latest a shoulder issue that's expected to keep him from throwing until mid-August.

Trading for Garoppolo also would be a strange move after the Dolphins signed veteran Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year, $6.5 million contract in the offseason to serve as Tua's backup and replacement in a worst-case scenario where Tagovailoa struggles.

The question for the Dolphins is whether Garoppolo would represent that much of an upgrade over either Tagovailoa or Bridgewater, in salary and trade compensation, to make that kind of move.

Let's just call highly unlikely.