Put every NFL beat reporter in one city for a week during the Combine and the rumor mill starts burning hot. Some scoops are real, some are fake, and the rest are somewhere in between.
The Ryan Tannehill to Washington rumor probably belongs in that third category. Here's what was reported by Armando Alguero in the Miami Herald:
"The Washington Redskins are one team the Dolphins have engaged, per one source."
That's not a bold rumor, as the Dolphins have likely engaged with all teams, desperately looking for anyone who might be interested. Our own Redskins beat reporter Craig Hoffman provided some extra context:
Best of my knowledge: the proper way to contextualize this is the Dolphins gauged interest in the Redskins, not that they are having any type of active conversations.The only way Tannehill is in Washington is if he's cut and then signed. They cannot afford his current deal. https://t.co/XJSc5vFmXk
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) March 4, 2019So how did we get here?
Back in December, the Dolphins made known that they were likely moving on from head coach Adam Gase and long-time starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has teased but failed to produce in Miami.
Gase is gone. Tannehill will be gone when the next league year begins in a few weeks. The only question is, where will he go and how will he get there?
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Tannehill's salary cap hit for 2019 is scheduled to be $26.6 million. The Redskins have already committed as much to Alex Smith and Colt McCoy this season, meaning they would have more than $50 million devoted to the quarterback position if they brought on Tannehill.
That's not just too much for the Redskins to stomach, it's also way more than Tannehill is worth.
He has a career losing record (42-46), including a 5-6 record as a starter last season. He missed all of 2017 with injury and had his only winning campaign as a starter in 2016.
No team is likely to trade for him and renegotiate his salary, especially when Tannehill will get cut by the Dolphins and hit free agency. Why start with the Dolphins' baggage, when you can wait a few weeks and start fresh?
The Herald report also noted that Tannehill wants to go somewhere where he can compete for the starting job. If he makes it to free agency, then the Redskins suddenly become a plausible place for him to land.
The Redskins have only Colt McCoy and Alex Smith on the roster for next season. Smith is unlikely to be ready this season, if ever again.
If Tannehill thinks he can beat out McCoy for the starting job, and the front office agrees, then he can choose to take a low salary here in free agency. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine a way that he suits up in the burgundy and gold.
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