Former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin wanted to use a first-round pick on quarterback Derek Carr in 2014, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Philbin was not sold on Ryan Tannehill, who was taken with a top-10 selection just two years prior, but who struggled early in his career.
Joe Philbin reportedly wanted to dump Ryan Tannehill, draft Derek Carr in 2014
Would Philbin still have a job if the Dolphins took Carr in 2014?
Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
The Dolphins gave Tannehill a contract extension prior to this season, and fired Philbin just four games into the regular season after the team started 1-3. The Oakland Raiders wound up drafting Carr, and while that hasn't resulted in the team looking too much better than the Dolphins since he took over, Carr has shown a ton of promise and many believe the Raiders are on the right track to be competitive.
Dennis Hickey chose to select offensive lineman Ja'Waun James in the first round, and in the second round took wide receiver Jarvis Landry, players to assist Tannehill rather than replace him. Philbin was non-committal when talking about Tannehill as the team's franchise quarterback and starter after that point, including prior to a London game against the Raiders, as noted in the report.
Philbin was frustrated with Tannehill in 2014, and was publicly frustrated with him before he was fired this season. It’s interesting to note that Philbin may have been correct and that Carr may have been a better selection. This season, Carr completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
The Dolphins aren’t giving up on Tannehill, though. The fourth-year quarterback completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 4,208 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. And the Dolphins hired Adam Gase to be their new head coach, and given Tannehill’s extension, Gase’s top priority will be doubling down on the quarterback and getting him to be the franchise player the team needs.
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