5 potential landing spots for Alex Smith to sign with

4. Miami Dolphins

With Ryan Fitzpatrick surely gone in free agency, the Dolphins are in the market for a new backup. Ideally, it seems, they’ll find one who is not a threat to supplant Tua Tagovailoa. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald put Brian Hoyer out there as a leading candidate to sign on as Tagovailoa’s understudy/mentor, due to past ties with co-offensive coordinator George Godsey. But that’s uninspiring, to say the least.

Smith is not only a solid quarterback who can help win games when or if he’s called upon, he will also embrace a role as a veteran mentor (see his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs when Patrick Mahomes was drafted to replace him). He remained a prominent voice in Washington’s quarterback room once he was out of the woods with his leg injury.

The Dolphins don’t have serious cap concerns, but they won’t have to break the bank for Smith. Tagovailoa’s development, which seems to be their focus barring a move for Deshaun Watson (or Russell Wilson?), would be helped by Smith’s presence more than perhaps any other available veteran backup. In a scenario where Tagovailoa were injured or especially ineffective, Smith could step in and keep Miami’s playoffs hopes alive.