Quinn Ewers went to an ideal situation for a seventh-round pick, but it will not be easy for him to see the field right away with the Miami Dolphins. This is because the former Texas Longhorns starter is buried behind Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson on the quarterback depth chart. Admittedly, Ewers' path to starting is not improbable, as Tagovailoa does get hurt and Wilson is incredibly inconsistent.
However, I think there may be more at play that just the mere presence of Wilson potentially standing in the way of Ewers even making the Dolphins' roster out of fall camp. It has everything to do with one of three things. One, the NFL is still not quite a three-quarterbacks-per-team league. Two, this is a team in need of help everywhere on the 53-man roster. And three, keep an eye out on this other guy.
I wrote about former UCF Knights defensive back BJ Adams earlier in the offseason. The fact he went undrafted is almost as surprising as Ewers falling to the seventh round. The idea behind taking a flier on Adams is that he could help offset the Dolphins potentially moving on from Jalen Ramsey this offseason. Should Ramsey stay, could you argue that Adams and Ewers are vying for the same spot?
I may like Ewers' upside a ton, but he will have to earn his keep to have staying power with Miami.
Quinn Ewers may lose his Miami Dolphins roster spot to an unlikely player
For as much as I think Ewers could find a long-term home with the Dolphins, we all know how the NFL game is played these days. Head coach Mike McDaniel may really believe in the guy, but only one quarterback can play at a time. He is an offensive-minded guy, but he will always prioritize another weapon to have in the arsenal over the idea of how a third-string quarterback could look in Miami.
The other really big thing at play here is McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier enter this season on the hot seat. Miami was not a playoff team a year ago, and have not won a playoff game since the Bill Clinton Administration. Every other team in the NFL has won at least one more recently than them. If McDaniel had more job security, he might be more easily able to shoe-horn Ewers onto the roster.
In the end, I can see a scenario in which both Adams and Ewers make the Dolphins' roster out of camp. They are playing with a crashing sense of urgency with their football careers on the line. Even more important, both are playing on very cheap deals, given how they arrived in Miami in the first place. That being said, only 53 players can make a roster. They may have to go to the practice squad.
I anticipate Ewers making the roster, but a guy like Adams may be more of an impactful player now.