Dennis Hickey: QB salaries are what they are

The Miami Dolphins are going to eventually pay quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Big time.

It's going to happen this offseason. Or it will happen next offseason.

But it will happen.

Miami will pay Tannehill just like other teams are paying their franchise-type quarterbacks. It's going to be a mega-contract sapping mega salary cap room.

And the Dolphins are comfortable with that.

"We feel really good about Ryan and obviously the market for quarterbacks in this era, the market is what it is," general manager Dennis Hickey said Wednesday. "But we're excited about the development that he made from Year Two to Year Three and that trajectory that he has. Learning in a new offense and working through that and the growth that he made throughout the season ... we're excited about his future as our quarterback."

That means Tannehill will eventually get somewhere between $15-$18 million per year over five or six years.

Boom! 

Hickey, who holds his cards so close to his vest you might think they're behind his back, would not say Wednesday how close the sides are to completing a deal for Tannehill.

"With all our players we're going to explore all options and obviously we're going through the process right now over the last month, really since the season ended of evaluating our roster both from a standpoint of where the team is at on offense, defense, special teams, position groups for each individual and adjusting and looking at each individual situation and making decisions based on that," Hickey said when asked specifically about Tannehill. "It's been a collaborative opportunity with the coaches sitting in and watching film, talking about players. Then going back and watching more film. We going through that process. We're further along in that process but we're still working through it."

Yeah, no idea.

Hickey also declined to specify whether the team is currently in talks with Tannehill agent Pat Dye.

"We're not going to comment on any contact with representation but we do have an open line of communication with all of our players and their representation," Hickey said.