Marcus Mariota

Veteran quarterback Blaine Gabbert will be released by the Tennessee Titans following the team's acquisition of former Miami Dolphins passer Ryan Tannehill on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the team's website. 

Gabbert served as Marcus Mariota's backup last season after signing with Tennessee in March 2018. 

The 29-year-old was owed $1.5 million in base salary in 2019, according to Spotrac.

The 10th overall pick back in 2011, Gabbert has not lived up to his first-round billing. He has gone 13-35 as a starter in his career, completing just 56.2 percent of his passes for 9,063 yards, 48 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in 56 career games.

Gabbert is coming off a season in which he completed 60.4 percent of his throws for 626 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games. He went 2-1 in three starts while filling in for an injured Mariota.

After spending the first three years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gabbert has bounced around the league in recent seasons. He spent three years with the San Francisco 49ers, joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 and landed in Tennessee last year.

Now, he will once again be looking for a new team.

Mariota has yet to make it through a 16-game season healthy, missing eight games in his first four years as a pro. As a result, the Titans explored the quarterback market for a quarterback with higher upside than Gabbert.

Tennessee acquired Tannehill and a 2019 sixth-round pick from Miami in exchange for 2019 seventh-rounder and a 2020 fourth-rounder. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Tannehill and the Titans reached an agreement on a one-year, $7 million contract for 2019, a deal that could reach $12 million based on incentives.

While the first couple days of NFL free agency contain plenty of suspense and excitement—as does the legal-tampering period before free agency—the second wave of free agency is where some of the most important decisions are actually made.

It isn't that tough a decision to throw resources at top-tier talents. It's tougher to part with a receiver you recently paid a bonus to—as the Oakland Raiders did with Jordy Nelson on Thursday—or to trade away a quarterback you realize is no longer your franchise QB.

This is exactly what happened when the Miami Dolphins decided to deal Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins are getting a pair of draft picks, while the Titans are getting a pick plus Tannehill:

According to Rapoport, the Titans and Tannehill have also agreed to a new one-year contract:

This had to be a tough decision for the Dolphins, who have tried to forge Tannehill into a franchise quarterback for the past seven years. However, it was a smart decision, as the new regime clearly didn't view him as part of the future.

If Miami knew it was time for a clean break, at least it got something in return.

The move was a smart one for the Titans, too. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota has dealt with some notable injuries over the last few years, including a broken leg and the elbow injury that affected him for most of 2018.

There aren't many trades that look like true win-win deals, but this is one of them. Let's dig into some of the other notable deals from Day 3.

Patriots Release Adrian Clayborn 

Another big move from Friday was the New England Patriots' release of defensive end Adrian Clayborn. They released Clayborn despite losing Trey Flowers just a couple days prior. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe pointed out, the move did free up $4 million in cap space.

Of course, the decision to release Clayborn may not have been completely financially motivated. Clayborn did mention that he was "granted" his release, which seems to indicate he asked for it.

"Thank you Patriots for my time with the organization," Clayborn said via Twitter. "I gained so much respect for how you do things and win championships. It’s done the right way through hard work. Thank you for granting my release. I’m ready for this next chapter."

Regardless of what prompted the split, this is another move that feels like a relative win-win. It gives the Patriots a little more wiggle room as they try to navigate the offseason. It also places a player who had 9.5 sacks just two seasons ago back on the open market.

Texans Reportedly Add Briean Boddy-Calhoun

The Houston Texans may have lost safety Tyrann Mathieu in free agency, but they've made several moves to strengthen their secondary since. They made another on Friday, reportedly adding versatile defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun on a one-year deal, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Boddy-Calhoun may not be a big-name player, but he's a valuable defender because of his versatility. He's capable of playing multiple positions, according to Pro Football Focus (via Aaron Reiss of The Athletic):

Bringing in Boddy-Calhoun makes a lot of sense, as pass defense was one of Houston's biggest issues in 2018. The Texans defense allowed an average of 260.4 yards per game through the air, fifth-most in the NFL. Boddy-Calhoun may be viewed as a value add, but he can help turn the pass defense around.

In addition to signing Boddy-Calhoun, the Texans have also added safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerback Bradley Roby this offseason.

Bengals Add John Miller

The Cincinnati Bengals had an offensive line that was average at absolute best in 2018. While they haven't thrown a ton of money at fixing it, the Bengals have made some line-related moves.

Cincinnati re-signed offensive tackle Bobby Hart to a three-year deal worth a reported $16 million, per Spotrac. On Friday, they added former Buffalo Bills guard John Miller:

The addition of Miller appears much more promising than the Hart deal. While Hart struggled with pass-protection and with penalties in 2018, Miller was a terrific piece of Buffalo's interior line. He's also started 47 games in his pro career and is just 25 years old, which means Cincinnati will get three of his prime years.

While the Hart deal felt like a bit of a misstep, Miller's three-year deal actually feels like one of the best bargains of free agency so far.

The Ryan Tannehill era is over in South Florida, as the Miami Dolphins have traded the quarterback to the Tennessee Titans.

Tannehill's representation, SportsTrust Advisors, announced Friday that the Titans acquired Tannehill and signed him to a one-year contract.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Titans will receive Tannehill and a 2019 sixth-round pick, while the Dolphins are getting a 2020 fourth-round pick and 2019 seventh-round pick in return.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tannehill's deal with Tennessee is for one year with $7 million guaranteed. It could exceed $12 million based on playing time and other incentives.

In Tannehill, the Titans have a quality backup for the oft-injured Marcus Mariota or perhaps a quarterback who could beat out Mariota for the starting job in an open competition.

Toward the end of last season, Tannehill made it clear he wanted to remain in Miami.

"Of course," he said in a December press conference. "I love this organization. I love the guys on this team. I love competing with the guys on this team. I've been here my whole career and love it in South Florida, love what South Florida brings to the table. So yeah, I'd love to be here."

But going in a different direction at quarterback is the right move for the Dolphins.

Tannehill, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft, has had ample time to prove himself as a franchise quarterback. Instead, he has zero Pro Bowl appearances, which is equal to the number of playoff wins for Miami since he became the starter as a rookie.

Over the past seven years, 39 quarterbacks have attempted at least 1,000 passes, according to Pro Football Reference. Among that group, Tannehill is 20th in completion percentage (62.8), 27th in quarterback rating (87.0) and 22nd in yards per game (232.2).

When Tannehill was healthy—he missed all of 2017 after undergoing knee surgery—the Dolphins were never one of the NFL's worst teams, but they seem to have reached their ceiling with him under center.

Tennessee has adopted an aggressive approach in an offseason with a dearth of quality options at quarterback. Nick Foles, Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater had previously signed with other teams, taking three of the best free agents off the table.

The Titans likely would have had to draft a quarterback or enter 2019 with Blaine Gabbert as the backup again. Since Gabbert threw just four touchdowns and four interceptions in eight appearances (three starts) last season, a better option was needed.

Mariota has missed at least one game in each of his four NFL seasons, and Tannehill gives head coach Mike Vrabel a backup with a wealth of starting experience should injuries strike again.

As for the Dolphins, Jake Rudock and Luke Falk are the only quarterbacks on the roster. Drafting a quarterback or signing a free agent like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler or Blake Bortles is a must.