DAVIE, Fla. — Why?

If you’re the Cincinnati Bengals and you have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft — and Heisman Trophy-winning LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is the prize — why in the world would you trade that pick?

It’d be stupid.

There’s no other way to put it. Zoom right past knuckled-headed, ill-advised, risky or any other way to soften the truth. It’d be absolutely, positively stupid, one of the stupidest trades in recent NFL history.

That’s where we must start when we address the Burrow-to-Miami thoughts out there right now.

Let’s flip the situation around.

If you’re the Dolphins and you have the No. 1 pick, what would you demand from the Bengals, or any team, in exchange for that pick?

This is a league in which quarterback is the No. 1 need.

So when you have a top-notch prospect in your sights, a possible franchise quarterback, why in the world would you send him to another team?

It’d be akin to damning your franchise to second-tier status for the next decade or so.

Of course Miami wants Burrow.

Miami probably wants Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but that’s not happening, either.

Granted, part of this Burrow-to-Miami thing would hinge on Burrow not wanting to play for Cincinnati, which seems unlikely but could force the Bengals to act.

Burrow said at the NFL Scouting Combine he’d play for whatever team takes him in the draft. Asked about his pessimism toward the Bengals, Burrow said it’s a non-story.

“The only thing I’ve said is that I just didn’t want to be presumptuous about the pick,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been non-committal because I don’t know what’s going to happen. They might not pick me. They might fall in love with someone else. You guys kind of took that narrative and ran with it.

“There has never been anything like that from my end.”

Burrow stirred the pot recently when he liked a tweet that outlined the Dolphins’ moves so far in free agency. That was paired up with him seeming to give a nod of approval to the Dolphins at the combine.

“They have a lot of assets and it seems like they have begun to build a team that can be successful,” Burrow said. “I don’t know a lot about it. I’m just coming in Year 1 as a rookie. You guys know more about it than me. They seem to be doing the right things.”

Jim Nagy, the respected executive director of the Senior Bowl, roused more speculation recently with his tweet about the Dolphins’ three first-round picks likely being enough to pry that pick from Cincinnati. His reasoning was that the rebuilding Bengals could use the collective influx of talent. (So could the Dolphins, of course.)

But it’s crazy talk.

The entire discussion about Miami acquiring the No. 1 pick is ridiculous.

The Dolphins, who have three first-round picks (Nos. 5, 18 and 26), don’t have enough to offer.

If I’m the Bengals and I’m giving away the best quarterback prospect in the draft, a guy who had one of the best passing seasons in college football history, I’m not simply taking three first-rounders in return. That’s three question marks. That’s unacceptable.

What if Miami also throws in a second-round pick? That’s four question marks. Unacceptable.

If I’m Duke Tobin, Cincinnati’s director of player personnel, the man who is effectively the Bengals’ general manager, and I’m on the phone with Miami GM Chris Grier, I’d be willing to discuss his compensation package for that pick. But if the first words out of his mouth aren’t “Xavien Howard and … ” I’m hanging up the phone. And because I (Tobin) just spent $95 million on defensive tackle D.J. Reader and cornerback Trae Waynes, I’d request that Miami pays most of Howard’s salary.

Sound crazy?

Look at it this way: If I’m Tobin, I need a high-caliber, proven quantity in exchange for sending Burrow to the Dolphins, and that’s Howard, the All-Pro cornerback.

Heck, I might even cite Howard’s questionable knees and also demand a player such as safety Bobby McCain or defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Tobin couldn’t simply accept lottery tickets for Burrow. He’d have to get at least one quality player.

Does that sound unrealistic?

Yeah, it is.

But that’s where we stand when we talk about the Dolphins acquiring that pick from the Bengals.

Offering three first-round picks is insufficient because, as Dolphins fans know, there are too many first-round picks out there like defensive ends Dion Jordan (Miami’s No. 3 selection in 2013) and Charles Harris (Miami’s pick at No. 22 in 2017).

Cincinnati can’t risk getting players like that in exchange for a franchise quarterback. Tobin would lose his job.

Beyond that, even if those three first-rounders turn out to be decent players, their combined contribution probably wouldn’t equal that of a franchise quarterback.

Look at Miami’s three best first-round picks of the last 10 years: center Mike Pouncey (2011), left tackle Laremy Tunsil (2016) and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (2018).

Would you rather have Mahomes or that trio?

That’s what’s at stake here for Cincinnati.

If the Bengals think Burrow is special, they’d be crazy to trade the pick. In fact, if the Bengals think Burrow is special, there’s no trade package that’s acceptable.

Well, OK, you never say there’s no trade package that’s acceptable because you never know.

Let’s just say that whatever the going rate is for a franchise quarterback is what that No. 1 pick should cost. Because as far as anyone knows right now, Burrow has the potential to be a franchise QB. Cincinnati should base its asking price on the high end of Burrow’s potential.

Miami would be better served focusing its energy on obtaining the No. 3 pick from Detroit so it can pick Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Of course, Tagovailoa has a medical red flag, so there’s great risk there, too.

The Dolphins could be fairly comfortable knowing Oregon’s Justin Herbert should be there at No. 5. But, to Miami’s credit, no one knows whether that’s what they want, which means the Dolphins are playing the game fairly well.

Miami has now been linked — fairly loosely, admittedly — to all three of the top quarterbacks in the draft: Herbert, Tagovailoa and, now, Burrow.

You’d think the Dolphins will do everything in their power to come out of the first round with one of those three QBs. But it won’t be Burrow.

(Photo of Joe Burrow: Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)