This is it. The entire purpose of the Miami Dolphins' 2019 season was to strip this roster down to the studs, hit the reset button and position themselves to draft a quarterback of the future. And, since the summer, one name has been tied to the Dolphins: Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa .

But yet, the Dolphins are picking fifth in the 2020 draft, own five first-round picks over the next two seasons and six selections inside the top-75 of this year's order. If they want to make a move, there's nothing — or no one — stopping them.

This isn't necessarily the path anyone saw coming, but we're still on track for a collision course between Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. Miami wasn't supposed to win five football games this year, and Tagovailoa wasn't supposed to be presumed QB2 in January (or possibly even lower for some teams when it is all said and done). The Dolphins weren’t supposed to find the best version of Ryan Fitzpatrick the NFL has ever seen over his 13 starts in Miami this season nor was the prized passer of 'Ewa Beach, Hawaii, supposed to have his future up in the air.

And while we won't be any more sure of Tagovailoa's prognosis or timetable to return for another two months or so, one thing is for certain: If the doctors follow up the green light Tagovailoa was given in New York last weekend with more good news at his three- and four-month check-ups, the Detroit Lions' phone is going to ring off the hook.

Because Detroit owns the third-overall pick, they're sitting on a potential goldmine. With Joe Burrow and Chase Young locked and loaded as presumptive top-two selections, respectively, the Lions are this year's pivot point. And with quarterback-hungry teams stacking the back half of the top 10 in the first round, Detroit will get plenty of bidders trying to leap up and claim the promise of a 100-percent healthy Tagovailoa.

Who sits in the driver's seat? The Dolphins, of course. The drop in the order is mitigated for the Lions if they were to make a deal with the Dolphins. And knowing full well Miami would be trading up for a QB and the dire need at offensive tackle for the New York Giants, who pick fourth, the Lions very well may be able to pick fifth and not have any of their top targets off the board.

That's a dream scenario for the Lions, but these two parties must find the right price to strike a deal. And some of the other needy teams will make that complicated.

The precedent of a jump from fifth in the order to third was set by the New York Jets in 2018. That year had a crowded QB class — five total passers were drafted in the first 32 selections. And in that same season, the Jets preemptively jumped up three spots to move up from sixth in the order for the right to draft USC’s Sam Darnold.

That deal, made on March 17, 2018, was an aggressive move and involved the following capital.

New York received:

2018 third-overall selection

Indianapolis received:

2018 sixth-overall selection

2018 37th-overall selection

2018 49th-overall selection

2019 second-round selection (34th overall)

For the Dolphins, following this same template would provide them the opportunity to get a deal done pretty quickly — but only assuming there's no outside interference from other teams. Miami could theoretically offer the fifth-overall pick, both of their 2020 second-round selections (39th and 56th) and one of their two 2021 second-round selections (one comes via Houston) and viola.

This is a winning scenario for the Dolphins, who could retain three first-round picks in 2020 — and such a decision would likely net at least one trade back in the first round to replenish a pick (or picks) inside the second round.

This all sounds good, until teams behind Miami start throwing offers at Detroit. What happens when Detroit catches wind that Carolina is willing to offer the seventh-overall selection and package of picks equivalent to what Philadelphia paid for Carson Wentz to jump into that spot? (This is, of course, a hypothetical.)

Detroit will undoubtedly return offers from opposing teams and inform the Dolphins that other teams are offering the Lions multiple first-round picks for the third-overall selection — and expect Miami to do the same. After all, Miami has a plethora of picks at its disposal, why should it be so stingy as to not be willing to offer one to finalize a deal?

It will put the Dolphins in a difficult spot. A compromise exists — but it should serve as Miami's last case resort and should someone else be willing to offer even more for Tagovailoa, Miami should be willing to call their bluff and be willing to have a Plan B.

What is the compromise? The absolute most the Dolphins should be willing to concede in a deal for the opportunity to trade up to No. 3 and draft a healthy Tagovailoa is as follows:

Miami receives:

2020 third-overall pick

Detroit receives:

2020 fifth-overall pick

2020 39th-overall pick

2020 70th-overall pick

2021 Houston’s first-round pick

This deal does give the Lions marginally more return according to the NFL's trade value charts — the equivalent of an extra early fourth-round pick in asset value versus Miami conceding the three second-round selections. Aside from a little more value, why does this deal work for both sides while simultaneously blocking opposing teams from enticing the Lions with two first-round picks?

Because the Lions get their two first-round picks anyway.

And the Dolphins protect their premiere capital and will retain three first-round picks in their pivotal 2020 season. Does losing a first-, second- and third-round pick hurt? Absolutely. But in this scenario Miami would still retain the following picks:

Third overall

18th overall

2020 Houston’s pick (between 25th and 32nd)

56th overall (via New Orleans)

From there Miami can continue to manufacture additional draft picks for 2020 and 2021 in trade scenarios. There's no shortage of examples of NFL teams drafted mid to late first-round picks and walking away with multiple top-50 picks.

The Green Bay Packers turned the 14th pick of the 2018 draft into three picks (27th, 147th and a future first-round pick). The Indianapolis Colts traded out of 26th last season and walked away with the 46th pick in the 2019 draft and a second-round pick that would become the 34th pick in the 2020 draft. And so by granting the Lions their coveted second first-round pick in 2021, Miami would retain the ammunition in the here and now to nearly replenish the rest of its lost picks with additional moves. This is a deep draft, and if the Dolphins decided to not mess around and close a deal with the Lions, they've got the tools and assets to do so without compromising their long-term vision or the impact of the 2020 draft.

And all of this, of course, is still hypothetical. Tagovailoa is still yet to be given the all-clear after his scary hip injury. And Miami, as quarterback starved as they are, would be wise to avoid panicking, to matter what. If a team like the Carolina Panthers or Los Angeles Chargers wants to give the Lions a Robert Griffin III haul for the 3rd overall pick? Let them. There will be other special quarterbacks to swing on down the road and surrendering the team's treasure chest of picks to attack the first one that's on the board wouldn't be a wise move.

It's all in front of Miami. But they'll have to be calculated and know their limits.