Not every Miami Dolphins players think Tua Tagovailoa should be starting
By Brian Miller
Not every Miami Dolphins players think Tua Tagovailoa should be starting.
Tua Tagovailoa will be the new Miami Dolphins starter and while many players are voicing their support, not all of them share the optimism.
Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel has reported that some players, speaking on condition of anonymity, are not sure why the move was made. Kelly says in his article that one player indicated Tua has a grasp of about 40% of the Dolphins offense.
This is a pretty big statement. Jerome Baker told the media that they were excited to see what he can bring but he also acknowledged that Tua is a rookie and needs to prove himself. Yet, Baker’s comments came with no conditions, straight out to the media.
Of course Kelly doesn’t say who is players are but one defensive player told him that Tua tends to hold on to the ball too long calling him a “defensive snack”. Another player called him “alright”.
Tua is going to have growing pains and Kelly brings up a good point that apparently others are asking as well. Why now? Indeed, with the bye-week it makes sense if you are going to make this switch but at the same time, Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t been playing bad. His inconsistencies could be chalked up to playcalling as well.
light. Related Story. Reeve: Surprising decision to bench Fitzpatrick
Now, it seems as though the Dolphins offense is going to have to simplify a bit to accommodate Tua’s strengths and weaknesses. On Twitter, Brett LaGasse made a good point when he said that Tua will not have the benefit of WR separation from the Dolphins receivers. Something he did have at Alabama.
One thing Tua has to adjust to in Miami, is receivers that don’t gain a ton of separation down the field. He feasted on that in college, but he won’t have that luxury as much here. He’s going to have to throw guys open and use his eyes.
— Bret LaGasse (@BretLaGasse67) October 21, 2020
Something to see how he adjusts
This is an accurate point as Fitzpatrick has been able to thread balls into tight coverages and the Dolphins receivers have had to adjust and shield defenders from the ball. We have not seen a lot of wide-open routes because the Dolphins receivers are not getting separation.
We won’t know exactly what Tua will do on the field once he is out there but clearly there are some who think that this is a little less than an exciting time and Tua is going to have to step up and play well to earn this promotion.