Miami Dolphins: 3 Things to watch for in preseason opener

#3. Tua Tagovailoa 2.0

The biggest thing to watch will of course be the thing that people will be paying attention to the most this coming season: the development of the franchise quarterback.

No second-year QB received more criticism over the last seven months than Tua Tagovailoa. Drafted one spot ahead of a player who broke multiple rookie throwing records, he has been unfairly compared and judged in both local and national media. There was a handful of factors working against Tagovailoa last season, including a shortened learning period and lack of offensive weapons at his disposal.

But all early reports out of Dolphins training camp is that Tua looks good, and is making impressive plays that are starting to make the naysayers move on from last season.

So how much of the hype is real? We’ll get at least a small taste of Tagovailoa in Miami’s first preseason game this Saturday, surely enough to watch his mobility, accuracy, and decision-making that he has worked hard on all off season long. We won’t be able to get the entire picture right away, especially if he only plays a couple of series, but there will be people ready to overreact, whether it’s positively or negatively. But either way, it will be nice to finally see a more polished product out on the field instead of playing the guessing game.