Miami Dolphins are not making a mistake keeping Tua Tagovailoa in 22
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are all in on Tua Tagovailoa. At least for 2022 and that could be where the mistake is being made for the team’s future success.
Miami’s new head coach, their new OC, and their new QB coach are all in on Tua Tagovailoa. Is it because they believe in him or was that the directive from Chris Grier and Stephen Ross early in the hiring process?
The coaching staff are saying all the right things when it comes to Tua but do they know something we don’t know? Is there something more to his game that Brian Flores and his two-headed Medusa at OC couldn’t bring out in him? Did Charlie Frye do more harm than good? To say nothing of the psychological issues from the entire Deshaun Watson fiasco.
After two seasons of football, fans are still debating one single thing as it relates to Tua. Is he the future of this franchise and can they win with him at quarterback? That isn’t the question that should be asked. It should be is he the right QB for this year?
The answer to that is like it was last year. We have to wait and see. 2022 is Tua’s fresh start. A new staff, new support, a new belief in him. No excuses for failure, so what if he does? Is Miami making their mistake now? What if the coaches praise of Tua is lip service because Tua is part of the deal?
If the coaching staff see Tua as a project and not an absolute, then they are making a mistake sticking with him. That is on the shoulders of Chris Grier and Stephen Ross more than Mike McDaniel.
This year there is an unprecedented amount of top quarterbacks that could be on the move. While an Aaron Rodgers would change the offensive dynamic in an instant, he is 39 years old, carries an ego bigger than the state of Texas, will be paid an incredible amount of money, and may retire after any given season.
Aaron Rodgers is a short term solution at best.
In Seattle, there is a growing belief that Russell Wilson is going to demand a trade. Wilson has struggled the last couple of years but it doesn’t appear to be his fault as the team has changed around him. He is a proven quarterback and could improve the Dolphins offense. He is a leader and well respected. He too will be expensive but of all the QBs on the market or potentially on the market, Wilson might have made a lot of sense for Miami, especially given the fact Mike McDaniel has seen him twice a year first hand.
Kyler Murray seems to want out of Arizona but Bill Bidwell has spoken with him recently and believes that he is the right QB to lead the team and that he will get better. He doesn’t fit into the Dolphins scheme 100% but if the Dolphins are set to build a running game Murray could excel in a system that doesn’t rely 100% on him. Personally, I think Murray is overrated and would stay away as from him.
Baker Mayfield is not reportedly on the trade block but an offer could be made and if the Browns like it, they could move on. In Detroit, Jared Goff is also in a similar position where he is likely gone after this season as well.
Kirk Cousins, Carson Wentz, and of course the entire Deshaun Watson situation is still playing out.
So is a commitment to Tua the right move this year or not?
To be honest, I think it is. Tua has potential and we haven’t seen it all yet. This isn’t to say that we have the right staff in place to make him better but we have a staff that will work with him and build around him.
Looking at the cluster of QBs that could be available this year might make you think about replacing him but in reality, those same QBs are likely going to be back in the news again next year before the opening of the league new year. In reality, most of those QBs will stay with the team they are with today, for at least another season.
Tua may work out with Mike McDaniel or he may fail. If he fails, the Dolphins will have a high draft pick in 2023 and the QB class is expected to be pretty good in 2023. If Tua can’t do it this year, the Dolphins will be in position to draft his replacement. So yes, giving Tua another year makes a lot of sense and isn’t a mistake. Yet.