The Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in the first round of the NFL Draft back on April 23rd. Depending on if there will be a 2020 NFL season this fall, the Dolphins do have other quarterbacks that have started in the National football league.
So the question to ask is: is it too early for Tua Tagovailoa time?
Ryan Fitzpatrick has started for several NFL teams and did all he could last season with what he had beside him. Josh Rosen also started a few games, but most of the time, he had a rough 2019 season, but he did not have a lot of weapons around him, not to mention an inconsistent offensive line.
All of last season through social media, especially Twitter, there were a lot of hashtags that said #TankForTua and a loyal fan like me wanted what was best for the team. I did not want the Dolphins to tank to get Tagovailoa because I took it one game at a time and win football games, but that was not very likely in 2019.
Now I am very pleased that the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa because I think general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores really needed to think about the future. Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting to age, and Josh Rosen did not impress me at all last season.
Still, last season was a transition year in South Florida after moving on from the Ryan Tannehill era and moving on from other veterans.
Should Tua Tagovailoa start out of the gate
Does Tua get to start right away is my only question going into the 2020 season? I do expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to be around still and take most of the first-team reps, but will Josh Rosen be around still also?
The Dolphins drafted another quarterback Malcolm Perry out of the Naval Academy, but does he have the capability that Tua has? Likely a camp arm, Perry does, however, offer a degree of completion to both Tua Tagovailoa and Josh Rosen for the final QB roster spot.
I expect the job to go to Tua Tagovailoa eventually at some point in 2020. But at this point, it is looking like we will not have OTAs or training camp, and that would have a significant impact.
The Dolphins had a great draft, and I am really excited to see what it will produce at the offensive line position. When they drafted Austin Jackson out of USC and Robert Hunt out of Louisiana Lafayette I was excited because drafting more offensive lineman is always a great idea.
I do expect the offensive line to be improved if they can be consistent and can stay healthy, but that is really hard to do in the NFL and in the AFC East because not every team’s offensive line can be as good as the Patriots.
Tua battled injuries his entire career at Alabama, and the offensive line play will be crucial for him to be a success. I would not bring him on too early, but I am not Brian Flores and Chan Gailey. I am going to try to be confident in the offensive line and Tua Tagovailoa until we get football back, and I see it for myself.
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