As NFL season nears, is Dolphins’ Tua ready for games — physically and mentally?
Brian Flores acknowledged recently that his Dolphins might err on the side of caution with Tua Tagovailoa early in the season, a possible reflection of the team’s uncertainty about how his hip might hold up 10 months after major surgery.
But what before Wednesday had not been addressed — whether Tagovailoa is ready from a football standpoint to enter a game, if needed as a backup.
So we asked Robby Brown, Tagovailoa’s position coach, that very question during his bimonthly media availability.
Brown’s response:
“You don’t know until they go out there and see that level of competition and that speed. We haven’t had the preseason games. We’ve tried to simulate that the best we can and go through all types of situations. There’s a lot of situations that a quarterback has to be aware of — down and distance, time on the clock, matchups, all those kind of things. My goal has been to get him better each and every day, and be better at those situations today than he was yesterday, and when it’s time, when [Flores] makes that decision, we’ll go with it.”
The closest simulation Tagovailoa has had in the month since practices resumed from their pandemic hiatus was Saturday’s scrimmage.
The fake game was a pretty good recreation of what a Sunday could be like.
Tagovailoa learned just minutes before the scrimmage began that Ryan Fitzpatrick was bowing out because of the death of his mother, and Flores wanted the rookie to play with the starters.
The result? Not great. Tagovailoa completed 13 of 23 passes for 119 yards and an interception — and didn’t get his group into the end zone in seven possessions.
That should remove all doubt that, while the Dolphins have declined to announce a Week 1 starter, Fitzpatrick will get the nod for the opener.
Still, it’s important to note that Tagovailoa has participated in every practice that has been open to reporters, which alone is remarkable, considering his hip injury put his career in jeopardy.
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised,” Brown said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I never experienced that type of deal. From what I’ve seen on the field, he’s done well.”
More Dolphins rookies talk
▪ The Dolphins will likely start two rookies on their offensive line: Austin Jackson, whom the Dolphins selected with the 18th overall pick to be their franchise left tackle; and Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt, one of whom will likely play somewhere on the right side.
“Every day with Robert and Solomon and A.J. has been a new adventure,” Dolphins offensive line Steve Marshall said. “One of the things they’ve got to learn, they were the big dog at their college. But in [the NFL], it’s highly competitive every single snap. It’s a battle every day. That’s the one thing that young guys coming into our league [have to learn], every practice is a fierce, highly competitive practice. They’re learning every day, a little bit better. ... They’re talented young guys. We’ll see how it all comes out. They’ve learned a lot in a very, very short of time. They’ve gotten better every single day.”
▪ Two more rookies are expected to have a meaningful role on the defensive line: defensive tackle Raekwon Davis and edge defender Jason Strowbridge.
Position coach Marion Hobby on Wednesday praised Davis’ performance in the scrimmage. It’s fair to say Davis will be a big part of the interior line rotation that Hobby has planned to keep his players fresh.
”He’s a big, athletic man,” Hobby said of Davis. “He does a great job. He’s very conscientious of his play. He wants to be coached. I think he’s growing, growing each time.
Hobby said Strowbridge, who is in line to be a prominent reserve, “has done a really good job and he’s had a really good camp. He’s a young player. He’s done better than the last time we talked. He keeps getting better and better every day. I think he’s got a role on this team. In a long season, we’re going to need him.”
▪ Cornerback Noah Ignbinoghene, the Dolphins’ third of three first-round picks, has gotten “more and more comfortable as a perimeter player,” said defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander.
As of now, it’s unclear if the Dolphins plan to use Ignbinoghene on the boundary or in the slot.
Meanwhile, Alexander said he would be comfortable putting backup safety Brandon Jones in a game.
▪ Hybrid offensive weapon Malcolm Perry “works his [butt] off all the time,” said receivers coach Josh Grizzard. To come in here and make that transition [from quarterback, which he played at Navy], it takes time. ... [But] he does a good job of not making the same mistake twice.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 12:50 PM.
