Dolphins have multiple plans with Tagovailoa, Herbert, Love but none guarantees right QB
Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores was only half-joking Monday when he said general manager Chris Grier has “a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for everything” but that better be true because when it comes to finding a quarterback this offseason, the club will probably have to seriously consider all the plans.
One plan was eliminated Monday when Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, the NFL Draft’s presumptive first pick, said he would play for whichever team drafted him, including the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati personnel boss Duke Tobin said it would be unlikely the Bengals trade the top pick, shutting the door on the Dolphins, who Grier admitted would have considered trading up to the top spot to get Burrow.
So next plan ... which you already know:
The Dolphins can draft Tua Tagovailoa.
Or the next plan: The Dolphins can draft Justin Herbert.
Or the next plan: The Dolphins can draft Jordan Love.
Or the next plan: The Dolphins might not draft any of these guys.
That’s the honest and frustrating thing about this draft “season.” The Dolphins have a lot of options and a lot of possible plans.
But all have apparent flaws.
All are fraught with danger.
So be prepared for anything, folks. Including disappointment.
Let’s address the possible disappointment first. I’d be disappointed if the Dolphins, who went through a 5-11 season filled with humiliating moments, don’t land a quarterback in this draft.
After all, wasn’t getting a franchise QB the point of the past year and the reason for trading Pro Bowl players such as Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick so as to acquire enough high draft picks to ensure getting that guy?
And yet, Dolphins people insist it’s possible Miami doesn’t pick a QB.
No, really.
“There’s a lot that goes with that question,” Flores said when I asked (told) him about how landing a QB was the most important assignment of the offseason. “Obviously, we’re looking at all positions and the quarterback is part of that as well.
“Look, we want to create competition to get young, talented players at all positions. Yeah, I would say you’re right there, but it’s not just the quarterback position. It’s O-line, D-line, defensive backs. It’s all positions. They’re all important.”
And if you’re asking yourself how the Dolphins might, even for one moment, consider not adding a quarterback as a “must do” in the draft, they would answer this way: Not getting one is better than getting the wrong one.
I heard that answer Monday. And it’s both hard to swallow and argue against.
The frustrating thing about that answer and the possibility that lurks behind it is there is no way to say doing something else is clearly a better choice.
Because Tagovailoa may or may not be the right choice. And Herbert may or may not be. And Love, the biggest project in a quarterback class teeming with them, also comes with uncertainty despite seemingly headed for a first-round selection by someone.
The Tagovailoa issue is hard to unscramble and that makes it the most fascinating. Because this one isn’t just about putting on tape of him and Alabama plowing aside Southeastern Conference opponents and understanding this kid’s special.
This, you see, is Combine week. And the knives are out.
And I had one NFL source tell me teams are holding their breath waiting for the results of Tagovailoa’s mental-acuity tests — suggesting he’s not as smart as everyone would want. And another personnel man suggested Tagovailoa is not mature. And all that flies against everything that Alabama people, including Nick Saban, say.
And that scramble of opinions piles atop the medical questions with the player.
About those, Tagovailoa insisted Monday he’s “confident” none of his injuries, including the fractured and dislocated hip from November, will affect him in the NFL. He said his doctors have told him he’ll eventually be as good as he was before it happened.
But that speaks to the player’s ability to recover from injury while making no guarantee about his durability in the future. And that future durability is the thing.
Because that cannot be predicted.
For Herbert, the issue that teams are worried about is his inconsistent accuracy. It was obvious to anyone who watched him play, and it’s something that Herbert believes he can overcome to the point he’s going to throw for teams here while other quarterbacks don’t.
Then there’s Herbert’s personality. He’s admitted to being something of an introvert, especially when he was younger.
This while all teams, including the Dolphins, want the quarterback to be out front and leading. So it’s important that Herbert checks that box.
“When I showed up I was shy and didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes and the quarterback can’t be that to be a successful team,” Herbert said Monday of his early days at Oregon. “You have to have a quarterback that’s himself. He’s got to be genuine and real and he needs to demand from his offense and from the team what he needs to get out of them.
“’I’ve done a better job of being vocal, stepping up and stepping out of my comfort zone.”
The question is whether Herbert is naturally growing into a leader or has been coached to say he has. If it’s the latter, he could come across as contrived in meetings with teams.
Those meetings with the quarterbacks will be important for the Dolphins.
Miami will go into those meetings looking for the right answers, the right body language, and ultimately the right guy.
“He needs to be talented,” Flores said. “He needs to be a leader. He needs to be serious. He needs to be football smart. Football needs to be important to him.
“I want to know about the person more so. We watch all the film. I have an opinion on how talented a player is, but how do they work? How important is it to them? Are they going to make the sacrifices necessary to become the player they want to be? Those are some of the things that I’m looking for.”
The search for the right guy — if he’s out there — continues.
This story was originally published February 25, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
