The Dolphins ‘hit a home run’: Network analysts react to Miami drafting Tua Tagovailoa
Reaction on the Dolphins’ selection of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft
▪ ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “They hit a home run. I’m glad they wound up taking him. There are so many things to like about him. He has so many traits that really transfer to the NFL, the touch on the deep ball. Don’t underestimate Tua’s arm. He can throw the ball with velocity, throw on the move.”
▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “Turn on the tape and he’s phenomenal a super-accurate passer with everything NFL teams look for from their long-term starting quarterback. He needs to be more aware in the pocket [to avoid injuries]. So anticipatory a thrower. He’s not [simply] accurate; he’s precise, he’s a dart thrower. Left-handed Drew Brees. He needs to medically redshirt.”
▪ NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: “I come down to two words: urgency and twitch. That’s what you see when watch Tua. It’s quick eyes, quick decisions, quick feet, quick release. Another thing I love about him is it’s never too big for him. The moment has never been too big for him.”
▪ NFL Network’s Kurt Warner: “When you watch him play between the lines, what jumps out at you is the quickness by which he plays the game. And it starts with that left arm. His ability to get the ball out of his hands. His short- to mid-range accuracy is deadly. And then you talk about the quickness of his feet. In the RPO [run/pass option] game, I’m not sure I’ve seen that many quarterbacks at the college level that are better in the RPO game at being able to read the linebackers, set his feet and get the ball out accurately.”
▪ ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit: “Love his decision making, his accuracy. How many times have we seen him make a throw where the receiver would catch the ball in stride? He’s going to have to learn to get down on some plays. But as far as everything you would look for being that franchise quarterback, he’s got it all.”
▪ ESPN’s Jesse Palmer: “The most important thing a quarterback has to have is great decision making and Tua certainly has that: 88 career touchdown passes, 11 interceptions. And I love the way Tua plays fast. He drops back quickly. He reads coverage quickly. The ball gets out of his hand fast. It just seems like he’s playing at a different gear that everybody else. To me, Tua has everything. There’s no doubt they’ve found their franchise quarterback.”
▪ Pro Football Focus: “While Tagovailoa is generally quick and decisive in the pocket, his best work comes when he can confirm his receiver’s leverage and put the ball in a good spot where his guy can get it. This skill translates well to systems with option routes where Tua can take the extra split second to ensure that his receiver is on the same page before throwing with accuracy against the leverage of the defender. This isn’t to say that he can’t throw without anticipation, but he has an excellent feel for seeing his receiver and then throwing accurately with his quick release.”
DOLPHINS PLAN PROGRAM
Teams with returning head coaches are permitted to hold voluntary and virtual offseason programs beginning Monday, and unlike the New Orleans Saints, the Dolphins have decided to participate in that program.
The league informed teams that the offseason programs, which would be held via video-conferencing, can include online classroom instruction and virtual workouts. But coaches and players are not permitted to work together in person.
Because the Dolphins are holding an offseason program, players will receive a per diem of at least $235 per day. Dolphins players also will be eligible to receive any offseason workout bonuses, which are fairly common.
Following May 15, teams will have six weeks of offseason program time available to them, which can include classroom sessions or virtual workouts.
▪ The Dolphins entered Thursday’s draft with $22.7 million in cap space and will need between $12 million and $15 million to sign their draft class, depending on how many picks they ultimately use and where those picks fall. Miami also will need another $2 million or so to sign a practice squad.
That would leave Miami realistically with less than $10 million in cap space following the draft, though another $9.5 million would be saved in salary and cap space if the Dolphins released receiver Albert Wilson at any point before the season.
The Dolphins are projected to have as much as $70 million in cap space in 2021 under initial projections of a cap that could rise to $240 million. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter cautioned this week that this year’s $198.2 million cap could drop modestly or significantly in 2021 if the NFL plays games without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 9:13 PM.
