Tagovailoa makes this change in his approach. And more feedback on Dolphins’ QB decision
A Miami Dolphins six-pack on the eve of the NFL Draft:
▪ In trying to project whether Tua Tagovailoa will be fragile as a NFL player, some evaluators have expressed concern about how he contorts his body when he’s about to take a hit.
Does he throw the ball away quickly enough to avoid crushing contact? Does he crouch in a way to take a hit when a blitzer gets a free run at him - as opposed to leaving himself vulnerable? Does he not do enough to avoid contact when he’s scrambling?
His agent, Leigh Steinberg, said that’s one thing Tagovailoa has worked to improve in training with NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer.
“He’s had to make an adjustment, as all quarterbacks do,” Steinberg said. “One thing he’s worked with Trent Dilfer on is not to take a hit and how to be safer in the game.
“At Alabama, Nick Saban said Tua tried to take everything on himself and put his body at risk. When you go to the next level, he’s worked very hard on a whole system of dropping back and releasing the ball [and] that will help him not get hit as much.”
Tagovailoa has had at least seven injuries over the past two seasons, as we detailed here.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick said: “If he takes care of himself better in the pocket... If we can fix that, the likelihood of being durable and being able to play a long career in the NFL is very, very good.”
Tagovailoa’s greatest strengths, Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN, are his instincts and accuracy.
“One of the things that makes an outstanding quarterback is when you can throw the ball accurately like this, you’re putting it in a position where the guy can catch the ball and run with it,” Saban said.
▪ The Athletic Wisconsin’s longtime NFL writer Bob McGinn, who has polled NFL executives and scouts for years before the draft, asked 18 personnel executives to express their level of concern about Tagovailoa’s health, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most concerned.
McGinn noted the average for the panel was a 7.6.
Using the NFL formula, Tagovailoa’s career passer rating is 138.1 in 33 games, as McGinn noted. Herbert’s was 106.4. Jordan Love’s is 92.0.
▪ As we’ve noted, one person who spoke to the Dolphins in recent days said he would be surprised if Miami takes Herbert at No. 5, believing Miami prefers Tua or to a lesser extent, Jordan Love.
Another NFL person told me this week that Herbert doesn’t fit the Brian Flores personality prototype at the position. Flores prefers an alpha male and Herbert is more of a subdued, quiet leader, though Oregon coach Mario Cristobal has worked in recent days to try to change that narrative.
But there are some people inside the Dolphins who like Herbert, which is why I can’t rule him out, even more so if he slips to 18th.
I’m still struck by ESPN’s Todd McShay noting that Herbert would sit in the back of the room when he, Steve Levy and Brian Griese would interview players the night before games, and that an Oregon guard was the one engaging with the announcers.
▪ Among network analysts, nobody has been more outspoken against Herbert than ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who remains a candidate to replace Booger McFarland in the network’s Monday Night Football booth.
Among Orlovsky’s creative ways of explaining his issues with Herbert, compared with Tagovailoa, whom he loves as a prospect:
“Player-wise it isn’t even close. It’s like living on the beach or living an hour away. One, you can walk out your door onto sand. [The other] one, you got to load up the car, pack a bunch of bags, drive an hour-enjoy your time. Pack up; get car sandy. The latter stinks.”
And, as we noted in my March 30 Herbert column that I recommend you read - if you missed it - Orlovsky said of Herbert:
“I would be scared to death to draft Justin Herbert early. My analogy with houses is this. It’s almost like real estate. Justin Herbert is the really good-built home. Looks the part. Has got a bunch of upgrades. But you can’t sell it. For some reason, it’s just sitting on the market and you can’t sell it and you walk away from seeing the home every single time and you say, ‘Something is not right with that house. I don’t know exactly what it is.’”
And former scout Bucky Brooks, now an NFL Network analyst, said one reason why some teams favor Herbert is he “checks off a lot of prototypical boxes that evaluators love: Size, arm talent, IQ, athleticism and experience. He’s an easy sell in war rooms because he’s safe. Some execs prefer so-called ‘doubles’ over homers.
“I like Herbert a lot as a player and I believe he was underrated for most of the process but Tua is special. Sure, the medical is a concern but he’s a five-star player. Plus, he’s a leader with poise and clutch ability. Don’t overthink it.”
And ESPN’s Riddick cautions that “Justin and Tua are not on the same level. When you purely are evaluating these two guys, right now the only reason to me you’re only having this debate between Justin and Tua is strictly a function of injury and durability. I don’t think these two, when you watch their tape game after game after game …
“They are not on the same level at all as far as playing quarterback. I’ve watched every game they’ve played this year, and they’re not in the same category. They’re just not. It’s Tua and Joe [Burrow] and then, there’s a drop.”
Herbert told Pat McAfee that the Dolphins and Chargers were the teams he did the most interviews with.
▪ Baylor receiver Denzel Mims, who has received calls from the Dolphins, has risen to a late first-rounder or early second-rounder, Kiper said. A Baylor football official believes the Dolphins really like him.
“The Baylor offense is something people question [but] he had a phenomenal Combine workout and did everything spectacularly well and ran under 4.4,” Kiper said.
▪ Quick stuff: Add safety Daniel Thomas to the list of Auburn players Miami has shown interest in. “Thomas can cover tight ends and has some “big nickel” experience, but will be better off playing with his eyes forward in short zone or in the box,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said. “He has the size, explosiveness and special teams potential to compete for a roster spot as a backup strong safety.” Miami sure has spent a lot of time on Auburn defenders....
Miami reached out to wide receiver and potential third-day pick Hasise Dubois of Virginia. Dubois, 6-2, had 75 catches for 1062 yards (14.2 average) and six TDs last season....
We keep hearing the Dolphins like UF edge defender Jonathan Greenard, who had 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last season....
Miami did a video-conference session with Fresno State 6-3, 230-pound linebacker Mykal Walker, a potential late-round pick who had 96 tackles (9 for loss) and 2.5 sacks last season.
Here’s my Wednesday piece with lots more Dolphins draft chatter, including Miami’s efforts to acquire the No. 3 overall pick and two schools where the Dolphins like players who play the same position.
Here’s my Wednesday piece with a college football plan that UM has been discussing - one Notre Dame vehemently opposes.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 9:38 PM.
