What people are saying about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in a new network special
Five notable quotes from NFL Network’s 30-minute special on Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa:
▪ His high school coach in Hawaii, Vince Passas, on the trait that stood out to him: “The way he spins the ball. He’s got that gift, the way it comes out of his hands.... The ball jumps out of his hands. He drops dimes; it’s pretty amazing. Ball rarely [hits] the turf. He can do anything he wants to do with the ball, basically. He’s got an amazing competitive spirit in him.”
▪ Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, Tagovailoa’s personal coach: “I’ve never personally seen a prospect as good as Tua. I think the kid is beyond special. A lot of guys are twitchy but they may lack power. There’s a lot of guys that are powerful but they lack twitch. Tua is the ultimate combination of both for me. He has Russell Wilson-type twitch in his eyes, where he actually sees things before they happen. If you watch enough film, watch the times he throws the deep over route... where he throws them before his eyes are actually there.”
▪ NFL Network analyst and former scout Bucky Brooks: “I like the thought of [new Dolphins offensive coordinator] Chan Gailey being able to work with Tua. He implemented the spread offense in Kansas City back in the day. He’s going to have a lot of fun with Tua. A lot of quick rhythm throws designed to let Tua get the ball out to the playmakers. He’s a fantastic RPO [run-pass option] quarterback. Chan Gailey will have lots of tricks for him in his playbook.”
Brooks said he thinks Tagovailoa “at some point will lead the Dolphins to the throne” of the AFC East. “They’ve got so many things going for them. Brian Flores has a talented cast around Tua.”
▪ NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah: “He had a better offensive line in Alabama than the one he will play behind with the Miami Dolphins. They’ve got to keep him upright. They’ve got to keep him healthy. That will be the key.”
▪ NFL Network analyst and former All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders: “The Tua I’ve seen at Alabama since stepping on the scene has been wonderful. He’s not injury prone. This guy is a flat-out winner. He’s smart, he’s professional, he’s articulate, he’s going to say the right things. He’s going to enhance your organization. I love everything about this kid. I think he’s going to be a phenomenal success in Miami.”
The Tagovailoa TV special — which debuted last week — isn’t due to air again on NFL Network, but here’s how to hear it in podcast form on Spotify or Apple.
NOTABLE
▪ Though new Dolphins tight end Michael Roberts is known more for his blocking, keep in mind that he had 22 touchdown catches in college at Toledo, including 16 his senior season.
The former Lions fourth-round pick has 13 catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns in 23 NFL games, including five starts, all with Detroit in 2017 and 2018.
He missed last season after failing a Patriots physical (thus voiding a trade to New England from Detroit) in June 2019 and subsequently failed a Packers physical four days later.
The loser of the backup tight end battle between Roberts and Durham Smythe might still make the team, because teams need three established tight ends to protect themselves in case there are positive COVID-19 tests.
Chris Myarick and developmental player Bryce Sterk also are competing at tight end.
▪ Before the Patriots signed Cam Newton, NBC’s Peter King rated the Dolphins 19th — two spots ahead of New England and surprisingly, three spots ahead of Houston — in his preseason power rankings.
“Around the draft, I kept hearing Miami’s the perfect place for Tua Tagovailoa, because he can take a redshirt year to get his ankles and surgically repaired hip absolutely perfect for 2021,” King said. “So Tua behind Ryan Fitzpatrick was the perfect scenario. It could be, but not because the Dolphins drafted him to take a rehab season. If we learned one thing from watching Brian Flores last year, when half his roster got traded to get in position to have the first pick in the draft, he’s not coaching for next year.
“He could have played Josh Rosen and likely won less and been in the derby for Joe Burrow. But Flores showed last year he coaches for this week, this minute. If Tagovailoa’s better in August [assuming there’s a typical August in the NFL], he’ll play over Fitzpatrick. If he’s not better, he won’t.”
Pro Football Talk rated the Dolphins 26th in their power rankings released Monday, ahead of Detroit, Cincinnati, the New York Giants, Carolina, Jacksonville and Washington.
▪ I find this stat (courtesy of PFF) kind of mind-boggling: Fitzpatrick has the fourth-highest clean-pocket passing grade of any quarterback in the NFL during the past two seasons, trailing only Wilson, Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes.
▪ Former Dolphins All-Pro safety Dick Anderson, who keeps in touch with a lot of former teammates, said he’s unaware of any alums who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Anderson, for his part, wears a nose guard, a plastic mask and protection on the sides of his eyes.
Dolphins executive Nat Moore smartly has been holding Zoom sessions with former players, which allows them to have personal interaction with friends and former teammates during a time when in-person interaction is limited.
Here’s my media column with NFL TV nuggets and a bunch of other things.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:57 PM.
