Dolphins’ Flores pressed repeatedly on Watson, Tua. Here’s his answer. And injury news
Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Friday that Tua Tagovailoa will be the team’s quarterback for the remainder of 2021 barring injury but refused to rule out a trade for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Asked on Friday why he and the organization have not come out and said they’re not trading for Watson before Tueaday’s trade deadline, Flores said:
“I think I’ve said this multiple times. Tua is our quarterback. I don’t get into rumors or speculation. Tua is our quarterback.”
When Xavien Howard was mentioned in Dolphins trade rumors, the Dolphins said he would not be traded. So why the heck can’t the Dolphins just say they’re not trading for Watson? So why is it different?
“I wouldn’t say it’s different,” Flores said. “I’ve answered by saying Tua is our quarterback. I’m not getting into speculation, rumors, rumored speculation, distractions. I’m focused on our team and focused on our quarterback.”
Will Tagovailoa be team’s QB the remainder of the season?
Flores thought about the question for several seconds, and said “he’s our quarterback, yeah” barring injury.
Tagovailoa shrugged off the question on Wednesday when asked if he would feel better if the team just came out and said they’re not trading for Watson.
So why wouldn’t Flores offer a public reassurance to Tagovailoa that they’re not trading for Watson?
“When I saw he’s our quarterback, that is me saying we’re committed to him,” Flores said.
Flores declined to comment on a Houston Chronicle report that the Dolphins and Texans have agreed to trade compensation, contingent on his legal situation being resolved (unlikely to happen soon) and the NFL offering clarity on his legal situation.
Fox’s Jay Glazer said a team that called Houston about Watson was told they will need to beat Miami’s offer. More than a dozen media outlets - including The Miami Herald - have reported Dolphins interest in Watson.
INJURY UPDATE
The Dolphins listed linebacker Jerome Baker, receiver DeVante Parker, center Greg Mancz and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene as questionable for Sunday’s game against Buffalo. All four were limited in practice.
But Flores expressed hope earlier Friday that Baker and Parker would be able to play Sunday.
Baker sustained a knee injury during last Sunday’s Atlanta game. Parker has missed three consecutive games with shoulder and hamstring injuries but said this week that he’s feeling better. “Both are moving in the right direction,” Flores said.
Austin Reiter would start a second consecutive game at center if Mancz (groin) cannot play
Flores said receiver Will Fuller - eligible to come off injured reserve - isn’t ready to return from his finger injury and “we’ll see in the next few weeks.” He didn’t practice this week.
▪ With Malcolm Brown on injured reserve, it looks like Gerrid Doaks or Patrick Laird will be activated from the practice squad for Sunday to complement Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed.
Is it too soon to promote Duke Johnson from the practice squad after he signed on Tuesday?
“He’s done a nice job these last couple of days,” Flores said of Johnson. “More time, you always feel better about that. This is an experienced guy who’s played a lot of football. Protections, the concepts, come a lot easier for them. Obviously more time you would feel better about it, having a few more practices under our belt. I wouldn’t say we would never do it.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ Defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, who has been back for three games after missing three games with a knee injury said he’s “still a little rusty, trying to get my condition up. I still get a little winded out there.”
▪ Safety Eric Rowe marveled this week at the dedication of Bills fans.
“It’s below zero and they are out there [tailgating],” Rowe said, with Sunday’s high temperature in Buffalo expected to reach 56 degrees. “I’m pretty sure they’re out five hours, six hours before the game even starts, drinking beer, cooking on the grill. Twenty degrees and some people have no shirt on. It doesn’t affect them….
“We ride on the bus, they’re flicking you off, smashing the tables. If they could, I know they would throw stuff at our bus, cursing at us on the field. I like that, though. It brings that extra energy. Every time we go up there, it’s so hostile.”
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 10:58 AM.
