Dolphins coach Brian Flores drafted the type of players he wants to build around.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ draft will take time to gel

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Look beneath the joy of the Miami Dolphins landing Tua Tagovailoa, who they hope finally becomes the franchise quarterback they’ve been seeking, and what stands out from their very active 2020 draft is this:

Winning NFL teams aren’t built in a day. Not in an offseason. Not in a single draft, even when you have an inordinate number of picks as Miami did.

The Dolphins came out of it with an intriguing haul of talent. They made some inspired choices that may provide a foundation for success that has eluded this woebegone franchise for too long.

But don’t expect this crop of rookies to step onto the field as an instant playoff contender.

There has been an expectation evident in fans chatter that because they had amassed so many draft picks, including three in the first round, and had oodles of salary cap space this offseason that winning will come quickly.

That certainly doesn’t appear to be the assumption of coach Brian Flores and GM Chris Grier.

Their approach to the draft said as much.

Beefing up the lines

After picking Tagovailoa, the remainder of their selections — there were 11 total after a couple of trades — were focused on building strength up front, fortifying the offensive and defensive lines.

It was a wise objective because that is the foundation of any winning team, and much needed for units that last season couldn’t open a hole for a running or stop an opponent.

They added three big bodies to each line in the draft. Three of the first seven picks were on the offensive line.

They also added to an already well-stocked defensive secondary, which is primary to Flores’ defensive scheme.

Upside defines the Dolphins’ draft class

The draft strategy suggests that Grier and Flores are viewing this as a two-year process. Next year, when they have two picks in each of the first two rounds, they can prioritize adding playmakers to Tua’s arsenal.

In this draft, the objective was clear and I admire how they stuck to it. They resisted the temptation of trading up for one of the touted running backs, and then landed an established NFL back, Matt Breida, from San Francisco for a fifth-round pick, a reasonable exchange.

Trades net more help up front

I liked the trades to move up for Georgia guard Solomon Kindley in the fourth round (No. 111 overall) and edge-rusher Curtis Weaver from Boise State in the fifth round.

The latter seems like a steal at No. 164. He had 34 sacks in three years, a Mountain West record. As a matter of comparison, that is 3.5 sacks more than No. 2 pick Chase Young had at Ohio State, though not suggesting Weaver is the player Young is.

Tackle/guard Robert Hunt also seemed like a laudable inspired pick in the second round. Hunt was a mauler for Louisiana and could immediately vie for a starting job in Miami.

Experts differ greatly in their views on USC tackle Austin Jackson, the first lineman the Dolphins took at No. 18. He has great tools, but isn’t yet 21 and seems will require time to develop.

Meanwhile, it made sense to load up on big bodies — and defensive backs too — because not all of these players the Dolphins drafted will make it in the NFL. They never do.

Prior to the draft, Mike Sando of The Athletic presented an analysis showing that since 1993 only two teams have ever had more draft capital (based on a combined numeric value assigned to their picks) than the Dolphins took into this draft: the 2018 Browns and 1994 Colts.

The Browns came out of that draft with quarterback Baker Mayfield and some other productive players, but haven’t had a winning record in the subsequent two seasons. The Colts got Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk but not a lot of other impact from the ’94 draft.

Some choices questionable

Analysts are giving mixed reviews on the Dolphins’ picks. Some decisions were questionable. Such as, they could have had highly rated edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson when they took Jackson, regarded as a project.

The oddest move was the trade down from 26 to 30 in the first round that netted Noah Igbinoghene, a converted wide receiver but unpolished at cornerback. He’s an impressive athlete but doesn’t seem like a first-round talent. Obviously, Flores has a plan for him.

Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson, a hulking 6-foot-7, 350-pounder was there for the taking. He went No. 29 to Tennessee.

But through it all, Grier and Flores stuck to their convictions, and they drafted the type of players that fit Flores’ preference.

“I think at the end of the day, we want to bring good players onto this team who will work and compete,” Flores said after the first round. “There is a lot to learn. … let’s just take this one day at a time and hopefully if we can string good days together, we’ll see some of the fruits of that labor.”

Flores gets his kind of players

It is up to Flores to mold the newcomers, including veterans signed in free agency, into a winning combination. Don’t be surprised if there are struggles along the way, and temper expectations for next season.

Even for Tagovailoa, who is expected to spend time as an understudy to Ryan Fitzpatrick.

But given what Flores accomplished in coaxing five wins in the last nine games of 2019 from a threadbare roster, he has earned a vote of confidence. He will certainly have a lot more useful pieces at his command in season two.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Hoop History: Reimagining The Magic Kingdom

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Here’s a frightening scenario for the 1990s-era Orlando Magic.

As we know, the Magic maneuvered a draft-night deal to acquire Penny Hardaway for Chris Webber and three future first-round draft picks. As a result, Shaq and Penny would become a formidable duo in the Eastern Conference, making it to the 1995 NBA Finals before Shaq would eventually leave for greener pastures (and three championships) in Los Angeles.

But what if the Magic didn’t do that deal? I know, this sounds like every other what-if involving a Shaq/C-Webb frontcourt. But how much further do theorists tend to go with this scenario? Usually they go on to say that the Magic boast a dominant frontcourt for the remainder of the decade, which is fine.

But there’s something beyond this that is overlooked.

With hindsight being what it is, which option would you have chosen?

Option A: Trade for Penny Hardaway and repeat history?

Or

Option B: Draft Chris Webber and let the chips fall where they might?

Here’s why, for the sake of hindsight, I would consider Option B. Proponents of the original timeline are justified in their thinking that a balanced team, where you have All-Star talent on the wings and in the post (especially in the 1990s). I personally believe in that need for balance as well. But what if I told you that you could still have that while securing arguably the most dynamic frontcourt since Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson?

Follow me on this one. Based on the record books, the Orlando Magic had two first-round draft picks in the summer of 1993: the #1 pick for the second season in a row and the #26 pick, which they received from the New York Knicks in a 1992 trade. For the record, the Magic would draft Dutch center Geert Hammink, who would play a total of 8 NBA games and score a total of 14 points in 27 total career NBA minutes. Legend.

Draft Picks Acquired by Magic | Orlando Magic

Let’s change history. One of the criticisms Shaq raised against Penny was that he wasn’t ready for the big stage, despite gaudy numbers in the 1995 NBA Finals. This would often be used by the big man in a trilogy of star guard comparisons involving Hardaway, the late Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade:

The difference between those three is in ‘The Godfather’ trilogy … one is Alfredo, who’s never ready for me to hand it over to him. One is Sonny, who will do whatever it takes to be the man. And one is Michael, who, if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it to Dwyane.

So we need someone that is not afraid to take big shots late in games.

Note: This is needed for two reasons—the first being that Shaq himself has admitted to not being a clutch player and the second being that Chris Webber, as great a power forward as he was in his prime, was not known for clutch plays (his career at Michigan notwithstanding).

So with both Magic picks in hand, let’s look at the 1993 NBA Draft. Assuming we’re smart and take Webber (and not Shawn Bradley) with the first overall pick, we’ll need to find someone that can make up for Penny Hardaway’s absence while also making sense.

Here is how the 1993-94 Magic’s lineup looked in our timeline.

PG: Penny Hardaway/Scott Skiles
SG: Nick Anderson
SF: Dennis Scott
PF: Jeff Turner
C: Shaquille O’Neal

Seems normal, right? Good. All is right with the world…until we look at Earth-2.

PG: Nick Van Exel/Scott Skiles
SG: Nick Anderson
SF: Dennis Scott
PF: Chris Webber
C: Shaquille O’Neal

That’s right. Nick the Quick is now a member of the Orlando Magic to kick off the 1993-94 NBA Regular Season! Congratulations! How did this happen? Van Exel, who had a solid 13-year NBA career, made the All-Rookie Second Team after his first season, and averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 assists a game in five seasons as a member of the Lakers, was drafted 37th overall that summer!

It’s safe to say that, after a variety of big shots and flashy play, the one-time All-Star certainly outplayed his draft position. So let’s say the Magic take him out of Jerry West’s hands at #26. Just like that, the Orlando Magic enter the regular season with a dynamic wing rotation and one of the most dominant power rotations in NBA history.

Would it have worked? I’d like to think so. With this lineup, you still have two excellent passers on the floor in Van Exel and Webber, as well as a capable passer in SHAQ. Anderson and Scott would continue to stretch the floor as they did on this Earth. In the 1990s, this lineup would remain lethal.

You could even argue that the Magic would become even more talented, allowing them to use the money they would have used on Horace Grant to deepen their bench even more and ensure that both SHAQ and Webber stick around after 1996 and 1997.

Beyond that, with the Eastern Conference aging and teams like the Knicks, Pacers, and HEAT with their own flaws, the Magic would be, like on our Earth, primed to dominate not just the conference, but the leagues until at least 2004. Perhaps longer, if the two behemoths down low are able to lessen one another’s load and the guards remain effective.

Note: This is, by no means, a deliberate shot at Penny Hardaway, one of my favorite players of all time. But it is interesting to wonder how things would have changed with different players.

Which now begs the question(s): with the Magic now boasting a lineup of Van Exel, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Chris Webber, and Shaquille O’Neal, how does NBA history (as we know it) change? Does SHAQ still leave in 1996? Do they still reach the 1995 NBA Finals with Webber in the paint instead of Horace Grant? Where does Grant go?

Does he stick around with Chicago? Does he head to Los Angeles to play for the Clippers instead? Or Phoenix? Does this mean Danny Manning remains a Clipper? Could the Bulls (still without Michael Jordan) remain relatively intact? What does this mean for Dennis Rodman’s career? Do the San Antonio Spurs run it back with the legendary rebounder?

Could Grant Hill eventually join them in 2000 as Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott’s effectiveness begin to wane? The possibilities are endless! All these (and so much more) are questions that arise from just one major trade—a trade which would shape the history of the league for years to come.

Instead, we’ll have to watch them on TNT some nights (once this virus is gone). It could be worse.

Now both Shaq and Penny have since admitted that championships were likely had they stayed together. I don’t disagree with that in the slightest, but could the Magic have reached even great heights by keeping Chris Webber instead?

It’s something to think about.

—

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Boca Raton, Ricky J. Marc, J.D., M.S. is an alumnus of the Obama White House and Cornell Paris Institute, a former Legislative Aide with both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, and a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

Ricky currently resides in Paris, France, is the host of the The RJM Experience (available everywhere podcasts are found), and is the co-host of the upcoming STICK TO SPORTS: A Sports Podcast (That Isn’t) podcast series.

Follow him on Twitter @RickyJMarc.

Miami Dolphins

Fresh Perspective: Upside defines the 2020 Miami Dolphins draft class

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The 2020 NFL draft has come to a close, and there’s a very distinct theme with the Miami Dolphins draft class.

  • 5. Tua Tagovailoa QB/Alabama
  • 18. Austin Jackson OT/USC
  • 30. Noah Igbinoghene CB/Auburn
  • 39. Robert Hunt OL/Louisiana
  • 56. Raekwon Davis DL/Alabama
  • 70. Brandon Jones S/Texas
  • 111. Solomon Kindley OG/Georgia
  • 154. Jason Strowbridge DE/North Carolina
  • 164. Curtis Weaver OLB/Boise State
  • 185. Blake Ferguson LS/LSU
  • 246. Malcolm Perry WR/Navy

Many people are assuming that this draft class is not good. There are very few instant impact players, clearly Chris Grier and Brian Flores don’t know how to draft. Well, those criticisms are half right. While it’s true that these players aren’t expected to make huge impacts right away, this draft is far from bad. In fact, in many ways, Miami’s 2020 draft was – for lack of a better term – inspired.

Instead of focusing on safe or popular picks, the Dolphins decided to forgo conventional wisdom and picked players who have much greater potential. Potential to become elite players.

Naturally, there is something to be said about finding players who are more guaranteed to work out. Players who are unlikely to bust will actually contribute in some way shape or form, which is important for a team trying to build a foundation on the backs of young players. However, Miami isn’t just trying to build a foundation. They want a strong foundation. Super Bowl caliber foundation.

Hence, the picks the Miami Dolphins made. They are in a very unique position, one that perhaps no team has ever been in. Yes, Miami drafted their franchise quarterback. No one can deny the talent that Tua Tagovailoa brings to the table. If all goes well, he will lead the Dolphins into a new era of greatness they haven’t seen since Dan Marino. But this is not an immediate transition. Certain people feel that the best thing to do would be to throw Tagovailoa into the fire immediately. But Miami has different plans, and it has everything to do with the philosophy Brian Flores brings to the franchise, which GM Chris Grier indicated they would bring to the draft last week.

“We’re going to go with the same process of how we’ve done things.” Grier said. “Our scouts have done a great job, as well as the coaching staff. We always talk about communication and that’s really key because to get those guys on the backend, it’s the coaches and scouts on the same page and everyone on the phone, talking to players and identifying players that can help us or see something that has upside for us to develop.”

There’s the word. “Upside.” The potential ceiling for a given prospect as opposed to how good they are at the moment of being drafted. Each and every player – except for Blake Ferguson, who’s a long snapper – has an incredible amount of raw talent that if properly developed, can turn them into elite level players. The Dolphins are in an extremely unique position where winning is not the main priority for 2020. This means that there’s no rush to get Tagovailoa onto the football field, and it means that Miami gets a free year to develop their new prospects and see what they can get out of them.

2020 is going to be another evaluation year, even more so than 2019. Last season was about stripping down the roster to remove the mistakes by the previous regimes. They released overpaid players, traded as many as they could for draft assets, and replaced them with young, cheap players with upside. The result of the new coaching staff was a revitalized DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, with cornerback Nik Needham going from zero to hero as the season progressed.

That is the impact that a strong coaching staff can have. Players who no one expects to do well, suddenly look much better than they have any business to. This entire draft class matches that mentality.

Austin Jackson was selected 18th overall, a reach no matter who you ask by conventional wisdom. He has all the athletic tools you could ask for to be an amazing left tackle in the NFL, but his technique is subpar and he desperately needs to be coached up. Fortunately, the Dolphins can afford to spend that time tutoring Jackson and tweaking his game until he reaches the point where it’s safe to let him protect Tagovailoa in 2021.

The same goes for Robert Hunt. The offensive lineman out of Louisiana is a mauler who loves to take defenders to the ground and bully them no matter where on the line he plays. That sort of mentality hasn’t been present on the Dolphins offensive line since the days of Richie Incognito. But he sometimes gets too aggressive, and his balance can get thrown off because he focuses too much on overwhelming his assignment rather than simply following through on it. Aggressive is good. Overaggressive is not. Plus, a groin injury he suffered in 2019 hurt his draft stock as well, he’ll need to prove he’s healthy. Which, again, Miami can make sure of by simply monitoring him closely as the season progresses. There’s no pressure to keep him in if they feel they need to let him heal and learn in other ways.

Then there’s Curtis Weaver, who the Dolphins managed to trade up and draft with the 164th pick. Weaver was originally projected as a potential second round pick by some analysts, but he slipped due to his lack of motor and overall explosiveness as a pass rusher. He accumulated 34 sacks in his three years at Boise State, making him the All-Time Mountain West Conference leader in sacks. Production is definitely not an issue for him. There are, however, moments where he looks like he slows down and gives up on a play. That’s something that Brian Flores will need to fix. Again, he’ll have a year to see if he can draw the best out of him.

Rinse and repeat for the rest of Miami’s draft class, and suddenly it all makes sense. If, by some miracle, the majority of these drafted players develop into foundation type players, then the Dolphins will enter 2021 with a quarterback who’s had a year to sit and learn under a wily veteran in Ryan Fitzpatrick, and an offensive line that’s had a chance to play together for a year, ready for the task of protecting the franchise.

When that happens, the sky’s the limit for the Miami Dolphins.

To emphasize, there will be growing pains in 2020. There will be a lot of growing pains in 2020. However, that will actually be an exciting scenario to watch. Instead of being disappointed because expectations are insanely high, fans will get to watch the beauty of players learning and growing under a coaching staff that has shown the ability to get the best out of players. The more talent there is to develop, the better things will be. They will take their lumps with Ryan Fitzpatrick and maybe Josh Rosen for one year.

Then in 2021, there will be another round of free agency, another draft where Miami has two 1st and 2nd round picks, and a team full of players ready to do everything they can to not just make the playoffs, but win a Super Bowl.

And there’s a very good shot that Tua Tagovailoa will lead the Miami Dolphins there with a solid foundation lifting him up.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Guts Check: 5th Overall Pick – The Gift That Keeps on Giving

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Typically, this column is reserved for words about everybody’s favorite basketball team by the bay. Don’t worry Heat Nation, that is not about to change any time soon.

That said, last night’s Miami Dolphins draft is worth deviating from the normal script just this once.

One of the things that I have always loved about Pat Riley and his team building philosophy is the propensity to think big.

However, thinking big doesn’t always have to amount to big risk.

Flashback (get it) to the 2003 NBA Draft, when the Heat were debating the merits of Chris Kaman and Kirk Hinrich as complimentary players to an already existing max contract shooting guard in town, Eddie Jones. Despite positional needs, injury concerns and advanced metrics, the Heat took a player with the 5th pick in the draft and it literally changed everything.

It turned out that they got the transcendent player, the star, the franchise cornerstone. They drafted Dwyane Wade. The rest is NBA history.

I’ve been waiting for the Dolphins to go get that player for decades.

In the NBA it can be argued that wings are more important than bigs, that point guards are more important than power forwards, etc.

The reality is, in the NBA you just need stars, regardless of position.

The NFL is not alike in that regard. Position matters, a lot.

So yes, as Dolphins fans, we have talked ourselves into every big acquisition since Dan Marino was sacked off the field in Jacksonville. Yet, deep down inside we always knew that without a top-notch signal caller, the Dolphins were going to need everything to go perfectly for the team to win a Super Bowl. Hell, even to win a playoff game.

Last night felt different. Almost Tua good to be true. (couldn’t resist)

#TankforTua has been a movement in Miami for almost 2 years. Anybody that knows me, knows that I despise losing on purpose. However when it came to the Dolphins, I was desperate enough to see them try anything at this point.

Tank for Tua was even the name of my office league fantasy football team last season – to which I received messages last night like “Congrats on a well-executed plan”

The Dolphins have a plan? Holy shit. THE DOLPHINS HAVE A PLAN.

See, that’s the thing, for the ups and downs of Riley’s tenure in Miami, even when the future has looked bleakest, the fan-base always could lean on an intuition that among the mess, Riley had a message. Fans can handle pain if they think there is a plan.

Today, it feels like the Miami Dolphins have a process, a plan and a star at the most important position.

The Miami Dolphins finally have a franchise quarterback. One that essentially fell in their laps at the 5th pick overall.

The Heat organization carved out quite a spot in the NBA history books from a similar spot back in 2003.

Tua Tagovailoa, it’s your turn. I think I speak for all of us when I say we are happy as hell it’s Tua time.

 

Morning in Miami

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January 15, 2000: Jacksonville Jaguars 62, Miami Dolphins 7

A team that had, the previous week, gone into Seattle, making the NFL’s longest trip, and won a playoff game (this is so long ago that Seattle was in the AFC), took one of the NFL’s shortest trips and managed to lose by 55 points.

Two Hall of Famers, Dan Marino, and Jimmy Johnson would never play or coach, respectively, again.

In the 20 years since, the Dolphins have played in 5 playoff games, winning 1. And 3 of those 5 were in the 2 years immediately following the Jacksonville debacle, the last gasps of breath from a once model franchise.

And that’s what they were. A model franchise. It’s been 20 years of futility, so it’s tough to remember, but from 1970 to 2002, the Dolphins made the playoffs 21 times and missed it only 11 times. They won 2 Super Bowls and played in 3 others. This was the franchise worth emulating. Since 2002, they’ve missed the playoffs 16 of 18 times and haven’t won a playoff game.

Likewise, the Dolphins spent 30 of their first 34 years as a franchise led by future Hall of Famers. Since then…we know the names: Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase. Futility, thy name is Dolphins.

In the 1930s, Winston Churchill said of France:

Thank God for the French Army. France is not only the sole great surviving democracy in Europe; she is also the strongest military power, I am glad to say, and she is the head of a system of States and nations.

That was the Dolphins. The proudest, the best, and then poof…in an instance gone in the same manner that the France fell over the course of a few months in 1940.

Darkness Had Descended on the Dolphins Empire.

Through bad luck, bad decisions, an ownership change, churn in the front office…the Dolphins have been on a hamster wheel to nothingness. Even the right decisions ended up wrong.

  • They hire the right coach in Nick Saban, and he elevates to one of the finest coaches in football history. In college, at Alabama.
  • They medically evaluate two QBs and select the one that seemed healthier. The Dolphins end up snake-bit with Daunte Culpepper while the Saints (previously known as the “Aints” and famous for having fans wear paper bags over their heads) win the Super Bowl with Drew Brees.
  • The Dolphins (finally!) use a Top 10 pick on a QB, Ryan Tannehill, and he somehow ends up not being great AND not busting…walking the tightrope between maybe good enough, perhaps not good enough, resulting in years of mediocrity.

But the context worsened things. Not only were the Dolphins seemingly going nowhere, but the Patriots turned into the best franchise in the NFL. Since the Dolphins last won a playoff game, the Patriots have won SIX Super Bowls.

The combination of the Dolphins’ mediocrity and the Patriots’ excellence over an absurdly long period of time robbed the Dolphins of the one thing that all fan bases have: hope.

South Florida is famous for short, violent thunderstorms intermingled with brilliant sunshine. That’s also how the NFL works. You stink to get a high draft pick (thunderstorm), and then you get the sunshine, which at the very least hopes that the pick will elevate the franchise to championship status.

The Dolphins had none of that. Perpetually overcast. No franchise-changing player to be excited about, and no realistic chance to compete with the menace in Boston. 

And so the Dolphins tried a new strategy.

They hired a coach from the Patriots.

They tanked for the generational player in the form of Tua Tagovailoa.

Everything was going according to plan.

And then it wasn’t. The Dolphins history of making the right decision and having it blow up in their face seemed to be repeating itself. Hiring a good coach and attempting to hand him the number one pick should be a good thing. But it’s the Dolphins, so of course that coach does TOO good of a job, and the Dolphins somehow win 5 games.

Fire up the hamster wheel!

Except a funny thing happened on the way to the mediocrity jamboree. It turns out that one of those 5 wins ruined the Patriots season, sent them into the Wild Card Round, and was the death knell of the Patriots empire. Tom Brady has resorted to walking into the wrong people’s houses as a member of the Buccaneers.

Okay, so a silver lining. The Patriots are (FINALLY!) going to rebuild but the Dolphins still blew Tua.

But wait, there’s more. Tua’s injury caused him to fall to Miami.

Had the Dolphins gone 0-16, they likely still would have coveted and taken Tua, but Brady might still be in New England. Maybe the Patriots would have a 7th Super Bowl. We’ll never know. Had the Dolphins won any more games (the Chargers took a QB right after them), they would have lost out on Tua.

But this time, that didn’t happen.

Somehow, the franchise that had been cursed for 20 years, that did things correctly and watched them fail so many times, managed to hit that sweet spot where they won just the exact right number of games, and the specific games, to hasten the end of the Brady Era in New England and still get the player they were tanking for, while also not having to eradicate a culture of intentionally losing from their locker room.

After 20 years of everything going wrong, of suffering, not under the stench of poor play, but under the weight of hopelessness, the Dolphins had it break their way. At this moment, the Miami Dolphins have the brightest future in the AFC East.

For the first time in 20 years, the clouds are breaking, and the sun is shining through. Back to Churchill, as he addressed a defeated, hopeless French nation in 1940:

Good night then: Sleep to gather strength for the morning. For the morning will come. brightly it will shine on the brave and true, kindly upon all who suffer for the cause, glorious upon the tombs of heroes. Thus will shine the dawn.

It took more than 20 years, from that fateful capitulation in Jacksonville to Roger Goodell announcing that the Dolphins had selected Tua, but morning has come for the Dolphins. Brightly does it shine on the brave and true fans who suffered through decades of hopelessness. Hope has returned to Miami.

The dawn is shining.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports and generally covers the Miami Hurricanes. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

The odds favor Tua Tagovailoa being selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pressure Point: Tua Tagovailoa the right pick for Dolphins

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Finally, the day that everyone invested in the Miami Dolphins has been obsessing over for a year.

All the agonizing and analyzing, hand-wringing and hoping through a lost season has led to the most important draft in Dolphins franchise history.

Remember, everyone thought they were “Tanking for Tua.”

Now Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is within reach and there are plenty of NFL experts, followers and, yes, some Miami fans too, saying the Dolphins should resist the temptation of a very talented player with a troublesome injury history.

Five Reasons complete NFL Draft guide

So what do the Dolphins do with the No. 5 pick in the draft?

They take Tua, of course.

Not as simple a call as it would have seemed months ago, before Tagovailoa’s college career ended with a serious hip injury.

Still, it’s the one Dolphins chiefs —GM Chris Grier, coach Brian Flores and owner Steve Ross — should make with their first of three picks in the first round. Even if they have to deal some of their ample draft capital to the Detroit Lions to move up to No. 3.

Alfredo Arteaga for Five Reasons: Final Mock Draft

Injury concern has merit

No question, there are legitimate concerns about Tua’s durability.

The Dolphins were dealt a problematic hand in this pursuit. It’s like being told, you can have your dream house, but it’s not constructed to South Florida hurricane codes and could blow away at any time.

But if not for those questions, Tagovailoa would be the No. 1 pick in the draft and out of Miami’s reach.

Fate has given the Dolphins a side door to the caliber of quarterback that has eluded them since Dan Marino retired. They have let too many others slip past them while shuffling through 21 imposters over two decades.

Time to roll the dice. Gotta take Tua.

This beleaguered franchise can’t afford another Drew Brees debacle.

Ethan Skolnick: Hey Dolphins, be smart like Heat in building team

Saban made wrong call

Ironically, it was Alabama coach Nick Saban saying this week it would be a mistake to pass on Tagovailoa over injury concerns. Saban, of course, doomed his tenure as Dolphins coach in 2006 when he opted for Daunte Culpepper after team doctors failed Brees over concerns about his shoulder.

Brees is still padding his Hall of Fame stats in New Orleans.

Dolphins fans haven’t forgiven Saban, and they will run this regime out of town if Tagovailoa goes on to have a brilliant career as a Los Angeles Charger.

Sure Tua is a risk. It’s why this draft holds more intrigue for the Dolphins than any in memory.

It’s also a risk to pick the wrong QB.

Five Reasons Sports live draft coverage

Herbert not the answer

In the days leading to the draft there has been a rising chorus of voices in the industry saying the Dolphins should pick Oregon’s Justin Herbert at No. 5.

Herbert may go on to a solid NFL career. He could also prove to be Ryan Tannehill II.

There is no evidence to suggest he’s the next Marino.

Herbert is not a player you tank for. He has size and athleticism, but he is not a passer that excites like Tagovailoa. Not even close.

Tua has that magic touch you crave at quarterback. It’s been evident since he came off the bench to lead ‘Bama from 13 down to the national title as a freshman.

The only legitimate safer pick would be Joe Burrow, who is a lock to go No. 1 to the Bengals.

There’s no guarantee of longevity in the NFL with any pick. The Dolphins chose Jake Long over Matt Ryan in 2008, and the big tackle broke down prematurely. Ryan, who went to the Falcons, remains another reminder of a franchise quarterback that the Dolphins let get away (thank you, Bill Parcells).

Dolphins could pull surprise move

Dolphins officials have played an impeccable poker hand throughout this process, carefully shielding their intentions. That is why there are so many differing claims about what they will do.

With 14 picks in the draft, including three in the first round (Nos. 5, 18 and 26), anything is possible.

Numerous trade scenarios have been floated. The most audacious I’ve seen was a suggestion of the Dolphins dealing their latter two first-round picks and No. 39 in the second round to the Lions for No. 3. Then use it to take the top offensive tackle and still make their No. 5 pick for the quarterback of their choice.

The unknown is what another team, notably the Chargers at No. 6, would be willing to give to move up to 3, and what the Lions would demand.

The Grier-Flores leadership is also difficult to read. Personnel moves through the first year of the collaboration have been unconventional, often eyebrow-raising.

Don’t be surprised if they completely surprise in their approach to this draft.

Offensive tackle a must in draft

The Dolphins have a lot of needs and objectives. Regardless of which quarterback is targeted, they must come out of this draft with a cornerstone tackle to protect him.

They also must give him more playmakers to work with. There is depth at running back and receiver, which can be obtained beyond the first round.

Defense is always a priority for Flores. He can’t get enough secondary help and he desperately needs to upgrade the pass rush, even though free agency brought some help.

But it all starts with quarterback. There is a potential transcendent talent there for the taking, albeit with a concerning caveat.

Don’t over-think it, Dolphins.

Gotta take Tua.

Rodger Sherman, in a statistical analysis for TheRinger.com, showed that Tagovailoa has the highest passer efficiency rating (199.4) in college football history by a considerable margin, as well as the most adjusted yards per passing attempt and highest touchdown rate.

Tua also has that intangible quality that only the best possess.

Nobody better understands the need for self-preservation in moving to the pros than Tagovailoa, after what he’s been through.

He’s been working with former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer on adjustments he must make, as well as with NFL coach Ken Whisenhunt on the  mental and technical side of playing the position in the pros.

Mistake to pass on Tua

Kirk Herstreit, one of the most respected observers in college football, says it would be a mistake to pass on Tua.

I agree — and horror of horrors, I agree with Saban as well — at least when it comes to Tua.

The Dolphins should take Tagovailoa, then spend the rest of the draft putting as many useful pieces around him as they can with the barrel full of picks at their disposal.

When all that is done, let’s hope there is a 2020 NFL season so we can begin to see how it all plays out.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and its teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

This is the Most Important Dolphins Draft. Ever.

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Miami Dolphins, if you want my money after we come out of this Coronavirus Crisis then you need to do the right thing and make this pick count.

 

I am the father of an 11-year-old boy whose exposure to Dolphins highlights has been limited to the Miami Miracle against the Patriots and—well, both of the wins against the Patriots. I could be selfish and say that I want more, but in all honesty, I want more for him. Like any parent, I am in love with my kids no matter what. With my daughter, it’s about doing things she wants to do and that’s weekly Hallmark Channel movies with me wondering what happened to Winnie Cooper, DJ Tanner, and Gretchen Wieners. With my son it’s about what I want to do and living vicariously through him.. And yes it’s selfish, but I temper that by knowing that he wants to do it too. Youth basketball? Check. Toss the football around the yard? Check. Watch games all day Saturday and Sunday? Check. Get crushed in NBA 2K even though I have the Warriors and he’s got the Knicks? Check. Have debates over how the Dolphins are mediocre or a dumpster fire instead of the great player impacting winning? Mmm, no thanks. Please, Miami, make the right pick.

 

My son is of the age, like many others, who are not just aware of sports but are fans of it. He’s the even rarer breed for a kid his age to know key players in college football and to be steadfast in his opinion of who is great and who is—in his words—trash. He eats up stats because he loves math. He even got excited with my fumbling explanation of how the salary cap, free agency and trades work. God knows what will happen if I decide to let him do fantasy football. Miami Dolphins, don’t you want someone like my son to be so excited about this team that he will pore over every box score after every game? If so, Miami Dolphins, make the right pick.

 

He has Heat jerseys, shirts, hats and basketballs. He wore his DWade jersey as we watched replays of the championship runs during this quarantine. Don’t you want someone whose name can excite a fan base? Don’t you want someone who’s name can move that kind of product? Hell, I still have an old Marino jersey that I gave to him just so he could be somehow associated with greatness. Make the right pick and I’ll be the schmuck who overpays for the merch!

 

We’ve been to Miami Heat games and I am happy to say that we are undefeated in all four that we’ve attended. I took him to a Miami Hurricanes game that ended in a win. I take him to his first Miami Dolphins game and it’s a big fat L! And it was against the winnable Detroit Lions! And I aged considerably just trying to get out of the parking lot. But you know what? I would go again with my son because there is a feeling that comes with being at a live game in person that cannot be replicated at home watching on the TV. Sure the bathrooms are cleaner but that’s neither here nor there. Ultimately, my son enjoys the experience as well. But know this: make the right pick and I will go because we all want to ride the wave of excitement!

 

Listen Miami. I’ll admit that I was a spoiled Dolphins fan who loved Marino and took him for granted, even towards the end. I would like for my son to be excited for this team like I was in the 80s up until Saban left. Yes, even the Saban years. That period of fandom—my period of fandom—at least had promise. Other than the strike year and Marino’s Achilles injury, I always felt like there was hope. And you know what a pick this high brings? Hope. Miami, make the right pick.

 

Let me say now that this is the most important draft ever. Ever. This has the potential to really change the course of a franchise.

 

Do it for my son, Miami Dolphins. I want him to be as die hard a fan as I was when I was his age. When he goes out in his Dolphins gear, I don’t want him to be looked at strangely because young kids wearing Dolphins gear after years of irrelevance is such an oddity. Make the right pick and my son, I promise, will bleed aqua and orange like his old man. And if you’re worried, I can assuage your fears. My son already knows how to pronounce and spell TAGOVAILOA.

 

Season Ticket: Hey Dolphins… Be the Heat

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So much noise. So much smoke. So much fluff.

So much guessing. So much reaching. So much lying.

So many questions.

And yet there are only two questions that truly matter, as the Miami Dolphins embark upon the three-day stretch that will likely define the next three years, if not decades. There are only two questions, to which the answers will determine whether the franchise continues to cling to stale memories that pre-date Richard Nixon’s resignation, or will finally rise above its own wreckage to something resembling relevance in a market. Relevance in a market that has mostly abandoned aqua and orange for White Hot and Back in Black. That has stashed No. 13 in its collective closet behind No. 3. That has flocked with greater consistency to a building where the home team actually, more than occasionally, wins — because it has created a culture of continuity, of stability and mostly, of never settling.

The first question?

Are they different — from the Dolphins we’ve known and grown to loathe? 

 

Dolphins fans are hoping Hawaiian born Tua Tagovailoa will be their quarterback next season. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Dolphins fans are hoping Hawaiian born Tua Tagovailoa will be their quarterback next season. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

It appears so.

They accomplished more in a 5-win season than in all the prior 7-9s combined.

They elevated and further empowered a man (Chris Grier) who was here for all the recent failures, though his role in many remains somewhat unclear. They conceived a plan, unpopular with many — including this writer, at times — to shed salaries and personalities who didn’t fit, either because their position and performance didn’t warrant a looming payday (Kenyan Drake), or didn’t buy into the process (Minkah Fitzpatrick), or simply because another team offered them too much to turn down (Laremy Tunsil), or because they simply weren’t at an age to offer what they had prior (Reshad Jones, Kiko Alonso). They stubbornly started a quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) ahead of a guy they spent a second-round pick (Josh Rosen) to acquire, even though they were criticized on both sides — by those who believed Fitzpatrick was worse in preseason (he was) and those who believed he was better and would cost draft slots (he did). They trusted a coach (Brian Flores) with no managerial experience, one who seemed to make missteps in his first preseason (Kenny Stills, Jay-Z playlist), and whose Takes No Talent approach could have struck his players as a wee bit offensive.

Dolphins

And it worked.

Just about all of it.

They started as one of the most embarrassing entries in NFL history, and somehow earned wins while shedding supposedly irreplaceable talent. They won 5 of their final 9, including handling a motivated Patriots squad in the season finale, while only dropping four draft spots from the best case scenario. They created a semblance of a, dare we say, culture that attracted a bevy of useful free agents, including an elite cornerback (Byron Jones), a linebacking leader (Kyle Van Noy) and a pass-rusher (Shaq Lawson) at market or below-market prices, the truest sign that players want to play for a coach and an organization — which, again, is something we typically say about the Miami Heat, not their struggling northern neighbors. And they stacked more chips to fill the cupboard and all the storage bins too — 14 picks, 5 in the first three rounds, plus enough additional selections the next two springs to allow for more than a couple mulligans.

So they answered the first question affirmatively.

They are different — or so it appears.

And that’s good.

Now here’s the second question, as it applies to the organization with which they sort of share the South Florida stage:

Can they be something closer to the same?

If you have spent any time around American Airlines Arena, or Miami Arena before that, there’s a phrase you hear more than any other, more than “winning or misery,” more than “adapt or die,” more than “we have enough,” more than “don’t let go of the rope,” more than “keep the main thing the main thing,” more than “the hardest-working, best conditioned, most professional, unselfish, toughest team in the NBA.”

“This is a championship organization.”

So how did it get that way?

Because that’s what it believes it is.

Because that’s what it knows matters.

Because Pat Riley made it that way.

“Pat never settles,” Erik Spoelstra often says.

Big, bold.

Boom, bust.

Usually boom, of course.

It wasn’t enough to inherit Glen Rice, already emerging as one of the sport’s elite shooters. Not when Alonzo Mourning, a sneering, shot-blocking centerpiece was sick of Charlotte. It wasn’t sufficient to supplement young exciting wings Lamar Odom and Caron Butler after they teamed with rookie Dwyane Wade for a surprising, exhilarating 2003-04 season. Not when a motivated Shaquille O’Neal could storm into town with his 18-wheeler, water gun and paint-filling presence. It wasn’t OK to hold on to Josh Richardson, a franchise find who became more than anyone anticipated, when Jimmy Butler declared his desire to follow Wade.

 

Safe doesn’t soar. Weak won’t win. Scared becomes scarred.Hoarders rarely prosper.

 

The Dolphins have, for what seems centuries, tried to find their Riley, the guy with the balls and the brains to set the agenda and tempo, to take the risks and the heat, to create a culture of accountability and consistency and mostly, certainty, that could survive more than a second or third season. Two owners, the late H. Wayne Huizenga and the snakebit Steve Ross, hired what many believed were the best and the brightest in the shadow of the Dolphins’ Riley, that icon Don Shula, whose legacy becomes greater with every laughable, aborted rebuild.

Jimmy Johnson, the man who shoved Shula aside, may have actually worked. He had the brains, balls , a little orange box… and a proven plan. But he left his heart in Texas, at his mother’s funeral and — after losing the public relations battle with Dan Marino — seemed to lose his spirit too. He brilliantly established the foundation, stacking up picks and mining later-round finds such as Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, but, after years of taking shots on troubled talents time after, acted out of timidity. He avoided the otherworldly Randy Moss. Johnson went to the Keys. Moss went to the Hall of Fame.

 

Then, after the Dolphins declined over time during the better-to-punt Dave Wannstedt era, even with onerisky play (the Ricky Williams trade) briefly, brilliantly paying off, they turned to the most coveted college coach in the land, to run everything. Problem was, Nick Saban was used to running college locker rooms, and college media contingents, and college recruiting rules, and not when something or the system pushed back, so he didn’t have total control. Then, in 2006, he and the Dolphins were presented the chance to go big and bold, but they were told that Drew Brees had a 25 percent chance of recovering from a traumatic shoulder injury, compared to 75 percent for Daunte Culpepper getting back to form from knee surgery. They chose safer, and wrong. Saban chose Alabama.

 

Cam Cameron? We’ll turn our thumbs that way on that one. But in 2008, Huizenga though he had his Riley facsimile, in Bill Parcells, a franchise tone-setter in three earlier stops, though some of that was overstated. But Parcells, unlike Riley, didn’t really want to get his hands dirty, other than nonsensically squabbling with Jason Taylor over, of all things, Dancing with the Stars. He was saving those hands for his golf clubs and filling out the daily racing form. Tough. Smart. Disciplined. That’s what was promised. Tony Sparano provided it for a while. But Parcells, given a parachute in that contract, high-tailed it out of town rather than tough it out.

 

That was 2011.

 

Since? We don’t like to talk about since. Well, the Heat do. The Dolphins don’t. What is there to say? The Dolphins have made some expensive moves (Ndamukong Suh comes to mind) but never the ones at the proper positions that made any sense. They settled at coach. Joe Philbin? Seriously?  They settled at quarterback… for seven years. They settled, settled, settled — as Riley’s Heat stole a generation, of young fans, of license plates, of the spotlight. And they seethed, or at least Ross did, taking not-so-subtle shots at the Heat after LeBron left.

 

Now, the Heat’s season, a resurgent, exciting one at that, is suspended.

 

Now, for a weekend, the Dolphins are the only game in town.

 

But the Heat should still be in their heads. In Ross’s head. In Grier’s head. And, though he’s not responsible for any of the slippage, in Flores’ head.

 

Go big.

 

Or go home.

 

Get your guy, the quarterback who can be your LeBron, your Wade, your Zo, your Shaq, your Jimmy, instead of being jealous that they all have played on Biscayne. Figure out the rest later.

Tua Tagovailoa announces that he will enter the NFL Draft.

Stop clutching extra picks like precious pearls. They are a means to an end, not the end. And if you need all of them in the future, even with so many already coming your way, that means you probably shouldn’t be in charge. You found Preston Williams without a draft pick, the way the Heat found Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson and so many others. Find some more.

 

But quarterback? Those are not easy to find. For that, you do whatever is necessary. And more. Always. That’s the lesson since Marino declined and retired.

 

Don’t wait for the quarterback you want most — whether Joe Burrow or preferably Tua Tagovailoa — to drop to you.

 

Go get him.

 

Whatever it requires.

 

Stop stressing about what happens if you take Tagovailoa — and his special feel, touch and leadership attributes – and his body breaks down as it did for the Crimson Tide.

 

Instead, consider what happens if you don’t.

 

The guy who wants to be here, and has made that abundantly clear, when so many players haven’t prioritized this franchise. The guy who was put in the most pressurized situation possible, by Saban of all people, the second half of a national championship game, and delivered the perfect passes to take the title. The guy who played Burrow, in the midst of one of the great statistical seasons in college football history, even while significantly hobbled. The guy who has the charisma to light this place on fire. The guy who can wait behind the ideal bridge, the intellectual and professional Fitzpatrick, unless his body and brain are totally ready. The guy who, over time, could be the Brees, the Russell Wilson for Miami, or maybe for the Patriots, perhaps ushering in another two decades of Dolphins depression.

 

The guy who could be Wade — whom the Heat drafted at No. 5 even though he had little cartilage left in his knees.

Yes, those knees ached and balked. Maybe even during the parades.

The guy who makes everything right.

 

Unless there’s a chronic problem with a particular body part, there’s little historical correlation between quarterback availability in college and in the pros. Quarterbacks get hurt. Randomly. Even the strongest. Carson Wentz didn’t have an injury history. He does now. Ryan Tannehill didn’t. Until he did. Brett Favre and Dan Marino struggled at times to stay healthy in college. They were two of the most durable quarterbacks in NFL history. So if the hip checks out, the risk is not to do this.  The opportunity cost would be worth more than the price of the pick. Or multiple picks.

 

And if it’s Burrow about whom you have the most conviction, so be it. Even if it costs even more. Whatever it costs. The alternative is always irrelevance.

 

So, stop saving assets for rainy days.

 

You’ve had 20 years of rainy days. Rainy, gloomy, nondescript days.

 

Time, at last, for some Heat.

 

******

Ethan J. Skolnick, the CEO of Five Reasons Sports, has covered the Heat, Dolphins and other South Florida teams since 1996. Nearly all of the playoff games he’s covered have been Heat games. 

Larry Blustein on Jeudy, other South Florida NFL Draft Prospects

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It would be tough to duplicate the 2019 NFL Draft for south Florida – when five players from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties showcased why this area of the country is like no other.

 

When Nick Bosa (Ohio State-St. Thomas Aquinas) went second to the 49ers, Devin Bush (Michigan-Flanagan) was the 10th selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brian Burns (FSU-Plantation American Heritage) was the 16th pick of the Carolina Panthers, receiver Marquise Brown (Oklahoma-Chaminade-Madonna) went 25th to the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Deondre Baker (Georgia-Miami Northwestern) was the 30th selection of the Giants, it set a record for anywhere in the nation. One that will be hard to break.

 

As we were now just days away from the NFL Draft, area prospects are starting to surface, and while the early indication has maybe two players from the #305 and #954 going in the first round, there are several impressive football players that are expected to be drafted – or perhaps considered as coveted free agent signings.

 

With the next few college classes loaded with south Florida talent, here is a look at some of the players you could see in this year’s draft:

 

C.J. Henderson, DB (Florida – Christopher Columbus). Leaving a year early, here is one of those impressive football players who will go in the middle of Day 1.

 

It seems like it was only yesterday when he won the fastest man contest at Coach Al Golden’s University of Miami Camp as a sophomore receiver/defensive back.

 

Jerry Jeudy, WR (Alabama – Deerfield Beach). Perhaps the first local player who will land in the NFL, joining so many other local players from south Florida, who made an impact at the University of Alabama.

 

Wasn’t it just yesterday that he was in 8th grade and played a huge role in the 7-on-7 season, quickly turning heads and showing the nation that another star was indeed born.

 

In addition, there are some other prospects that figure to be in the mix this year as well – with many of them still turning heads at the combine and then during pro workout days at their colleges:

 

Damon Arnette, DB (Ohio State – St. Thomas Aquinas). Quality talent who truly made a major impression for the Buckeyes this season.

 

Trajan Bandy, DB (Miami – Christopher Columbus). Leaving school early, this is someone who may land on some roster on Day 3 – or perhaps as a free agent.

 

Buckshot Calvert, QB – (Liberty University – Carol City). The all-time leading passer in school history may not get drafted, but has the ability to turn heads in camps and stick somewhere.

 

Nevelle Clarke, CB (UCF – Coral Springs Taravella). Solid football players who has been under the radar since high school. Keep your eye on this amazing talent. He will end up on someone’s roster.

 

Jeremiah Dinson, S (Auburn – Hialeah American). Big time football talent who showcased plenty of skills in college.

 

Tyler Huntley, QB (Utah – Hallandale). If anyone knows anything about the game and how to evaluate, this young man ends up on some roster and will make a difference.

 

Sage Lewis, OLB (FIU – Monsignor Pace). All he’s done over the past three years is make plays – and there is no getting around the fact that he is a draftable prospect.

 

Josh Metellus, S (Michigan – Flanagan). Talk about someone who has been hidden, go ahead and put his film in and you will see what everyone has been missing.

 

Zack Moss, RB (Utah – Hallandale). If you are looking for a durable back who could be the best coming out in this draft, here is who you take. Only the all-time leading rusher in the storied history of Utah.

 

James Pierre, DB (FAU – Deerfield Beach). When he was in high school he was underrated, and as he comes into the draft, he is still a talent that is flying way beneath the radar.

 

Stanford Samuels III, DB (FSU – Flanagan). From the time anyone can remember, he was making a difference, and while he left early from school, he has a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. Great ball skills.

 

Demari Simpkins, WR (Utah – Hallandale). One of the many playmakers who has been slept on way too long – and for that reason – if he is given a chance, watch out!

 

Darnell Solomon, WR (USF – Miami Central). If he can get it all together, this is someone who showed flashes early on at Hollywood Hills, made a major impact at Champagnat Catholic and finished things off at Central. Needs to make football a priority.

 

Jason Strowbridge, DE (North Carolina – Deerfield Beach). From the time he left high school, this is someone who has been making a major impact at the college level, and no doubt he will be playing this game for a long time.

 

Josh Uche, LB (Michigan – Christopher Columbus). Smart, productive and a big time player, who has the chance to be very special for a long time in the NFL. Many teams should be on him – fast!

 

Binjimin Victor, WR (Ohio State – Coconut Creek). May not have been the overall difference maker that many felt he would be, but leave no doubt, the talent is there and he can be very effective at the next level.

 

There are other prospects from south Florida who also have the chance to turn heads – in the NFL, , CFL or in any of the arena leagues.

 

Have anything to add to this or would like to ask Larry Blustein a question about prospects – this year or in the future – send him a message at: Floridakids1@aol.com. Follow on Twitter or Facebook: @larryblustein, Instagram: OurBoyBlu or checkout out his website: www.larryblustein.com.

 

Tua Tagovailoa Quarterback Tracker

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Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, there is no player more polarizing than Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. And after a season that saw many fans screaming Tank For Tua!  The Dolphins are now in prime position to land the talented QB prospect. Yes, there are plenty of other potential QBs Miami could target at #5, #18, or #26–but Tua Tagovailoa is the one. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the future QB of the Miami Dolphins.

Biography

Born: March 2nd, 1998

Height: 6’0

Weight: 217 lbs.

Hometown: Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Nickname: The Left Arm of God

College Statistics

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If you have any information that you think would be useful for this tracker, please reach out to me at @houtz.

And if you would like to purchase the official 5 Reasons Sports Tankovailoa shirt, click HERE

In Tagovailoa We Trust