Tua can ascend quickly as starter if Fitzpatrick falters

Five percolating questions about the Miami Dolphins offense as we approach the July 28 start of training camp:

When, realistically, can Tua Tagovailoa overtake Ryan Fitzpatrick?

A source in touch with the Dolphins said that while the great likelihood is that Ryan Fitzpatrick will open the season as the starter, the Dolphins are open-minded about playing Tagovailoa if he shows command of the offense and consistently impresses in practice and if the team isn’t performing well under Fitzpatrick.

One team source said Tagovailoa appears very confident in himself. Agent

Drew Rosenhaus, who doesn’t represent either player, said on his weekly WSVN-Fox 7 segment that he expects Tagovailoa to be starting by week 4.

But if Fitzpatrick is very good to start the season — and if the Dolphins are winning — he likely would hang onto the job until that changes. Thing is, Fitzpatrick’s history suggests that will change at some point.

Josh Rosen could enter the equation if Fitzpatrick is struggling and the Dolphins are losing early in the season; Tagovailoa has a medical setback or fails to grasp the offense quickly; and Rosen impresses in practice.

What’s the starting offensive line?

My impression is that the Dolphins would like — longterm — for their starting line to be Austin Jackson at left tackle, Ereck Flowers at left guard, a future draft pick at center, Jesse Davis or Solomon Kindley at right guard and

Robert Hunt at right tackle.

But for the start of this season, the odds favor

Julien Davenport at left tackle (though Miami would love if Jackson could win the job in camp), Flowers at left guard, Ted Karras (on a one-year deal) at center, Hunt or Michael Deiter or Danny Isidora at right guard and Davis at right tackle.

The Dolphins believe Hunt can be a long-term starting right tackle but will play him at guard this season if he doesn’t win the tackle job in camp.

Who wins the final two receiver jobs?

DeVante Parker and

Preston Williams (presuming he’s healthy for the start of the season off an ACL injury) are the probable starters, and Albert Wilson (who accepted a pay cut from $9.5 million to $3 million) and Jakeem Grant likely will be on the team, too.

Allen Hurns is the front-runner for the No. 5 job because he gives the Dolphins another veteran, proven slot receiver option who can also play on the boundary. His cap hit is $2.9 million if he’s on the team and $2.4 million if he’s cut, though his $1.8 million base salary is guaranteed only for injury.

But Hurns would be at risk if he struggles in camp and preseason and younger players emerge.

Isaiah Ford’s strong close to last season (21 catches for 235 yards over the final four games) gives him a slight edge for the fifth or sixth spot, but it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine Gary Jennings (Seattle’s fourth-rounder in 2019) or Arkansas State undrafted rookie Kirk Merritt overtaking him with big preseasons.

If Miami keeps six, I would suspect Hurns, Ford, Jennings and perhaps Merritt are the top contenders.

Difficult to see Ricardo Louis making it; he started a combined 12 games for Cleveland in 2016 and ’17 but hasn’t played a regularseason game since because of knee injuries.

Matt Cole, the speedy receiver from Division 2 McKendree University, could win a job on the practice squad.

Who’s the starting running back and who wins the No. 3 and No. 4 jobs?

It doesn’t particularly matter whether Jordan Howard or Matt Breida starts, because both will play a lot as a 1 and 1A in some order.

But because Breida is the better third-down back, it would make sense to start Howard and then ride the hot hand as the game unfolds.

The Dolphins want another look at Kalen Ballage, even after his disastrous 2019 when he dropped four passes and averaged a meager 1.8 yards per carry. If he’s good in preseason, I could see him sticking as the No. 3. If not, he’s gone — and Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin would be the internal options for the No. 3 job.

If Miami keeps four backs — likely — then Navy seventh-rounder Malcolm Perry has a good chance to be the fourth, provided he shows anything in camp. The Dolphins are expected to use Perry at both running back and receiver.

What about some of the other roster battles?

At backup tight end,

Durham Smythe versus

Michael Roberts isa toss-up, and there’s a good chance Miami could keep both. Don’t rule out Chris Myarick if he builds on the receiving skills he excited in preseason last year….

Among the undrafted rookies on offense, South Carolina rookie Donell Stanley might have the best chance to stick because he’s a proven player from America’s toughest college conference, and the Dolphins see a clear role for him (backup center) if he wins a job in camp. …

Fullback Chandler Cox faces an uphill climb. The 2019 seventh-rounder got just 66 offensive snaps last year, and linebacker addition Elandon Roberts can play fullback if needed.

CHATTER

If the Heat finishes fourth or fifth in the East and advances past round one, Miami would play Milwaukee in the second round. If the Heat finishes third or sixth and advances, Miami likely would play Toronto in the second round.

But even though the Raptors would be the easier opponent, the Heat privately isn’t sure it would be significantly easier. The Heat staff has enormous respect for the Toronto coaching staff, believing it gets the absolute best from that roster.

A veteran NFL scout told me he needs to see a lot more from new UM quarterback D’Eriq King to deem him a legitimate NFL prospect.

“He’s a sandlot quarterback,” the scout said.

“He’s not Kyler Murray.”

With Matt Joyce still sidelined, Marlins manager

Don Mattingly mentioned

Harold Ramirez (who has impressed) and Garrett Cooper as the top right field options, though Cooper could end up playing a lot at designated hitter.