Isn’t Tua kind of auditioning?

How QB plays may determine Dolphins’ path in 2021 draft, even if Flores wants to spin it

No one in their right mind would argue the Dolphins didn’t draft Tua Tagovailoa thinking hewas their quarterback for the next decade. But isn’t a commonsense question at year’s end going to be an incomplete but updated, “Is he The Man?”

No one in their right mind also expects a coach to think too far beyond next Sunday, especially Brian Flores. But doesn’t everyone in the larger organization have to ponder a bigger picture?

Flores did what most coaches do on Thursday. He took exception to reports saying the Dolphins are “auditioning” (his word) Tua this year with an eye toward the 2021 draft if he doesn’t playwell.

“We brought Tua here becausewe believe in him,’’ Flores said. “The same as all of the other draft picks. We believe in developing players. I think you guys have heard m etalk about improving players on a daily basis. Thatwould be the opposite of giving somebody a 10-game audition.”

Flores supported his guy Thursday like he should. Like all good coaches do. Dolphins coaches have done this forever with their quarterbacks. Tony Sparano did it after fans watched starter Chad Henne struggle in a preseason scrimmage and chanted, “We want [Kyle] Orton.”

“Other than the fact it makes me sick?” Sparano said about his reaction.

Flores wasn’t sick, just forceful, on a topic that began Sunday with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting one reason the Dolphins started Tag ovai lo a over Ryan Fitzpatrick was with a possible eye on the 2021 draft. The Dolphins have Houston’s firstround pick fromthe Laremy Tunsil trade. At 1-6, Houston could be in line for a top-five pick (though its tough schedule eases coming up).

That means Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, who is considered the best quarterback prospect in years, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota’ s T rey Lance could be decisions for the Dolphins either with the Houston pick or in some possible trade of picks.

They might be, too. That’s commonsense. But you can also see why the Dolphins don’t want any piece of this conversation at all in November.

It’s not just Tua, as Schefter said. The other issue Schefter left unstated: Do youwant the general manager whom ade the Tua decision choosing the next quarterback, too? Especially if the Chargers’ Justin Herbert, picked one spot after Tua, keeps trending toward his stats of 15 touchdowns and five interceptions?

Here’s the real problem: This isn’t a November conversation. It’s too far down the road with toomany offramps for the middle of a season. Even Schefter backed off a bit Monday by stressing there were a “sea of reasons,” Tua was starting, that the Dolphins, “love him,” but also… you don’t knowabout quarterbacks until they play. And you don’t.

Here’s the immediate issue: The next draft shouldn’t play into playing Tua. The decision was handled clumsily enough to suggest something was happening behind the scenes. But you should hope Tuaw as put in there because Flores saw enough in practice to think he can spark this offense in the second half of the year. A football decision. Period.

Could Ryan Fitzpatrick have played better Sunday? Probably. But with any young player the decision is made that with some game experience he’ll be the better option quickly. Tua should be, too. Let’s not forget the talent he has.

“Organizations make quarterbacks,’’ said Bill Walsh, whose San Francisco organization made two Hall of Fame quarter backs in Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Anyone who watched Ryan Tannehill struggle with the Dolphins and succeed with better support and pieces in Tennessee should understand what Walsh says. The full Dolphins organization was a mess his first few years and not much better on hisway out the door.

Tua needs organizational help around him. Every young quarterback does. The defense supplied that Sunday so his sketchy first start wasn’t the headline. Flores supplied support Thursday with some words.

What matters most is Tua’s play over the next couple of months. Whois he? How does he fare? Because come this winter, the Dolphins first question is if their belief in him still trends thatway.

If so, all is good. Tua has the kind of talent to be the Dolphins quarterback for years.

But if not? The next question then will be about Houston’s draft pick. Sparano, you see, might have been sick at those fans’ chants. But he felt worse when Henne wasn’t good enough.