Belichick: QB Mac Jones to start against Dolphins
Say owner Steve Ross isn’t advocating for Deshaun Watson
MIAMI GARDENS — Steve Ross has spent his entire tenure as the Dolphins owner laboring to avoid the perception that he’s a meddling owner who wants to make football decisions.
And that stance hasn’t changed despite reports that Ross, a real estate mogul who has owned the Dolphins since 2008, is advocating for his franchise to acquire talented, but embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
ProFootballTalk.com, one of the most popular aggregators of NFL news and rumors, has been reporting about Miami being the possible landing spot for Watson, who has 22 civil cases and 10 criminal complaints — but not charges — involving sexual assault hanging over him.
According to a team source, the ProFootballTalk.com’s report is inaccurate, and Ross believes in second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the team’s 2020 first-round pick, who led Miami to a 6-3 record last season as the team’s starter.
The Dolphins have sung Tagovailoa’s praises all offseason and during training camp and the preseason, pointing out the improvement that’s he’s made to his game, which indicates that he’s more prepared to be the team’s starter in his second season, and could potentially lead the Dolphins to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Everything the franchise has done on offense this offseason, from the hiring of co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesville, the hiring of Charlie Frye as his quarterback coach, to the signing of receiver Will Fuller and the drafting of receiver Jaylen Waddle, has been to set Tagovailoa up to succeed.
While Ross does not involve himself in the decision-making process, leaving football moves to be made by general manager Chris Grier and coach Brian Flores, he would have to green-light a potential trade for Watson, who requested a trade from Houston before the allegations against him came out, because of his pending legal troubles.
Watson, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, and his camp have seemingly let the Texans know Miami is his desired landing spot.
But the Texans asking price, which is reportedly three firstround picks and two second
round selections, is seemingly too steep for the Dolphins, and most other teams.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, led the NFL in passing in 2020, throwing for 4,823 yards. He tossed 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions while completing 70.2% of his passes and rushing for 444 yards and three more scores.
But there’s uncertainty about whether he’ll be allowed to play this season, or if he’ll spend the year on the Commissioner’s Exempt list until his civil suits are settled.
At this point everything regarding Watson and the Dolphins is at a stalemate because Houston isn’t getting its ideal offer, Watson has some control over where he ends up, the NFL hasn’t levied any disciple on Watson for his pending legal troubles, and the Dolphins are prepared to begin the 2021 season with Tagovailoa as the team’s starting quarterback.