Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Questions remain about Tagovailoa’s abilites
(Note: This is the first entry in our eight-part position-by-position look at the Miami Dolphins’ options when free agency begins on March 15.)
The Dolphins have spent more than two decades searching for a franchise quarterback capable of taking Miami to the heights that Dan Marino led the franchise to in the 80s and 90s.
After twenty one years of investing in players like Jay Fielder, Chan Henne and Ryan Tannehill, and using stopgaps like Chad Pennington, Jay Cutler and Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins used the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL draft to select Tua Tagovailoa, and then handed him the franchise six games into the season.
While the rookie quarterback showed some promise last year, concerns about his arm strength, durability, and ability to lead a high-scoring offense inserted doubt about whether the former Alabama standout can become one of the league’s upper-echelon quarterbacks in time. Tagovailoa’s struggles as a rookie, which led to his benching twice last season, has left the Dolphins’ fan base divided on whether Miami should pursue an upgrade, or bring in competition from another young quarterback.
Players Under Contract
Tagovailoa delivered a 5-3 record as a starter, and a 87.1 passer rating as a rookie, which ranked him as the NFL’s 26th-best quarterback. Jake Rudock is a journeyman who was on and off the roster last season, and is a exclusive rights free agent. And Reid Sinnett, a one-year starter at the University of San Diego, spent all of 2020 on Miami’s practice squad.
Free agents
Ryan Fitzpatrick, a 16-year veteran who started 23 games for the Dolphins the past two seasons, is an unrestricted free agent.
He wants to continue playing and is searching for a team that will give him a chance to compete for a starting spot.
It’s possible that a team like Washington or New England will present him that opportunity.
Fitzpatrick likely won’t be brought back to Miami because his influence on the locker room could make it difficult for Tagovailoa to be viewed as this team’s leader.
Free agent fits available
While there are couple of attractive NFL starters available via free agency and a trade, which include Houston’s Deshaun Watson and possibly Seattle’s Russell Wilson, don’t be surprised if Miami continues its investment in Tagovailoa, and signs a reasonably priced veteran like Tyrod Taylor or Colt McCoy.
Quarterback backups typically earn between $2-5 million a season. The addition of former NFL quarterback Charlie Frye as the Dolphins’ QB coach lessens the need for a veteran quarterback to be on the roster to help Tagovailoa in his development.
Draft landscape
The Dolphins need BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields to get hot during the draft process so they can maximize the value of their No. 3 pick in this April’s draft and trade down to a team coveting a quarterback and acquire more draft capital.
Most teams interested in acquiring a quarterback would probably want to get ahead of Atlanta, which has the No. 4 pick. It is possible that the Dolphins will target a second- or third-tier quarterback in this draft — a player like Florida’s Kyle Trask and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond to develop as Tagovailoa’s backup. Miami needs someone athletic to handle the run-pass-option offense they ran last year.
Position outlook
Expect the Dolphins to take a shot at acquiring Watson, a top-10 NFL player. But the bidding will be high, and Miami will likely move on by the start of free agency and spent the majority of their resources getting Tagovailoa playmakers to juice up the offense.
Tagovailoa would benefit from the addition of a tailback who can beef up the run game, and a receiver who can deliver yards after contact. But adding a veteran quarterback, someone who can help Tagovailoa learn how to dissect NFL defenses faster should be a priority, especially when his durability concerns are factored in.