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The Miami Dolphins are committed to making Tua Tagovailoa their starting quarterback in 2021, but not everyone on the team is happy about it.
Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero spoke to three anonymous Tagovailoa Dolphins players and the organization’s decision to name him the starter for 2021, and they expressed doubts about Tagovailoa’s overall talent and his ability to compete. develop to become what the team needs him to be: a level top quarterback.
The concerns started during training camp
According to Salguero, the three players he spoke to – who have remained anonymous because they said the Dolphins’ coaches “demand” that they never reveal any concerns to the media – agree that Tagovailoa is a great teammate . But that doesn’t automatically translate into talent on the pitch, and what they’ve seen this season worries them that they don’t have what it takes to elevate their game.
It started during training camp, when the three players were so “unimpressed” with Tagovailoa that they “thought he wouldn’t be ready to play in 2020.” To be fair to Tagovailoa, he entered training camp eight months after hip surgery. He was cleared for full and unrestricted training at the end of July, five to six weeks before the start of the season, and was not named a week 1 starter. It is not known if their opinion of Tagovailoa rose. improved during the first half of the season. .
All three were taken “totally off guard” when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched before Week 8 and Tagovailoa was named a starter. Several told Salguero they were frustrated when told that Fitzpatrick was unavailable for their vital Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins needed to win this game to qualify for the playoffs, and at least one player felt Fitzpatrick should have started this game (which ended in a 56-26 loss) instead of Tagovailoa.
“We always think of the next player no matter what,” the player said. “But I saw Tua as the next man because Fitz was better.”
Doubts about Tua’s future
The 2020 season was only Tagovailoa’s first as a pro, and he has a total of nine starts to his name. Its future is completely unwritten. But one player told Salguero he’s not sure Tagovailoa has the ability to improve to the level he needs to make the Dolphins truly competitive.
… players also say they don’t see a special trait in Tagovailoa’s skills beyond his accuracy.
A defensive player said he was not impressed with Tagovailoa’s ball speed or arm strength or his ability to make out-of-schedule plays with his legs. He therefore finally wonders if Tagovailoa will ever be able to match the exploits of other AFC quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson.
“These are the boys we have to beat, right?” said this player. “Now it looks like it will be a big challenge.”
Salguero has only spoken to three players and said it is not known if other players feel the same way. And it’s entirely possible that Tagovailoa could make big strides in 2021 and prove these players wrong. But until he does, the questions about his future and general abilities won’t go away.
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