"He just hasn't lived up to the hype" - NFL analyst believes young AFC QB has failed to deliver on expectations
Could the 2021 NFL season be the last opportunity for AFC quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to prove himself with the Miami Dolphins? On ESPN's "Get Up," the question was raised of whether Tagovailoa has the tools and strengths to be a quality starting quarterback.
Analyst Kimberley A. Martin said that she believes that the quarterback hasn't lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was at Alabama. She said that he doesn't have the arm strength that is needed for an NFL starting quarterback.
"The reality is he just hasn't lived up to the hype. And when you talk to defensive coordinators, his arm doesn't scare them. It's not that they go into game plans like oh, we've got to keep Tua in the pocket because he may test us deep. I mean, he's one of three quarterbacks over the last two seasons who have completed who have fewer excuse me, who average fewer than 10 yards per completion over the last two seasons. Alex Smith and Ben Roethlisberger the other two like that's not great company to be in."-Kimberley A. Martin on ESPN's "Get Up"
The AFC is rife with young quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow to name a few. Burrow took the AFC and the league by storm this season, coming close to winning the Super Bowl.
Tagovailoa will be playing for a new head coach in Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme this season, and if he doesn't show improvement, the Miami Dolphins may look elsewhere.
Can Tua Tagovailoa improve with a new offensive line in 2022 in the vaunted AFC?
In 2020 and 2021, Tagovailoa averaged just ten yards or fewer for every completion. That puts him at the seventh lowest in the National Football league with yards per completion.
That is not what one would expect for a young quarterback with the pedigree that he has coming from the University of Alabama. New offensive line coach Matt Applebaum will now have a tall order ahead of him to address the protection of Tagovailoa.
From NFL Now @nflnetwork, A look at how the new #Dolphins coaching staff plans to shape their offense around & support QB Tua Tagovailoa + why I’m drafting Jaylen Waddle HIGH in fantasy football this year. https://t.co/MwOSYIkkRO
Last season, the Dolphins' offensive line won just about 45% of their matchups in pass blocking. This may be seen as the cause for the quarterback's passing issues.
He was blitzed just over 25% of the time.
The protection of the quarterback is crucial, especially with AFC pass rushers like Myles Garrett, Matt Judon and T.J. Watt.
The Miami Dolphins now plan to revamp the offensive scheme and set Tagovailoa up to improve on his passing abilities. Coach McDaniel, who worked his magic as the run-game coordinator and offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, could be just the piece the Dolphins offense needs to take the next step in the AFC.
If the team does choose to add an offensive lineman, they have plenty of salary cap space to do so, currently sitting at about $60 million.