NFL Trade Rumors: Tua Tagovailoa Responds to Trade Rumors
As the rumors continue to roll in, Dolphins QB and number 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft Tua Taigovailoa has responded to reports that he could be set for a trade away from Miami after just one season with the franchise.
Tua appeared on The Dan Patrick Show to say that he's "not too sure" if he will be with the Dolphins next season.
"Honestly, I'm not too sure. I can't control things that I can't control. What I can do is continue to work hard," said Tua Tagovailoa.
Taigovailoa struggled to justify his high draft pick at times in 2020, but Miami general manager Chris Grier did come out in support of his Hawaiian-born QB during the Dolphins' end of season press conference, stating:
"Tua, we're very happy with. He's our starting quarterback. He did a nice job this year coming in as a rookie with no offseason and the challenge in dealing with all that. Very happy with him and looking forward to watching him progress here over a [full] offseason going into next year. For us, not really talking about draft strategy, anything right now."
It's unfortunate that the former Bama star is having to go through all of this so early in his career. In truth, he didn't play that badly during his rookie campaign. He might not have hit the heights of Chargers QB Justin Herbert (who looks like a real phenom in the pocket), but Tagovailoa certainly didn't disgrace himself out on the turf either, especially when you factor in his long layoff after sustaining a hip injury in his final year in college.
Tua finished the year with respectable stats of 1,814 yards and 11 touchdowns. His QB rating of 52.6 was perhaps lower than expected, but it's hard to get onto the guy too much when he was in and out of the offense like he was. Rookies need to spend time out on the field to gain confidence and Tua perhaps didn't get enough, with head coach Brian Flores often favoring veteran playmaker Ryan Fitzpatrick in the pocket (particularly in crunch-time moments).
Why are these rumors regarding Tua's future in circulation?
Put simply, these rumors regarding Tua's future persist because there are going to be several quarterback options available to the Dolphins (and all teams for that matter) heading into the trade window and draft.
Aaron Rodgers is rumored to be unsettled with the Packers; we've already seen the Rams make a trade with the Lions, with Matthew Stafford coming in and Jared Goff heading in the opposite direction; Dak Prescott needs a new contract, and then, of course, there is Deshaun Watson, the Texans franchise QB who has reportedly made Miami his favored destination to close confidants.
Miami already has a championship-caliber defense, but the offense is still a fair way off from a Super Bowl run at present. If head coach Brian Flores sees an opportunity to strengthen said offense - in any position - it seems likely that he will. When players such as Deshaun Watson start flirting with your franchise, you have to be an open book; especially when you are in as strong of a position as the Dolphins are heading into the offseason.
Miami has two first-round picks and two second-round picks in this year's draft, and plenty of maneuverability around the salary cap. As such, Miami is one of very few teams in the league financially capable of pulling off such a momentous bit of business as prying Watson from the hands of the Texans.
In the tough, competitive world of the NFL, if you can make a gargantuan deal like this happen, why not go for it?
What do you think? Should the Dolphins stick with Tua, or move on to fresh pastures with Watson? Have your say in the comments section below: