The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals were the first two teams to claim quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft. The duo of AFC cellar dwellers plucked a pair of SEC passers with their first picks — the additions of Joe Burrow in Cincinnati and Tua Tagovailoa in Miami have energized both fanbases as the teams look to turn around their fortunes in the coming seasons.
But how the Dolphins and Bengals choose to handle their passers shows a stark difference. The Dolphins still have quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick looming on the roster as potential barriers to Tagovailoa stepping onto the field as the starter — where as the Bengals have elected to cut veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and leave little in the way of accomplished quarterbacks (at the college or pro level) in his way. When asked about his quarterback room, Zac Taylor indicated that the Bengals are “set” at quarterback.
Zac Taylor on Bengals QBs — Joe Burrow, Ryan Finley and Jake Dolegala: "We're set." No veteran backup headed to Cincy.https://t.co/OzjGzzaWcw pic.twitter.com/PR9t6QpwE7
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 10, 2020
That’s about as much of a polar opposite of a stance as you’ll find in Miami. Granted, Tagovailoa has some lingering injury questions ahead after a November hip injury left his status as a prospect in question all together. That would seemingly give the Dolphins all the justification they need to handle their new quarterback with extra care. But beyond the injury questions, it will be fascinating to watch these two careers play out next to one another — as the Dolphins look to surround Tagovailoa with the wisdom of a veteran quarterback, the Bengals are opting to let Burrow learn on the job. They’ve given him the keys to the car and asked no questions.
No one approach is guaranteed to be right, but you often hear young quarterbacks praise the insight of a veteran as being a helpful added soundboard in the locker room and in film study. If only one approach with a top-5 quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft works, here’s hoping the Dolphins electing to go the conservative route with Tagovailoa will be the right answer.