The Miami Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft, and by just about every standard of NFL protocol, he should be a starter in Week 1 later this year. That’s just how it works. When a team takes a quarterback in the top five selections, he becomes their franchise quarterback and their fanbase’s obsession, right then and there.
But with the Dolphins, it’s more complicated. And amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, it’s much more complicated.
NFL teams have been forced to cancel their rookie minicamp and their organized team activities, a set of practices dedicated to teaching the playbook to new players. It’s likely that minicamp will also get cancelled. That’s roughly 16 practices of missed opportunity to get Tagovailoa ready for the season. Surely, he’ll be learning the playbook on his own and in the virtual sessions with his coaches, but he won’t actually be running plays or building rapport with his pass-catchers on the field. And Tagvailoa won’t be the only person studying the playbook. It’s likely wholly new for everyone, with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey replacing Chad O’Shea, who got fired this offseason. The playbook is new for everyone — except, maybe, for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played under Gailey for three years in Buffalo. He’s likely run Gailey’s plays on the field and in games.
And I can hear your groans through my computer: Fitzmagic?! No thank you.
The truth is that he was the 14th best quarterback in the NFL in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. He was more than serviceable. He was — dare I say it — good.
He’ll be quarterbacking a Miami Dolphins team which is also — dare I say it — good. They drafted five players in the top 56 picks, and spent an absurd sum of dollars on free agents this offseason to bring in cornerback Byron Jones, linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Kamu Grugier Hill and Elandon Roberts, defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah and offensive lineman Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras. They’ll be joining Pro Bowl caliber players like receiver DeVante Parker and cornerback Xavien Howard.
There is no shortage of talent on the team, which was expected to win zero games in 2019 and somehow won six, including a Week 17 matchup at Gillette Stadium against the New England Patriots, which cost Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their precious first-round bye. (And ultimately, they lost in the wild card round to the Tennessee Titans.) The Dolphins got much better since that contest — the Patriots didn’t. In fact, New England probably got much worse (by losing quarterback Tom Brady, who is kind of a big deal).
If the Dolphins are competitive in the AFC East in Week 1, then they should start a quarterback who is solid and NFL ready to open the season. Tagovailoa needs time to develop. And, maybe, he needs more time to recover from the hip injury that seemed to spook the Dolphins during the pre-draft process. The Dolphins can turn to Tagovailoa — maybe after midseason, if he’s ready — but they shouldn’t waste the first half of the season in hopes of developing him on the job. They should let Fitzgmagic work it. And then when it’s clear Tua is clearly the better player — which should hopefully happen at some point during the 2020 season — then they should hand him the job.
The AFC East will be competitive. The Dolphins should stay competitive, and start Fitzpatrick.
[vertical-gallery id=917489]
[jwplayer ykFNovYu-q2aasYxh]