Make no mistake — Alabama head coach Nick Saban didn’t exactly leave South Florida on the best of terms when he bailed on the Dolphins for a return to the college game over a decade ago. Saban, who has gone on to construct a modern day dynasty with the Crimson Tide, didn’t see his venture in the NFL go as planned; mainly because the team never resolved their quarterback issues after mishandling their big bet on a new starter.
The story is famous for all the wrong reasons and sure to draw a cringe out of any Dolphins fan who hears it — Saban’s Dolphins passed on free agent quarterback Drew Brees in favor of Dante Culpepper, citing a throwing shoulder issue as the reason for passing over Brees. The Dolphins, and Saban, would quickly come to regret that decision; although only Miami has been forced to live with the consequences ever since. But perhaps this year’s NFL Draft can allow Saban the peace offering to Miami that would bring closure to the miscalculation.
Saban, of course, coached star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama and now serves as a champion for an NFL team to invest in Tagovailoa or else risk feeling the same levels of regret that Saban’s Dolphins felt with passing over Brees all those years ago.
Saban spoke with the Wall Street Journal ahead of this week’s NFL Draft and cautioned pro teams that are considering bypassing Tagovailoa for his medicals that they run the risk of having seller’s remorse.
“The sky’s the limit,” said Saban regarding Tagovailoa.
“I don’t think any of the questions with Tua have to do with his ability to throw the ball and be effective.”
That’s never been the question. But given Miami’s current predicament, especially when paired with the sins of Saban’s Dolphins passing on Brees, makes this a challenging situation. The sky would have been the limit for the NFL’s all-time leading passer and one of the greatest coaches in college history together in Miami, too. Will Miami make the decision to draft Tagovailoa in fear of missing out on the next great thing? Or will the team forsake their history and once again pass on a promising prospect due to injury concerns?
We’ll know soon enough. The Dolphins come on the clock 5th in Thursday night’s first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.