DAVIE, Florida. The quarterback situation in the Miami Dolphins was the center of the news cycle early in the off-season, but when asked about it, coach Brian Flores reaffirmed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and expressed excitement for his development during the year. 2.
“A lot of attention is being paid to Tua, but I thought he improved a lot over the course of the season. I’m excited about the future with him,” Flores told ESPN. “He’s a young player, a talented player, who jumped back from the hip. I think it’s a big off-season for him. That jump from year 1 to year 2 will be important, just like for all rookies. “
Last week, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier made it clear that there was no QB controversy and said, “Tua, we are very pleased with that. He is our starting quarterback.”
Yet there have been questions, criticism and speculation about Tagovailoa after an uneven vegetable season.
As Dolphins coaches and managers delve deeper into an off-season that includes an ongoing offensive coordinator search and an opportunity to coach the Senior Bowl later this month, they hope to move beyond the questions and toward a future that Tagovailoa included.
“Criticism comes with the area in the NFL across the board. Our team did a good job of ignoring things. Anyone who saw the Dolphins this year saw that we were a close group and I think so. is still the case, “Flores said. “The idea that there is any break is overridden. I thought there was a lot of support in the locker room.
“My message to the team was to ignore the noise and the people in the building are going to tell you the truth. Without all the information, how can you determine what’s going on?”
The Dolphins decision makers still believe in Tagovailoa’s talent. Over the course of the season, players have revealed to ESPN different opinions on whether Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick gave them the best chance of winning. But several teammates throughout the season have expressed their support and optimism about the future of Tagovailoa.
Miami has fielded five candidates for their offensive coordinator post, which was left vacant after Chan Gailey resigned last week, and the top priority for the hire will be to lead Tagovailoa’s Year 2 development.
Eric Studesville, Dolphins quarterback coach George Godsey, Dolphins coach George Godsey, Los Angeles Chargers coach, Pep Hamilton, Pittsburgh Steelers Matt Canada, Matt Canada, and San Francisco 49ers coordinator Mike McDaniel all interviewed .
Tagovailoa still has a lot to prove. He was not good enough to trust his eyes in the field and make plays outside the scheme – shown by one of the lowest percentages for completion at 20-yard passes this season.
But the Dolphins must and will likely be patient to allow Tagovailoa to improve and develop with a full off-season, more explosive offensive weapons and a player who builds an offense that suits him best. He played his best football when he was allowed to play freer using pace and distribution packages.
The comparisons to Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, who had better statistical seasons in different situations, help to sketch an ominous situation about Tagovailoa, who completed 64% of his passes for 11 passing TDs and five distinctions with a pedestrian of 6.3 meters per attempt. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a completion rate of 53%, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions and 6.5 yards per attempt as a rookie. Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill admitted in ‘Inside the NFL’ in December that he thought Patrick Mahomes was a ‘trash’ as a rookie. Both are among the AFC’s best QBs right now.
The Dolphins clearly believe that development takes time and that Tagovailoa will be good.
“We learned he’s healthy. He’s still a lot of mobility. He’s accurate. In the Arizona game, he brought us back in the fourth quarter. He brought us back in the Kansas City game. “Good in other games. He had some light spots and not so bright spots. This is the life of a rookie,” Flores said. “If he keeps learning, studying, staying healthy, getting stronger, working on his footwork and his eye progression and continuing where he left off, then I think we will be happy with his improvement.”