Tua Tagovailoa - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Dolphins’ Draft Plans

April 23rd, 2020 at 8:52am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this morning that the Dolphins and Lions are expecting to execute a trade that will allow Miami to jump up to the No. 3 overall selection while shipping the No. 5 pick to Detroit. The ‘Fins had hoped to keep their No. 5 pick and trade from their other draft assets, but Lions GM Bob Quinn isn’t biting on that.

So if the trade is consummated, it’s unclear what other draft picks will be heading to Motown. Though recent buzz has suggested that the Dolphins will take Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa with their No.5 selection if they don’t engineer a trade-up, the team will likely grab a left tackle if it lands the No. 3 pick. After all, the Giants, who hold the No. 4 overall selection, are also in the LT market, and a move to No. 3 would allow the Dolphins to select the player of their choice at that position.

But that would leave the club with a notable vacancy at QB. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, there are still execs and scouts within the Dolphins’ front office that like Oregon passer Justin Herbert, so if Miami stays put at No. 5, Herbert can’t be ruled out. And if he is still on the board when the Dolphins are on the clock with the No. 18 overall pick — and if they haven’t picked a different QB by then — Herbert obviously becomes even more of a possibility.

In addition to QB and LT, the Dolphins have plenty of other needs to fill. And while WR is not necessarily the most pressing of those needs, a young receiving talent can’t be ruled out in the bottom of the first round. Baylor wideout Denzel Mims could still be available when the team makes its No. 26 overall selection — assuming, of course, it hasn’t been traded — and a Baylor football official tells Jackson that the Dolphins “really like” the raw but talented prospect.

Per Jackson, Miami has also shown interest in UVA wide receiver Hasise Dubois, Auburn safety Daniel Thomas, and Florida edge defender Jonathan Greenard.

Draft Rumors: Hurts, Giants, Jags, Tua

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the draft in less than 24 hours, several names have started to surface as potential first-round upsets. It would not surprise some around the league to see TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor and Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet end up as first-round picks, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes. The Eagles have surfaced as a Reagor candidate; the TCU product clocked two sub-4.3-second 40-yard dashes recently. The tight end class is not viewed to be nearly as strong, but an AFC coach said Kmet’s landing spot will likely be in the back end of the first round or start of the second.

Notre Dame pass rusher Julian Okwara and Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette profile as players who could sneak into Round 1, per Pelissero. One exec compared Romeo Okwara‘s younger brother to an Anthony Barr type who could rush passers and drop into coverage. Julian Okwara registered 12 sacks over the past two seasons. Arnette would join Jeffrey Okudah as a first-rounder in this instance and follow a host of recent Buckeye corners by being a Thursday-night draftee. Arnette started 38 games in his Ohio State career.

Here is the latest from the draft world:

While Jalen Hurts is not expected to creep into the first round, Pelissero notes some NFL personnel believe he will go higher than most predict (Twitter link). So will Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr., Pelissero adds. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Hurts going off the board at No. 49 overall to the Steelers; Scouts Inc. grades the dual-threat quarterback as its No. 94 overall prospect. The Packers, Chargers and Raiders are among the teams believed to be interested. Winfield (29th per Scouts Inc.) is a second-generation NFLer, the son of former Vikings Pro Bowl corner Antoine Winfield. The younger Winfield intercepted seven passes last year and is also seen as a player who, like his father, could move into the slot.
Ex-Hurts teammate Tua Tagovailoa is “very well-regarded” in New England, per Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston. However, Curran also believes the scenario NBC Sports’ Peter King suggested of the Patriots moving up to No. 13 (the 49ers’ slot) to draft a falling Tagovailoa doesn’t make much sense for the team, due to the Pats’ various other needs. Tagovailoa may now be back in play for the Dolphins at No. 5 anyway.
Buzz has surfaced about the Giants having a trade partner. While it is not certain the Jaguars are that team, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets several GMs have pointed to the Giants moving down from No. 4 and the Jags climbing up from No. 8. The Giants are believed to be serious about wanting to move down. Although the Jaguars are believed to be planning to give Gardner Minshew a legitimate opportunity, JLC speculates a move up would be for a quarterback.
This draft could well see five tackles taken in the first round. With Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt listing Ezra Cleveland as a player who will go higher than expected, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds that the Boise State tackle is a “mortal lock” to be chosen in Round 1 (Twitter link). The Browns were believed to be eyeing Cleveland, which would be a fun fit. If they pass on a tackle at No. 10, the Browns may need to consider making an early move back into Round 1 for the rising player.

Tua Tagovailoa Passed Dolphins’ Physical In February

April 22nd, 2020 at 11:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins might not be overly concerned with Tua Tagovailoa‘s medical situation. Team doctors gave him a passing grade on his physical at the scouting combine, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Presumably, Tagovailoa is even closer to 100% health today than he was in late February. In addition to his major hip injury, the southpaw suffered multiple high ankle sprains, a knee sprain and a broken wrist during his collegiate career. Predictably, Tagovailoa’s camp claims the medical concerns are overblown, though at least one team failed Tagovailoa on a physical earlier this year.

Over the last week, there’s been more and more talk of the Dolphins preferring Oregon’s Justin Herbert to Tagovailoa, but that could very well be a smokescreen. For months, Tagovailoa has been connected to the Dolphins, at the No. 5 spot or perhaps with a move up the board. Some evaluators are troubled by Tagovailoa’s issues, but the QB says he’s ready to rock.

“I feel 100 percent,” the Alabama quarterback said earlier this month. “I feel like if there was a game today, I’d be able to go out and perform the same way I was able to perform in previous years. I feel as mobile as possible. I feel 100 percent.”

As a sophomore, Tagovailoa threw for almost 4,000 yards and 43 touchdowns while lobbing just six interceptions. He finished that 2018 season as the runner-up for the Heisman trophy, just behind eventual No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.

Draft QB Rumors: Bolts, Raiders, Pats

April 19th, 2020 at 10:52am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some of the recent QB-related rumors that are swirling in advance of Thursday’s draft:

The Chargers hold the No. 6 overall pick and are not inclined to trade up from that spot, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The Bolts are fans of both Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, and it seems almost certain that at least one of those passers will be available when Los Angeles is on the clock. The team could still go in a non-QB direction with the No. 6 pick, but it would be difficult to pass up a franchise-altering talent at the most important position in sports, especially since the Chargers will probably not be picking nearly as high in 2021.
Although the Raiders have Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota on the roster, La Canfora hears that the club could make a play for a QB with one of their two first-round picks. Las Vegas holds the No. 12 and No. 19 overall selections, and JLC believes the team could target a CB with the No. 12 pick and go after a QB like Tagovailoa — if he falls that far — or Jordan Love with the No. 19 pick. While the Raiders need a receiver and don’t have a second-round selection, this year’s draft is deep enough at WR that Las Vegas could still find an impact player with one of its three third-round choices.
The Patriots are in the market for a collegiate signal-caller, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says it’s a question of “when,” not “if”, New England drafts a QB this week. We recently heard that the Pats would find a passer in either the first round or middle rounds, and if a player like Herbert or Tagovailoa should start to slide, it would not be surprising to see them pull the trigger. Coincidentally, new personnel consultant Eliot Wolf was a Packers staffer in 2005, when Green Bay was the beneficiary of Aaron Rodgers‘ famous draft-day slide.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote before last year’s draft that Jarrett Stidham was the QB that represented the best fit for the Patriots, and the Pats ultimately selected Stidham with a fourth-round pick. Bowen believes the rookie signal-caller that makes the most sense for New England this year is Washington’s Jacob Eason (subscription required). Eason profiles as a Day 2 pick, so he would not be the Pats’ target with their No. 23 overall choice, but he may be off the board by the time New England is on the clock again at No. 87.
Colts GM Chris Ballard will not force a QB pick in this year’s draft, though Indy has been linked to rookie passers. The team could select a signal-caller like Eason with one of its second-round choices, though the Colts remain high on Jacoby Brissett. It may seem unlikely, but Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star says the team continues to insist that it could forgo a quarterback in the 2020 draft and look to bring Brissett back in 2021.

NFL Draft Rumors: Thomas, Henderson, Tua

April 18th, 2020 at 7:43pm CST by Zachary Links

With the NFL Draft just around the corner, here’s a look at the latest rumblings from Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:

There’s increasing chatter about Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson landing in the top 10, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears. Henderson hasn’t garnered the same level of hype as Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah over the last few months, but it’s starting to sound like he has closed the gap. Earlier this week, an anonymous GM told Peter King of NBC Sports that 40% of NFL teams likely have Henderson ranked as the draft’s best CB, ahead of Okudah. Miller isn’t convinced that Henderson will go top 10, but the Panthers (No. 7) and Jaguars (No. 9) could give him consideration.
Throughout the evaluation process, offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama) and Mekhi Becton (Louisville) have been highly touted, and Tristan Wirfs has been connected to the Giants at No. 4. Still, there’s buzz that Georgia’s Andrew Thomas could wind up as the first offensive tackle selected, Miller hears. Some may prefer the upside of Wills and Becton or the four-position potential of Wirfs, but Thomas may be the most NFL-ready of the bunch. Of course, with limited OTAs on the horizon, teams have even less time to teach rookies.
If the Dolphins are truly targeting Justin Herbert over Tua Tagovailoa, league officials believe that the Alabama star could drop out of the top 10. Things seemed to be trending up for Tagovailoa after the latest check on his surgically-repaired hip, but it’s possible that teams are skittish without getting their own up-close inspection. Personally, we like Tagovailoa’s chances of going in the top 10 – perhaps from a team leaping up the board – even if Miami passes on him.
Earlier today, we profiled Georgia star and potential first-round pick D’Andre Swift.

Lions Speak With Tagovailoa, Herbert

April 13th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions denied shopping Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason and have said they are happy with their quarterback situation. They are either doing due diligence on this draft’s top non-Joe Burrow passers or attempting to entice a team to trade up.

Lions brass conducted video conferences with Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes. Detroit’s staff already coached Herbert in the Senior Bowl.

Considering the Lions have discussed trading down from No. 3, this could well be an effort to help accelerate that process and convince teams to up their offers. The Lions have been connected to Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah with that pick and, should the Redskins surprise and trade out of No. 2, will be expected to draft Chase Young third overall. Okudah is believed to be the Lions’ preference of the non-Young contingent expected to be available at 3.

The Dolphins and Chargers have been the teams most closely connected to Tagovailoa and Herbert, and considering they respectively hold the Nos. 5 and 6 picks, the Lions should not expect a monster trade proposal. However, some teams have extracted value in making short trips down in the top five recently. The Vikings were able to pry fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks from the Browns in 2012 — when Cleveland moved up from No. 4 to No. 3 for Trent Richardson. The 49ers did even better five years later, landing two thirds and a fourth from the Bears when they climbed from No. 3 to No. 2 for Mitchell Trubisky.

Stafford, 32, is on the Lions’ payroll at $21.3MM this season; his cap number jumps to $33MM in 2021. Although he has dealt with back injuries over the past two seasons, he ended his shortened 2019 campaign sixth in QBR. Lions owner Martha Ford gave win-now mandates to GM Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, further pointing to the Lions drafting a player who can best help them win in 2020.

Dolphins Favoring Herbert Over Tua?

April 11th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to the 2020 quarterback class for over a year, the Dolphins may have a major decision to make in Round 1. They may well have to choose between Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert at No. 5 or be prepared to trade up for one of them.

Less than two weeks away from the draft, Herbert may be pulling ahead. At this juncture, 90% of the pre-draft intel on the Dolphins’ QB hierarchy points to them going with Herbert over Tagovailoa, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report notes.

This is peak smokescreen time. But teams do not have the same tools to throw competition off the scent — pro day attendance, pre-draft visits, workouts — and one scout told Miller he believes the Dolphins are trying to execute such an operation to drive down the Tua market.

Miami holds the No. 5 overall pick. Tagovailoa was viewed as this draft’s No. 1 pick for much of 2019, but his hip injury and list of previous maladies have created the possibility he will be available at No. 5. Though, Herbert would seem to have a much better chance of dropping to 5. The Dolphins going in that direction would allow them to hold onto their bounty of draft picks rather than trading some to move up.

Tua proceeded through a voluntary medical recheck recently, but former NFL GM Michael Lombardi said a team failed the ex-Alabama standout on a physical. Multiple teams have, per Miller, who notes the concern around the league is the southpaw’s ability to have a long career. Tagovailoa suffered multiple high ankle sprains, a knee sprain and, per Lombardi and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, a broken wrist during his college run. Tagovailoa’s agent, as could be expected, said medical concerns around his client are overblown (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Cameron Wolfe).

Still, Tagovailoa’s upside is seen as greater than Herbert’s. Miller slots Tua sixth on his big board and Herbert 27th. Scouts Inc. has the Alabama alum seventh and the four-year Oregon starter 26th. Jordan Love comes in ahead of Herbert, per Scouts Inc. The Dolphins have also been connected to the Utah State product as well. But reports of their Herbert interest began to emerge before the 6-foot-6 talent fared well at the Combine.

If the Dolphins do pass on Tua, Miller adds the “overwhelming expectation” would be for the Chargers to pounce.

Latest On Tua Tagovailoa

April 9th, 2020 at 7:49pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa recorded an hour long workout and distributed the film to all 32 teams, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The audition included “55 scripted throws and another 20 throws in a dynamic drill.”

[RELATED: Tua Says “I Feel 100%”]

The Alabama star worked out at a local private gym with less than ten people present to safeguard against the transmission of coronavirus. Ultimately, Tagovailoa’s camp is looking to silence concerns about his hip and looking for creative ways to showcase his health in lieu of a traditional pro day.

So far, it seems to be working. A few months ago, some wondered whether Tagovailoa – once presumed to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s class – would be drafted in the first round. Now, all indications are that he’ll be one of the first names called on April 23rd.

The Dolphins have a clear QB need and they’ve been heavily connected to him at No. 5 overall. Unless Oregon’s Justin Herbert is really the guy they want, it sounds like they’ll target him there or, potentially, trade up to guarantee they’ll get him. It’s even possible that the Redskins could nab him with the No. 2 pick, though we’d be shocked if they passed on defensive end Chase Young.

Redskins High On Tua Tagovailoa

April 9th, 2020 at 11:31am CST by Zachary Links

Everyone seems pretty convinced that the Redskins will select Chase Young with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. In fact, no teams picking below the Lions at No. 3 have even bothered to contact the Ohio State sack machine. Young-to-D.C. remains the most likely outcome, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Redskins head coach Ron Rivera is a big fan of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Due to his surgically-repaired hip, Tagovailoa’s stock has been murky for months. However, the QB seems to have restored much of his luster through his voluntary medical exam and videos that show off his health and mobility.

If the Redskins stun the football world by taking Tagovailoa and putting Dwayne Haskins on the back-burner, they’ll create a domino effect throughout the rest of the first round. The Lions, for example, could be tempted to bypass trade-back opportunities in order to grab Young, who many believe to be a generational talent. No matter what, the Lions seem to be in excellent position at No. 3.

AFC East Notes: Tua, Pats, Diggs

April 5th, 2020 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

Though Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa has most commonly been connected to the division-rival Dolphins, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the stars are aligning for the Patriots to make a play for the southpaw passer. The Lions — and all of their New England connections — hold the No. 3 overall pick and will have a major impact on how the quarterback dominoes fall in this year’s draft. If Detroit trades down, as many expect, Volin suggests that New England’s No. 23 overall pick along with a mid-rounder and a veteran player like Julian Edelman could be enough to get a deal done. The Patriots’ ties with Alabama head coach Nick Saban would also help give the team a little more insight into Tagovailoa as a player and as a person.

Let’s round up a few more AFC East rumors on another stay-at-home Sunday:

Volin’s proposal may be a little far-fetched, but if Tagovailoa starts to slide on draft day — after all, the Dolphins may not be entirely sold on him, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report says the 2018 Heisman runner-up is the No. 3 or 4 QB on some teams’ boards even if he is completely healthy — then the Patriots could be in play, per Doug Kyed of NESN.com.
One way or another, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says the Patriots will draft a rookie signal-caller. While he does not rule out a dramatic move for a player like Tagovailoa, he also says the team could once again target a mid-round prospect and is eyeing FIU passer James Morgan.
WR Stefon Diggs sounded like a man who wanted out of Minnesota for awhile, and he finally got his wish when he got traded to the Bills in March. However, his displeasure with the Vikings had more to do with his role in the offense than his contract; he signed a five-year, $72MM extension last summer, and he still has another four years to go on that pact. Still, the contract looks fairly team-friendly in the current market, so Buffalo GM Brandon Beane was recently asked if Diggs is content with his deal. Beane side-stepped the issue, saying simply that Diggs is “happy to be in Buffalo” (Twitter link via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News). It would indeed be rather surprising to see the Bills rework a contract that has four years remaining.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com confirms that Jets guard Brian Winters, who was presumed to be a cap casualty not that long ago, will remain with the Jets and will compete for a job in training camp. Cimini says that if Winters does not win a starting role, he will likely be asked to take a pay cut.