Reporter 'can't find anyone' who thinks Dolphins will draft Tua Tagovailoa
The Miami Dolphins have been one of the teams most frequently linked to Tua Tagovailoa in this week's NFL Draft, but according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the team may not have interest in the Alabama quarterback.
"I can’t find anyone who thinks Miami is taking him [Tua]," Breer wrote in a recent story.
This may come as a surprise to fans, given how many mock drafts have Tagovailoa landing in Miami. Some have even had the Dolphins trading up to take him. Still, others have claimed that the Dolphins prefer other players over Tua, including Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
The primary concern about Tua seems to be his history of injuries. Last November, he fractured and displaced his hip, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Tagovailoa insists the injury was just a setback and that he will be ready to go right away next season, but others have expressed skepticism, wondering if the effects of the injury could linger for the long term. Could Miami have been scared off of taking Tua with the fifth pick in the draft? That seems to be the prevailing sentiment around the league, at least according to Breer.
If Miami does end up passing on Tagovailoa, which team should we expect to see grab him instead? The Chargers, who are selecting right after the Dolphins, seem like a logical landing spot, but Breer says that's no sure thing either, writing that Chargers GM Tom Telesco is "pretty good at concealing his intentions." Breer also mentioned the Raiders and Patriots as teams that may be interested in Tagovailoa, should he slide past the top few picks in the draft.
Assuming Breer is right about Miami's lack of interest in Tua, there is at least one person who thinks the team will end up regretting that decision: Alabama Coach Nick Saban. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Saban said any team that passes on Tagovailoa for health concerns will be making the same mistake he made when he passed on signing Drew Brees for the Dolphins following the 2005 season.
Of course, it's entirely possible that Breer is wrong and the Dolphins end up taking the Alabama QB with their pick on Thursday. Or maybe they actually do trade up with the Lions and take him with the third pick. It's really anyone's guess at this point.
The quarantine has added a new level of chaos and uncertainty to the already chaotic rumor mill that surrounds the NFL Draft. That may lead to a stressful viewing experience for die-hard Dolphins fans, but for the rest of us, it only makes the entire experience that much more fun.
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