With the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins have selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of the University of Alabama.
Miami planted a lot of smoke screens in talks of taking other players at the pick, but ultimately stuck with its first plan.
Dolphins Stick with Tagovailoa Plan
The Dolphins have been in talks with Tagovailoa for months and the two sides talked atomately about many facets of his game. These included, but were not limited to, injury concerns, readability for the combine and his want to play in Miami.
Furthermore, the Dolphins planted seeds of taking former University of Oregon QB Justin Herbert ahead of Tagovailoa, taking an offensive tackle to fix their struggling offensive line, trading up to the No. 1 overall pick to snag former Louisiana State University QB Joe Burrow and trading with the Detroit Lions to move up to the No. 3 overall pick.
All screens worked as Miami stayed planted at selection No. 5 and drafted what it hopes to be its franchise QB.
Four QBs on Miami’s Roster: What it Means
Tagovailoa will likely sit behind veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2020, as the Dolphins signed him to a two-year contract prior to 2019. Additionally, the move likely bumps Josh Rosen to the reserve QB and Jake Rudock off Miami’s roster again. Rudock has been off and on its team throughout his career.
The Dolphins knew what they were doing when signing Fitzpatrick for more than a season. Although he is on his eighth NFL team and nearing the end of his career, he can be the mentor Tagovailoa needs to successfully transition into the NFL.
Even if Tagovailoa’s injuries linger with him, Miami finally got the risk pick right after years of agony on passing on guys simply for reported injury concerns.
– Kayla Morton is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Miami Dolphins. Like and follow on Follow @northdakayla74 Follow @FPC_Dolphins and Facebook.
