NFL
By: Rick
The Miami Dolphins, with emphasis, paid a quarterback like the franchise player they’ve needed. Tua Tagovailoa is back in-house with the richest contract in Dolphins’ history. Will the young QB prove he can continue to grow this season and finally secure that elusive playoff win? Preseason is where that journey begins so let’s break down the Dolphins QB room:
Tua Tagovailoa
Easily the starter for the Miami Dolphins. You don’t pay a QB those figures without high expectations. If the Dolphins want to prove they are playoff contenders, Tua’s preseason needs to be a heavy focus on getting rid of the football with the pocket collapsing. He’s got one of the quickest releases in football and we know he can sling it all around. However, late in the season, teams making their playoff push are throwing everything they have at opponents and Tagovailoa’s decision making slipped as injuries piled up.
It’s time to buckle down and adjust the playbook for these scenarios early on to build them for the mid-season push. Injuries happen especially to playmakers. Miami needs to adjust and make sure Tua is ready to go should it happen this season.
Mike White
Mike White has had decent arm strength his short NFL career. He may never crack the starter role, but he needs to prove he can come in and keep the pace should he need to sub for QB1. Tua obviously has the better skill set which is why he’s the starter. However, the pace and timing of the offense needs to stay consistent. The plays may change to fit the sub QB role, but the timing and offense productivity shouldn’t fall off as far. Tua stayed healthy for the entirety of the season last year so White never got a shot, but his preseason needs to prove he’s ready to go whenever.
Skylar Thompson
Skylar Thompson is a question mark for the Miami Dolphins. An early fan favorite two preseason ago doesn’t often get a lot of attention. He’s buried on the depth chart in the third QB role but the skill set is there. He’s not a gun slinger and has great potential but he needs to get past potential. If anything, this might be Thompson’s most important camp. With the rule changes on kickoffs anything goes with how many skill position players each team keeps. He’ll need a big camp to prove he can take the #2 spot, secure his spot on the roster at #3, or prove he can be the backup elsewhere. Chances are Miami keeps him in that emergency role, but anything can change at a moments notice in the NFL.
At $53mil per season, it’s clear the Miami Dolphins are all in with Tua Tagovailoa. Between Mike White and Skylar Thompson, it will be interesting to see who has made advances in the offseason to claim the backup role with authority. Thompson came in in an emergency role for the Dolphins two seasons ago but hasn’t done much since. White has the ability but the drop off from QB1 to back up is too great. Which of the two will close the gap?
