Tua Is Still Mediocre, Dolphins Fans
I love seeing Dolphins fans trying to find ways to defend and justify Tua Tagovailoa’s mediocrity when deep down in their hearts they know he’s not “that guy”. They can’t live with the fact that arguably the most valuable player in the NFL for the next decade was drafted with the pick right after the one that the Dolphins used on Tua. But it’s okay because he’ll be really good this season since he finally has the help he needs, right Dolphins fans?
Wrong. Because at some point or another a QB’s weaknesses will come to blatant light regardless of the supreme talent around him. I don’t really care if he has Tyreek Hill on his team now. Or that he’s now got a young, “offensive guru”, who treats him nicely as his head coach. Or that Jaylen Waddle is supposedly a top 10 wide receiver in the league or something like that according to Miamians.
It’s not even just about the arm strength. The recipe to becoming a modern franchise quarterback is becoming pretty clear. You need to be able to execute under pressure and hit tough throws from the pocket while at the same time be athletic enough and a good enough decision maker to create something out of nothing when the play gets broken down. I’m not sure Tua can do either.
Just when watching him play, I feel like there’s no sense of calm and collectiveness. He always seems frazzled and even when he does make a play it seems like he just barely did so. There’s a certain level of indescribable comfort you feel as a fan watching a franchise quarterback you trust to make the right play and there is simply no way anyone gets that feeling with Tua. He’s prone to turnovers and is a predictable game manager at best, that is not fooling any NFL defense. Don’t just take my word for it though. Let’s see what the All Pro cornerback that gets to face him twice a year thinks.
The point being here is that additions surrounding the quarterback can sure help him but it can’t change his DNA and skillset. He’s not going to magically get a cannon of an arm. His decision making is probably not going to just instantly change from the level of Drew Lock to Drew Brees. Him being around better players will not change his mediocrity. Simple as. The Dolphins had the chance to get their franchise guy last year at pick 3. Instead they chose to trade down and roll with left handed Alex Smith while improving other positions.
All this shows to me is that the Dolphins are just happy to get their little participation trophy and certificate. Hey, maybe they’ll mess around and get to the playoffs! But at the end of the day, they don’t want to win. They want absolutely nothing to do with the ultimate prize: A Super Bowl. And if I was a Dolphins fan, I would be disgusted with that lack of ambition.
