DAVIE, Florida – The Miami Dolphins quarterback situation was at the center of the news cycle at the start of the season, but when asked about it, Thursday’s coach Brian Flores reaffirmed his support for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and- expressed enthusiasm for its development which will enter Year 2.
“A lot of attention is being paid to Tua, but I thought he made a lot of improvements during the season. I’m excited about the future with him,” Flores told ESPN. “He is a young, talented player who has returned from the hip. I think this is a big offseason for him. The jump from 1 to 2 will be important, as it is for all beginners.”
Last week, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said there was no QB controversy, saying, “Yeah, we’re very pleased. He’s our starting lineup.”
However, Tagovailoa has been the subject of questions, criticism and speculation after an unequal season for beginners.
As Dolphins coaches and directors go deeper into an off-season that includes an ongoing search for offensive coordinators and an opportunity to coach the Senior Bowl later this month, he hopes to get over the questions and into a future that includes Tagovailoa.
“Criticism comes with NFL territory everywhere. Our team has done a good job ignoring these things. Anyone who has seen the Dolphins this year has seen that we are a close-knit group and I think that is still the case,” Flores said. “The idea that there is any kind of fracture is overworked. I thought there was a lot of support throughout the locker room.
“My message to the team was to ignore the noise and the people inside the building will tell you the truth. Without all the information, how do you make a determination about what’s going on?”
Dolphins decision makers still believe in Tagovailoa’s talent. Throughout the season, the players revealed to different ESPN opinion whether Tagovailoa or veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick offered them the best chances to win. But several teammates publicly expressed their support and optimism about Tagovailoa’s future throughout the season.
Miami interviewed five candidates for their position as offensive coordinator, which remained vacant after Chan Gailey resigned last week, and a top priority for employment will be to guide Tagovailoa’s development in Year 2.
Dolphins coach Eric Studesville, Dolphins QB coach George Godsey, Los Angeles Chargers coach Pep Hamilton, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Matt Canada, and San Francisco 49ers game coordinator Mike McDaniel were interviewed for the position.
Tagovailoa still has a lot to prove. He was not good enough in terms of confidence in the bottom eye and made games out of the scheme – shown by one of the lowest completion rates at 20 extra yard passes this season.
But the Dolphins should and probably will be patient in allowing Tagovailoa to improve and develop with a full offseason, more explosive offensive weapons, and a game player who builds an offense that suits him best. He played the best football when he was allowed to play more freely using tempo and handing out packages.
Comparisons with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, who had better statistical seasons in different situations, help paint a dangerous situation about Tagovailoa, who completed 64% of his subscriptions for 11 passing TDs and five interceptions with a 6-footer. , 3 meters per attack, attempt. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a 53% completion rate, 10 TDs, 12 interceptions and 6.5 yards per try as a novice. Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill admitted to “Inside the NFL” in December that he thought Patrick Mahomes was “garbage” as a novice. Both are among the best AFC QBs right now.
Dolphins clearly believe that development lasts and Tagovailoa will be fine.
“We found out he’s healthy. He still has a lot of mobility. He’s right. In the Arizona game, he brings us back in the fourth quarter. He brought us back to the Kansas City game. He also didn’t play as well in other games. games. He had some bright spots and not so bright spots. This is the life of a beginner, “Flores said. “If he continues to learn, to study, to stay healthy, to become stronger, to work on his legs and the progress of his eyes and to raise the place where he stayed, then I think we will be satisfied with his improvement.”