In an offseason which saw one surprising big move after another, the Chiefs trading the dynamic Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins would definitely fit that narrative.
Hill was looking for a huge payday after seeing Packers wide receiver Davante Adams leave for the Raiders via trade and get a lucrative extension right away.
The Dolphins are a young, rising football team with some talented pieces. One of those pieces is quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the former Alabama Crimson Tide star, who’s shown flashes but also plenty of inconsistency in his first two seasons.
The biggest knock on Tags is his lack of arm strength. With Hill’s speed (he’s nicknamed the “Cheetah”) the questions surround Tua’s ability to hit Hill in stride downfield.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and FS1 personality Shannon Sharpe isn’t sold on that happening. He let his feelings be known on ”Undisputed.”
“When Mahomes got there, Andy Reid finally got a guy that was willing to push the ball down the field and could push the ball 50-60 yards and take full advantage of Tyreek’s ability.”
Sharpe wasn’t done.
“Tyreek chose the bag. I have no problem with it. That’s $120 million. He’s got $70 million bucks inside. Jaylen Waddle, who was with Tua last year, had 104 catches for 1,015 yards. That’s less than 10 yards a catch.”
“Jaylen Waddle is the guy that gets down the field. He’s a sub-4.4 guy. But because Tua doesn’t have the kind of arm strength to push the ball down the field, they run smokescreens, jailbreaks, screens and all things of that nature. Tyreek Hill is going to find out. But I guess his pockets are weighing him down, so he won’t hear too much.”
Tua Has Shown Flashes: Inconsistency Comes From A Bevy Of Things
In his two seasons in South Florida, Tagovailoa has had injury concerns, a very average offensive line, no real running game, and limited weaponry in the passing game. The injuries to his legs and hip haven’t helped matters. Tagovailoa was a guy who completed a record 55 percent of his passes between 20-25 yards during his three years at Alabama, including the famous “Seattle” play to DeVonta Smith to win the national title as a true freshman.
Tua Tagovailoa. DeVonta Smith.
2nd & 26. And the rest is history.@AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/Mpv89vM0Z3
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 31, 2022
On that throw and many throws in college his arm strength and accuracy were more than enough. The hope is that a beefed up and stronger Tua will help him recapture that deep-ball accuracy which was once his calling card.
“There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on Tua,” former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum said on Friday morning’s episode of “Keshawn, JWill & Max.”
If Tua doesn’t have a breakthrough season, this could be his last as a starter in Miami.
“You’ve got to get him 10 touches a game,” Tannenbaum added.
Offensive Line And Running Back Upgrades Should Help As Well
The Dolphins added former Saints All-Pro Terron Armstead to protect Tua. GM Chris Grier also took a look at his anemic running game and added the dynamic Chase Edmonds from the Cardinals in free agency. All of those factors should help Tua immensely.
Also, the rift he was having with former head coach Brian Flores is now a thing of the past with Mike McDaniel now in charge.
Things are in place for Tua to succeed, it’s now up to him to go out and do it. If he doesn’t, Reek won’t hesitate to let us know.
