Dolphins position review: Dolphins appear all-in on Tagovailoa but who joins QB room?
Much of the Dolphins’ 2021 season consisted of questions regarding who would be the team’s starting quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa entered the season with that distinction but the Dolphins were linked to a potential trade for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson for the first half of the season, a deal that failed to materialize by the trade deadline.
A seven-game winning streak and a winning season did little to bring much clarity to that development — not until the surprise firing of Brian Flores one day after the season finale and reports, corroborated by the Miami Herald, that the Dolphins are longer pursuing Watson and instead are planning to move forward with Tagovailoa as the starter for the 2022 season.
In the first of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s quarterback situation. Next up is running backs.
2021 in review
The Dolphins entered the season optimistic about the new-look offense they had built around Tagovailoa. George Godsey and Eric Studesville were tapped to be co-offensive coordinators, Charlie Frye — who had a relationship with Tagovailoa dating to high school — was hired as quarterbacks coach and Jacoby Brissett was brought in as a veteran backup who could be serviceable if called upon.
However, five quarters into the season, Tagovailoa was sidelined with a rib injury that forced him to miss three games. The offense was stagnant under Brissett and went through lulls when Tagovailoa returned, though he played his best football of the season during the team’s seven-game winning streak. After Flores’ firing, it seems Tagovailoa is set for a third season in Miami and his second consecutive as the full-time starter.
Depth chart
Tua Tagovailoa
Skinny: There’s no doubt Tagovailoa improved in his second season. He ranked seventh in completion percentage behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. However, he also ranked 33rd in yards per attempt and passing plays that covered at least 20 yards, also a byproduct of his porous line.
Contract: Tagovailoa, 23, is entering the third year of his five-year rookie contract, which includes a team option for the fifth season. He has a cap hit of $8,256,938, the fifth-largest on the Dolphins.
Jacoby Brissett
Skinny: The Dolphins were 2-3 in games that Brissett started, though Tagovailoa came in for an injured Brissett in the second half of the team’s win over the Baltimore Ravens. He didn’t fare much better than Tagovailoa in pushing the ball downfield and was often used in short-yardage situations.
Contract: Brissett, 29, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
Offseason questions
1. How much better can Tagovailoa get?
Comparisons to your draft mates are part of life as a top pick, especially at the quarterback position. For much of his first two seasons, and likely for the rest of his NFL career, Tagovailoa’s body of work will be compared to the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, who had breakout seasons as sophomores.
Last offseason was a testament to how beneficial downtime can be for a young quarterback. Tagovailoa reshaped his body and added muscle to his frame to prepare for the rigors of a 17-game schedule. Tagovailoa already has his eyes on areas he can improve during the summer. After the Dolphins’ Week 17 loss to the Tennessee Titans — a chilly, wet afternoon in Nashville — Tagovailoa said he would look to work out in cold-weather areas to better simulate playing in inclement weather, a necessity with divisional games in New Jersey, Buffalo and Foxborough.
2. What will the impact of another offensive system be on Tagovailoa?
Barring the Dolphins’ next coach keeping the current offensive staff in place, which is very unlikely, Tagovailoa will have his fourth offensive coordinator in three seasons. It’s not an ideal situation for the growth of a young quarterback but if the Dolphins can get the right staff in place to nurture Tagovailoa in 2022, all the change will be worth it.
Run-pass options constituted a large part of the Dolphins offense in 2021 and it would behoove the incoming coach to keep that a part of whatever system they implement, seeing as Tagovailoa was arguably the league’s best quarterback running RPOs. Among the offensive-minded coaches whom the Dolphins have requested interviews with include Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. Hiring McDaniel who likely result in a pivot to a system built around outside zone run concepts, while hiring Daboll, who coached Tagovailoa at Alabama, could mean the retaining of a lot of offensive philosophies Tagovailoa is familiar with.
3. Will the Dolphins be in the market for another backup?
Signing Brissett last offseason made sense from the standpoint that Flores knew him from their time with the New England Patriots. However, when Brissett started, the Dolphins ran RPOs and play-action at a much lesser rate than when Tagovailoa was in the lineup. Brissett is still just 29 and said he sees himself as a starter, so there’s a chance he may want to find an opportunity that gives him a greater chance for that role. The new coaching staff may also want to find a backup with traits more similar to Tagovailoa, too.
Potential additions
Any addition to the quarterback room may be dependent on the system the new coaching staff brings, but it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins will be spending high draft capital or signing anyone that will push Tagovailoa for the starting job.
If Brissett is not re-signed, Tyrod Taylor and Colt McCoy are veteran options who likely won’t be pursued by other teams for starting roles.
This story was originally published January 18, 2022 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Dolphins position review: Dolphins appear all-in on Tagovailoa but who joins QB room?."
