NFL Trade Rumors: Will the Miami Dolphins trade Tua Tagovailoa?

The Miami Dolphins capped off a seemingly year-long plan last April when they selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft. Before the 2019 season, the Dolphins traded every quality player on the roster with the idea that the team would finish with a poor record and secure the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

While the Dolphins couldn't finish with a record bad enough to secure the #1 pick, they did manage to draft Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL draft. The young QB's NFL career has gotten off to an uneven start. He has shown flashes of his immense potential but was also benched in favor of veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

There were reports during last season that Tagovailoa was inserted into the lineup earlier than anticipated because Miami wanted to see if they had their answer under center, or if they needed to look elsewhere.

It seems like Tagovailoa is going to stick around in 2021, but let’s take a closer look at the reasons why the team might keep or trade the former Crimson Tide star.

Why the Miami Dolphins should keep Tua Tagovailoa

Coming into the 2020 season, the biggest question mark surrounding Tagovailoa was his health. He suffered a season-ending hip injury during his junior year at Alabama that needed surgery to repair.

But during his rookie campaign, there did not seem to be any issues with his mobility. Based on the small sample size, Tagovailoa did not appear to be predisposed to lower-body injuries, which is a good sign for the team. He recorded 36 rushing attempts in 10 games for 109 yards. He also rushed for three touchdowns last season. This indicates that the coaching staff, and Tagovailoa himself, are not limiting the playbook.

Tua is still a young player with less than a full season of NFL experience under his belt. He played very well in games against the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots. In those contests, he pushed the ball downfield effectively and made impressive reads to make big plays. If he can build on those positives, Tagovailoa can meet the lofty expectations he had coming into the league.

Work 🚂 pic.twitter.com/lZwElQTIy1

— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tua) February 20, 2021

Why the Miami Dolphins should trade Tua Tagovailoa

In today’s NFL, teams want to know whether they have their guy almost immediately. The Bengals know they have their leader in Joe Burrow and the Chargers know they have their man in Justin Herbert. The Dolphins aren’t quite sure whether Tagovailoa is the long-term answer to their QB conundrum.

And if teams aren’t sure whether they have the guy or not, they might be inclined to keep looking. Tagovailoa did not put anything consistently on film to prove that he’s a franchise QB, which could lead the Dolphins to sell while there’s still a chance he could be viewed as an asset by other teams.

Additionally, Miami is sitting in an advantageous position with regards to trade offers for the NFL’s biggest stars. As it turns out, there are rumblings that Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson are no longer happy with their current situations, and both could be attractive targets for the Dolphins.

Miami currently has four draft picks in the top 50 selections, and could part with some or all of them if that meant bringing in an established star quarterback. Dolphins fans already know what Watson and Wilson bring to the table. Tagovailoa’s ceiling is hopefully that high for the fan base, but there’s no guarantee he'll get there.

Here’s a hypothetical Deshaun Watson trade offer I’ve put together. Dolphins and Texans fans, what say you?@gmfb pic.twitter.com/VNuMVOCEGQ

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) March 15, 2021