NFL Notes: How Dolphins should handle Tua, rookie awards and more

How the Miami Dolphins should handle the Tua Tagovailoa situation and more NFL notes

One of the issues the Miami Dolphins are going to have to look at this offseason is whether last year’s first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa is the quarterback of the future or if they should spend another high pick on a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.

I strongly believe it is in the Dolphins’ interest to use their first-round pick on weapons for Tagovailoa and not on a competitor at his position. Even though Tagovailoa did not have the greatest rookie season, going off of one year is not an accurate representation of his NFL talent.

One of the reasons it is not fair to judge Tagovailoa off of this year is it was such a weird NFL year due to COVID-19. The pandemic greatly affected his offseason and ability to learn the offense as we saw all offseason activities and preseason games canceled. His training camp was affected as well, as teams did not have a typical practice format this year.

Another reason the Miami Dolphins should not put too much value on 2020 when it comes to evaluating Tua is the offensive system he plays in. Now former Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey would rarely allow Tagovailoa to throw downfield this year, which is the main reason he only averaged 6.3 yards per attempt. Hopefully, whoever the team brings in next year as offensive coordinator will actually allow Tagovailoa to throw downfield.

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One more reason why it is important not to rush to a judgment on a first-year quarterback is the vast majority of players who are currently the best at their position either sat on the bench as a rookie or struggled on the field their first year.

For example, guys like Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Drew Brees all spent most of their first year on the bench. Then you have players like Peyton Manning, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson who struggled on the field as rookies. The fact is that most rookie quarterbacks struggle and while Tagovailoa was not the exception to this rule, it is definitely not worth panicking about.

Of course, if I could trade Tua Tagovailoa and a couple of first-round draft picks for Deshaun Watson I would do that trade in a heartbeat. However, I am guessing it is very unlikely Houston will actually move Watson.

Rookies awards

My pick for offensive rookie of the year is San Diego Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. This year Herbert has already established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and one of the best rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. He has set numerous rookie records along the way including most touchdown passes in a season, most passing yards per game, and tying an NFL rookie record regardless of position by winning a ninth NFL Rookie of the Week award this year.

Washington’s Chase Young is my pick for defensive rookie of the year. While Young may not have been able to produce double-digit sack numbers this year he was the most complete rookie defender. He was strong against the run as he was able to register 44 tackles, including ten for loss. He also should increase his sack total over the next couple of years, if Washington improves overall and forces their opponent to pass more.

While the NFL doesn’t give this award away, my pick for the best value of the 2020 NFL Draft class is Jacksonville running back James Robinson. The Jaguars were lucky enough to get Robinson as an undrafted free agent as both his small stature and the fact he played at a small school scared teams off from drafting him. Robinson turned out to be one of the most productive rookies though as he finished fifth in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,070 yards and also hauled in 49 receptions.

Colts offseason needs

The Indianapolis Colts’ season came to an end on Saturday when they lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-24. Now the question becomes what do the Colts need to do this offseason in order to make a deeper run in the playoffs next year. The biggest question the team faces is what to do with Philip Rivers who despite having a strong season this year, will be 40-years-old next season. The team also needs to address issues at left tackle, receiver and find an edge pass rusher this offseason.

In terms of the quarterback position, the wise move would be to bring back Philip Rivers next season and also draft a developmental quarterback high in the 2021 NFL Draft. This would be a smart choice as the team is not going to find anyone that can play at Rivers level in free agency this year. This strategy would also give them his replacement after next year. If the team were to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback, Florida’s Kyle Trask would make some sense.

The other area a team would be wise to invest a first-round pick in is offensive tackle. This is a need for the team as Anthony Castonzo is unsure about his future and is also coming off of a season-ending injury. If the team went in this direction in the first round, a guy like Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw would be a wise choice. If the team waited until the second day of the draft, they could possibly snag someone like Walker Little of Stanford.

The team would also be wise to add a wide receiver either in free agency or the 2021 NFL Draft as it sounds like T.Y. Hilton might be heading out the door this offseason. One more need the team should look to address is edge pass rusher as the team doesn’t currently have anyone who strikes fear in opposing passers on a consistent basis.

Broncos go in a different direction

The Denver Broncos decided to bring in a new general manager to replace John Elway. Elway has had mixed success during his time in Denver with his biggest successes coming early in his career. These accomplishments included winning the 2016 Super Bowl, and winning five straight AFC West championships from 2011-2015. His last couple of years have been a struggle though, Denver is coming off a 5-11 season and has not made the playoffs in five years.

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The biggest challenge for whoever takes this job will be finding a franchise quarterback, something Denver has not had since Peyton Manning retired in 2016. The team has tried to fill this need with several players including 2016 first-round bust Paxton Lynch, and have also used high draft picks on guys like Brock Osweiler and Drew Lock. While it is unlikely the team will use a high draft pick on a quarterback in the 2021 draft, if Lock does not show more next year, they will likely have to go back to the drawing board on this position the following offseason.

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