Tua Tagovailoa got some outstanding news on the injury recovery front Monday which bodes extremely well for his 2020 NFL Draft stock.
The skinny: One of the most-talented pure passers to hit the NFL in years, Tagovailoa is going to be a hot commodity if his recovery from hip surgery continues to go smoothly.
- His next big hurdle will be the medicals at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.
- Assuming he’s still on track after that, he is on pace to be fully cleared for football activities in roughly a month.
What it means: Every team that isn’t sold on its current quarterback will be watching Tagovailoa very closely this spring.
- Ultimately, if he continues on his current path of recovery and can do everything he’s capable of on the field during workouts, Tagovailoa will be a top-five pick without a shadow of doubt.
- Heck, he could go atop the draft if the Cincinnati Bengals are interested in fans rioting in the streets.
Long story short, there’s going to be a high-stakes game of chicken being played by NFL general managers this spring. It’s becoming increasingly clear you’ll have to trade up to land Tagovailoa, unless you’re the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and New York Giants — teams that have quarterbacks.
With that in mind, the following five teams have to consider taking the plunge and mortgaging the future for the chance to land an elite quarterback.
Miami Dolphins (No. 5 overall)
The Dolphins have been mentioned as a team that wants Tagovailoa badly going all the way back to before last season. The rumor mill continues to bang the drum on this, with one report signaling Miami could trade all the way up to No. 2 overall to land the former Crimson Tide star.
Los Angeles Chargers (No. 6 overall)
Philip Rivers is not coming back. That’s official. Tyrod Taylor is signed and could be a solution, but the Chargers almost certainly are aiming to build for the future now that the Rivers era is in the past.
Carolina Panthers (No. 7 overall)
All reports point to Carolina looking to trade Cam Newton. Will Grier doesn’t appear to be the answer, and neither does Kyle Allen. Rookie head coach Matt Rhule could change the offense in a hurry by landing Tagovailoa to run it from the start in 2020.
Las Vegas Raiders (No. 12 overall)
Derek Carr appears to be on the outs. Tom Brady has been discussed as his replacement as the Raiders move to Las Vegas. But imagine if Jon Gruden had the tough-minded, uber-talented Tagovailoa at his disposal. That’s football heaven right there.
New England Patriots (No. 23 overall)
In stunning news, the Patriots reportedly want Tom Brady to test free agency this year.
That changes everything for Bill Belichick and Co. With that in mind, it would be a stroke of genius to stun the NFL world by trading up for Tagovailoa to usher New England into yet another era of dominance.