The Miami Dolphins took a gamble selecting Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft — a move Tim Tebow loved.
The former Heisman winner absolutely gushed over Tagovailoa’s game in a recent appearance on ESPN’s “First Take.” He also offered the Dolphins some advice about how to handle the rookie in 2020.
Tua Tagovailoa can ‘totally change the franchise’
Tebow sees Tagovailoa as a legitimate franchise passer who can turn an organization around.
“I think Tua is one of the most accurate, gifted quarterbacks I’ve ever seen coming out of college,” Tebow said. “I think he has a chance to totally change the franchise. He is a remarkable passer, remarkably great kid.”
Nobody can argue against Tagovailoa being “a remarkable passer.” During his tenure at Alabama, the lefty completed 69.3% of his passes for 7,442 yards with 87 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in three years.
Accuracy is Tagovailoa’s calling card. He’s a pinpoint passer who can thread the needle (like this). The only knock on the Dolphins rookie is that he has struggled to stay healthy. This leads directly to Tebow’s next main point about how the Dolphins should handle Tagovailoa this coming season.
Tebow thinks the Dolphins should keep Tagovailoa on the bench
Dolphins fans understandably would love to see Tagovailoa get the Joe Burrow treatment and start right out of the gate in 2020. Tebow, on the other hand, would advocate a slower start.
“Personally, I would sit him for a little bit of time,” Tebow said. “Heal him. Get him stronger. Get him bigger. Make sure he is 100 percent confident in his hip, in his legs that he is ready to go.”
With Ryan Fitzpatrick on the roster, this isn’t the wildest idea. He already knows the offense and has earned the trust of Miami’s coaching staff. And given the fact that training camps may be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting him seems to be a smart move.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Dolphins handle this situation later this year.