Tua Tagovailoa - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Tagovailoa, CBA, Chris Harris

March 10th, 2020 at 1:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the biggest stories of the 2020 draft is the health of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa of course suffered a brutal hip injury toward the end of the college football season that threatened to derail his pro career. Fortunately everything has gone smoothly with his recovery up until now, and he got another solid update recently. Tagovailoa had his four-month scans on the hip, something that was always considered a very important marker in the process, and everything went well, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Sources told Rapoport that the scans came back “very good with no concerns” and that they were “as positive as possible.” Rapoport notes that with this scan out of the way, Tagavailoa will now be able to ramp up his physical activity. It’s unclear when exactly he’ll be able to play again, but at the very least he’ll miss a good portion of the offseason program of whatever team drafts him. Despite the concerns over his hip, he still seems very likely to be off the board early in the first round, and potentially within the first few picks. Here’s to hoping everything continues to progress nicely and we see him back on the field soon.

Here’s more from around the football universe:

Another under the radar concession the players got in the new proposed CBA is a significant increase in offseason pay. Starting in 2021 the rates players are paid for minicamp and the preseason will go from $2K a week to $2.9K a week for veterans, and from $1.15K a week to $1.7K a week for rookies, according to Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Klis also reports that every other year those numbers will increase an additional $300 per week for veterans and $150 per week for rookies. Many undrafted rookies who are part of the offseason 90-man roster but don’t stand any chance of making the team barely get anything for their efforts, so this will at least put a little additional cash in their pockets during training camp.
Chris Harris is looking for a big payday this offseason, and it looks like the cornerback won’t be back with the Broncos next year. In preparation for his first testing of the open market, the veteran fired his agent Fred Lyles and signed with a bigger firm, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Ironically Jhabvala notes that Lyles also represents cornerback A.J. Bouye, who Denver just traded for to essentially replace Harris. Harris has always been a top corner but he’s now on the wrong side of 30, so it’ll be very interesting to see what his market looks like. He turned down an extension offer of $12MM annually from the Broncos last year.
In case you missed it, the NFL pushed back the franchise tag deadline as CBA talks continue to drag on.

East Notes: Fins, Tua, Peters, Anderson

March 3rd, 2020 at 8:15pm CST by Rory Parks

We heard back in January that the Dolphins may pursue some of the Patriots’ top FAs, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the ‘Fins are indeed expected to go after guard Joe Thuney. Miami also has interest in Devin McCourty, Ted Karras, and Kyle Van Noy, though the extent of that interest is unclear.

Per Jackson, the Dolphins are also high on former Patriots CB Logan Ryan, who spent the last three years with the Titans. And Ryan would seriously consider joining up with Miami if the club does make an effort to sign him.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions, starting with another item out of South Beach:

Recent reports have suggested that the Dolphins are cooling on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and that the team is resigned to the fact that he will be off the board by the time they’re on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick. Jackson says Miami gave Tagovailoa the cold shoulder at the combine, but that was likely just a ploy to suggest that they’re not interested when they really are, and draft gurus Todd McShay and Daniel Jeremiah still expect the Fins to land Tagovailoa.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson may want LT Jason Peters back, but the team’s brass as a whole is split as to whether to re-sign Peters or move forward with 2019 first-rounder Andre Dillard, as Albert Breer of SI.com reports. The money they save on a new Peters contract could be re-invested in the rest of the O-line, so Philly could choose to move on from the 38-year-old free agent.
Although Robby Anderson may find himself as the best receiver on the free agent market, the Jets are still expected to try to re-sign him. But according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv, New York will not pursue a re-up unless Anderson’s price goes no higher than $10MM per year.
John Keim of ESPN.com takes a stab at how the Redskins will spend their money in free agency. Unsurprisingly, he believes Washington will target CB, TE, WR, and RB.

Redskins Planning To Host Burrow, Tua

February 26th, 2020 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins used a first-round pick on a quarterback last year, and with the exception of the Cardinals from 2018-19, no team has used back-to-back first-rounders on passers in over 35 years. But a new regime now resides in Washington, and Ron Rivera plans to use at least two of the team’s allotted 30 pre-draft visits on quarterbacks.

Rivera said Wednesday the team is planning to host Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa on visits. The first-year Redskins coach has praised 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins but has not named him the starter for next season.

“Everything is an option. We’re not closing the door on anything,” Rivera said, via NBC Sports Washington’s J.P. Finlay. “One of the things that [VP of player personnel] Kyle [Smith] and I talked about is that we have to go through this process because you don’t know what’s going to happen in front of you and we don’t know what’s going to happen with you. So we’re going to go through and Tua is one of the guys that were bringing in, just so everybody knows. We’re bringing in Burrow and were bringing in Tua, and we will see both of their workouts.”

Rivera added the Redskins will look at Chase Young and cornerbacks at No. 2 overall. Washington has been linked to Young in just about every major mock draft, but the Redskins were split on drafting Haskins last year. He finished with by far the NFL’s worst QBR figure last season, so it cannot be assumed yet the Rivera-led regime will automatically rule out quarterback in Round 1. Although some uncertainty exists regarding Burrow’s interest in playing for the Bengals, he is not expected to be available by the time the Redskins pick.

This also may be a sign the Redskins, like the Giants and Lions, are willing to shop their pick. Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert suitors may determine they need to move ahead of certain teams, and the Redskins, Lions and Giants profile as franchises who will not take a quarterback in Round 1. Teams with greater needs at quarterback — the Dolphins, Chargers and Panthers — sit at Nos. 5-7.

Latest On Tua Tagovailoa’s Medicals

February 26th, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

So far, so good. After two days of medical testing at the combine, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from clubs that have checked out his dislocated hip, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

As expected, the QB’s MRIs came back clean and showed that his fracture is healed. There’s also been no loss of blood flow, which is equally important as he looks to get back to full strength and withstand the rigors of an NFL season. One source went so far as to tell Rapoport that the hip “looks great.” Indeed, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com says Tagovailoa expects to receive full medical clearance on March 9 and will hold his own pro day one month later, on April 9. Of course, he is not participating in on-field drills at this week’s scouting combine.

Tagovailoa was once viewed as the top prospect in the 2020 class. His hip injury changed his outlook, though the Alabama star still isn’t expected to last long in April. The Dolphins, who own the No. 5 overall pick, have been connected to him for months, though there are rumblings that they may prefer the elite arm strength of Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

Before the injury, Tagovailoa threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions as a sophomore. In that year, he finished in second place in Heisman voting, behind Oklahoma star and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.

After the injury, Tagovailoa has focused on recovery and showing all 32 teams that he’s good to go.

“My main goal is not to win the 40, not to win the bench press, but to win my medical,” Tagovailoa said earlier this year. “I’m going to go over there looking to win my medical and then go in and interview with the teams. That’s pretty much what I’m going to do. And then hopefully there’s a pro day down the line, either late March or early April.”

Dolphins Cooling On Tua, Warming Up To Justin Herbert?

February 17th, 2020 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have been heavily connected to Tua Tagovailoa for months, but they’re far from locked in on him. The Dolphins have concerns about Tagovailoa’s ability to recover from his serious hip injury and, beyond that, they’re worried about his long-term durability, sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. At the same time, they’ve been drawn more and more to Oregon star Justin Herbert, sources say.

Even owner Stephen Ross has spoken on the record about Tagovailoa’s question marks. It’s a debate that will take place in the front office of any team considering the quarterback – had he stayed healthy, Tagovailoa likely would have been the consensus No. 1 overall pick. Now, teams need to take a close inspection of his hip and also weigh the effects of his previous ankle injuries.

With the No. 5 pick, the Dolphins could have every QB available to choose from, with the exception of LSU’s Joe Burrow. Their concerns about Tagovailoa could lead them to Herbert, who boasts arm strength, size (he stands at 6’6″; one inch taller than Ben Roethlisberger), and the ability to escape pressure in a collapsing pocket.

By the same token, Tagovailoa has been the much more accurate passer of the two and has demonstrated superior field vision. The latest news doesn’t mean that the Dolphins will select Herbert at No. 5 overall, but it’s a strong reminder that draft plans are far from settled in February.

Latest On Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa

February 10th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Good news for Tua Tagovailoa. The Alabama product’s latest CT scan showed that his fracture has healed and his hip’s range of motion is solid, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Tagovailoa likely needs another month before he’s cleared for football activities, but it’s a big step in the right direction for the highly-coveted quarterback. Things are trending in the right direction and Tagovailoa’s camp expects him to test well at the draft combine later this month (Twitter link).

There’s been tons of chatter connecting the 6’1″ passer to the Dolphins, though owner Stephen Ross admits that he’s concerned about his medicals. If all goes well, the Dolphins No. 5 overall pick could represent Tagovailoa’s floor in the draft. If the medicals uncover serious red flags, however, there’s no telling where the one-time consensus top pick will land.

Quarterback Joe Burrow, of course, is expected to be the first overall pick of the Bengals. Beyond that, Tagovailoa could wind up as the second quarterback drafted in April. Other top signal callers like Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Utah State’s Jordan Love offer potential, but no one presents the same kind of upside and game-changing talent as Tagovailoa.

As a sophomore, Tagovailoa threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 43 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He went on to finish second in Heisman voting, behind Oklahoma star Kyler Murray.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Tua, 49ers, Vikings

January 31st, 2020 at 9:42pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a lot of buzz about former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa going to the Dolphins in the draft. We heard recently that the southpaw’s family wanted Miami to nab him, and there’s been a connection there for a while. Tagovailoa is obviously dealing with a serious hip injury, and it’s clearly a concern for the Dolphins. Miami’s owner Stephen Ross spoke to reporters earlier today and said “he’s a great player. I just worry about his health,” per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That would seem to indicate Tagovailoa to the ‘Phins is far from a done deal. We heard a couple of weeks ago that Miami wanted Joe Burrow, and that they were willing trade up to go get him. Of course, this all could be some gamesmanship from Ross to throw other teams off the scent. Despite the injury, Tagovailoa will reportedly throw for scouts in a private workout at some point before the draft. That workout will go a long way toward determining where he goes in the draft.

Here’s more from the football world as the Super Bowl approaches:

We heard earlier today that the 49ers were considering former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard to fill the secondary coach role that is about to become vacant when Joe Woods officially becomes Cleveland’s next defensive coordinator. Richard apparently isn’t the only candidate though, and San Francisco is also considering former Miami secondary coach Tony Oden for the position, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Oden has also coached DBs for the Saints, Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Lions in recent years.
Vikings guard Pat Elflein is getting a big raise. His base salary for 2020 was set to be $960K, but that will be bumped all the way up to $2.147MM now due to the NFL’s proven performance escalator, per Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). The program is for players drafted in the 3rd-7th round that are headed into the final year of their rookie contracts, who have received a lot of playing time during their first three years. That certainly is the case for Elflein, who has started at least 13 games in each of his first three seasons. A third-round pick from Ohio State, he was Minnesota’s starting center in 2017-18 before kicking over to left guard last year after the team drafted Garrett Bradbury.
In case you missed it, Sammy Watkins isn’t ruling out taking a pay-cut.

Latest On Tua Tagovailoa

January 30th, 2020 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Still in consideration for the No. 1 overall pick and a good bet to be a top-10 choice, Tua Tagovailoa nevertheless said he was close to returning to Alabama for his senior season.

The early-entry quarterback said during an appearance on PFT Live his decision to enter the draft after his junior year was more difficult than most assumed it would be. But Tagovailoa is in the draft and continuing to rehab his injured hip. He is expected to be the second or third quarterback chosen, with Joe Burrow still the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall.

The Dolphins’ interest in the southpaw passer has not exactly been a secret, and even though Miami’s No. 5 pick may be enough to land Tagovailoa, the team is prepared to trade higher into the top five if necessary to land whichever prospect it prefers. If it were up to Tagovailoa family, they would “love” for the Dolphins to trade up with the Lions and make the pick, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Lions have certainly done well to throw anyone off the scent, committing to Matthew Stafford. But if this is an elaborate smokescreen, Detroit’s long-term uncertainty in the GM and head coach roles is not as enticing for the Tagovailoas as going to Miami, per Salguero.

Tagovailoa, who was the frontrunner to be the 2020 No. 1 pick going into his final Crimson Tide season, confirmed he remains on schedule to make a full recovery. He will not throw at the Combine, but the plan for a late-March or early-April pro day remains. His next benchmark will be an MRI and CT scan in February.

“My main goal is not to win the 40, not to win the bench press, but to win my medical,” Tagovailoa said during an appearance on the NFL Network’s Super Bowl Live (via NFL.com). “I’m going to go over there looking to win my medical and then go in and interview with the teams. That’s pretty much what I’m going to do. And then hopefully there’s a pro day down the line, either late March or early April.”

Latest On Top QB Prospects

January 25th, 2020 at 11:00am CST by Ben Levine

A long list of teams have question marks at the quarterback position heading into the offseason. Well, one executive believes many of the organizations will solve their predicament via the draft. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller talked to a personnel executive who believes five quarterbacks will be selected in the top-15 of this year’s draft.

This might not sound all that shocking; among the teams with top-15 picks, only five of those organizations have used first-round capital at the position in the past two drafts. You could easily talk yourself into one of the other 10 teams selecting a quarterback, and a team outside the top-15 could easily trade up. However, it is notable that the executive was willing to speak so definitively.

As Miller explains, there’s a pretty clear pecking order atop the quarterback draft board: Joe Burrow (LSU), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), some combo of Jordan Love (Utah State) and Justin Herbert (Oregon), Jacob Eason (Washington), and Jake Fromm (Georgia). Miller notes that the Chargers, who are selecting sixth-overall, are particularly interested in Love.

Miller himself believes six quarterbacks will be selected in the top-50, and he notes that part of the urgency to select a signal-caller could be attributed to the falloff after the top-six options. The next-best prospect, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, struggled during Senior Bowl practice this week, and Hawaii’s Cole McDonald projects as more of a fifth- or sixth-rounder.

Bengals To Consider Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Chase Young

January 23rd, 2020 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

While favored to take Ohio native Joe Burrow at No. 1 overall, the Bengals are considering three other players for the top pick. The LSU standout is, of course, among this group. But the team is also studying Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Chase Young for the pick, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.

The Bengals have stepped back from a report indicating they will not trade the No. 1 pick, but Breer notes the team is not expected to move down. Bengals brass praised the Heisman winner recently, and while it would be a borderline shock if they did not draft Burrow, the team plans to conduct on-campus visits and bring in each player for pre-draft workouts. Burrow, however, is still believed to be the frontrunner, per Breer.

Young is regarded by some as the best pass-rushing prospect available in years, and both Tagovailoa and Herbert entered the 2019 season with much higher profiles than Burrow. Young remains a strong bet to go to the Redskins at No. 2, and if the Bengals do draft Burrow, there could be some jockeying for position at the Nos. 3-4 slots (held by the Lions and Giants) for Tagovailoa and Herbert.

After throwing 16 touchdown passes in 13 games as a junior, Burrow tossed a record-setting 60 in the Tigers’ national championship season. Zac Taylor asked Burrow’s father, Jimmy — who, like Taylor, played at Nebraska — to see if Joe would go to the Senior Bowl, Breer adds. But Joe Burrow declined to attend the Mobile, Ala., showcase.

It is interesting as well to see a pecking order emerge before the Combine, though the Bengals’ top need is not exactly a secret. As such, Young may be trailing the three passers.

“We know what Joe is on tape; we know what Tua is on tape; we know what Justin is on tape,” Bengals player personnel director Duke Tobin said, via Breer. “Our role right now is to try to find out what we don’t know — how his leadership works, how his football mind works, how quickly he adapts to different situations, what his overall personality is, what it’s like being around him on a regular Tuesday. How much passion do they have for the game? … We’re trying to get at those types of things, with every player we do, but particularly the quarterbacks.

“… I feel like I’ve got a long way to go, because I’m just now starting the process of asking people close to them what they think of them.”