Should the Dolphins Start Tua Tagovailoa?

   
Tua Tagovailoa in Miami

     The Miami Dolphins selected QB Tua Tagovailoa out of the University of Alabama with the fourth overall pick in this year's draft. So, taking a QB that high up in the draft should mean they're starting him, right? Well, not necessarily.

    Tagovailoa has been struggling with injuries throughout his three-year career at Alabama. 

• In March 2018, Tua broke his left index finger
• In October 2018, Tua sprained his right knee
• In December 2018, Tua had a left high ankle sprain 
• In October 2019, Tua had a right high ankle sprain
• In November 2019, Tua dislocated his right hip and fractured the socket in it (most serious)

     The Dolphins clearly believed, even with his injury history, his talent was too hard to pass up. But, now Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, has a decision to make: will Tua start for the Dolphins this season? There are several contrasting perspectives to this debate and ways of looking at it that will be detailed below in a Pros and Cons list.

PROS of Starting Tua Tagovailoa This Season

• While the Dolphins may not be the best team in the NFL, they will definitely win more games with Tua at starting quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa is a winner. At Alabama, he went 22-2 as a starter and in high school, he went 20-3 as the team's starter. Obviously, it is unrealistic to have these expectations for Tua in the NFL but the winning attitude he brings to a team could definitely help a Dolphins team that went 5-11 last year. 

• Tua will gain valuable game reps and experience against NFL defenses

There is nothing quite like NFL game experience to teach a young quarterback how fast the NFL game really moves. While there could be some growing pains along the way (Exhibit A, Josh Rosen), this is the most effective way to develop a rapport with the head coach, Brian Flores and the offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. 

• To get Tua used to NFL hits and "break in" his hip

The only way the Dolphins and Tua will truly feel confident in the avoidance of another hip injury is to test it out with 300 pound defensive linemen. Getting hit is the only way to know for sure that the hip has healed enough to no longer worry about inury.

• It may sound far-fetched, but ticket sales

With a dynamic, young quarterback in command of the offense, Dolphins fans would be more inclined to attend games as opposed to watching the average Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen play. With that said, owners and front offices are always interested in finding ways to escalate their ticket sales, and this situation is no different.

• Case Study: Jameis Winston

While many may argue that this is comparison is a con, they are in fairly similar situations. They are both athletic quarterbacks with strong arms drafted by teams that were rebuilding. The Buccaneers decided to start Jameis Winston in his first season and they won 4 more games than they did the previous year. The Buccaneers drafted 2 offensive linemen after Winston, similar to the Dolphins drafting 3 offensive linemen after Tagovailoa. Both teams were willing to use their draft capital on helping their new franchise quarterback and it proved successful, at least in the Buccaneers case.

CONS of Starting Tua Tagovailoa This Season

• Injury

This is undoubtedly the biggest downside of starting Tua Tagovailoa immediately in his rookie season. The injury that Tua suffered has, in many cases, been a recurring injury in the careers of other NFL players and could very well decimate Tua's NFL career. This insight looks at Tua as an investment for the future once his hip is entirely healed. 

• Could be too early to use this word but TANKING

The Dolphins would most likely not make the playoffs, even with Tagovailoa at the helm of the offense, so why not bench him and try to get a high draft pick? Landing a top-tier player in the 2021 draft could further bolster Miami's, already impressive, young core. This would set the Dolphins up for a bright future in the Brady-less AFC East. Not to mention, starting Josh Rosen for a year could also improve his trade stock tremendously. 

• Case Study: Drew Brees

In 2001, Drew Brees sat behind Doug Flutie for one year on the San Diego Chargers. Drew Brees and Tua Tagovailoa are extremely comporable as their heights and weights are almost identical, and they both have high football IQs. Brees learned immensely from that one year sitting behind Flutie and has since created a Hall of Fame career out of it.

Overall

     While Brian Flores and the front office have a significant decision to make, it is foremost to weigh both the pros and cons. Personally, I believe that the Dolphins should choose "safe over sorry" and sit Tua for the year and, potentially, boost their talent in the 2021 draft. I don't expect this decision to be announced to the public anytime soon but it is definitely the biggest question this offseason in Miami.