It’s your duty as a football commentator to voice your strong opinion that the player who led the NFL in passing yards the previous season shouldn’t be re-signed.
After studying Tua Tagaloa’s measurements and supporting statistics, I have come to this conclusion, as the Dolphins are allegedly getting ready to make the quarterback an enormous contract extension offer.
When players get paid, I really like it. The NFL life is brutal, harsh, and fleeting. When a player gains success, it’s usually a good thing. And it seems like Tua is about to do just that. I’m glad for him.I’m also curious as to why NFL organizations are so unwilling to look into alternative options when it comes to forking over big bucks—often ending the Super Bowl window—in order to hold onto a quarterback with a dubious background. As we witnessed in the previous offseason, the Giants made a major investment in Daniel Jones following his successful 2022 campaign and victory in a postseason matchup against the dreadful Vikings defense.Long, long ago (2021) was a time when Tua Tagovailoa was a lousy signal caller by almost all standards. Tua was ranked 18th out of 30 qualified quarterbacks in a crucial efficiency metric—completion rate over projected + EPA per drop back—under the offensively hostile head coach Brian Flores. In 2021, he was a notch above players like Matt Ryan and below Derek Carr.
For Dolphins supporters with whom I have recently sparred on social media, this bit may surprise you: Tagovailoa was not very adept at middle-of-the-field (MOF) passes prior to McDaniel’s arrival in Miami. This, in my opinion, undermines the main case put up by Dolphins supporters in favor of Tua, who claims that he is exceptionally skilled at middle-of-the-field throws and is a perfect fit for McDaniels/Shanahan’s attack, which tortures opponents with (typically brief) middle-of-the-field passes. I’ve been informed that very few NFL quarterbacks are able to make throws in between the hash markers like Tua can.
The reason the Tagovailoa scenario is so fascinating is because, prior to joining head coach Mike McDaniel’s extremely effective, Shanahan-style offense designed to maximize anticipated points added (EPA), he was at best mediocre. A worrying lack of reliable starting NFL quarterbacks, front offices’ obvious desperation to hold onto what they have, and modern offensive football philosophy all played a role in Miami’s decision to make Tagovailoa its franchise quarterback for the next three to five years, if not longer.
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