The bad news: Former Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum ranked Tua Tagovailoa as the 30th quarterback in the league.
The good news: Former Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum ranked Tua Tagovailoa as the 30th quarterback in the league.
That good news is for the Tua Army that turns anything questioning him into an attack on the messenger. And, well, there’s a big target for Dolphins fans to question Tannenbaum, considering his failed tenure.
But if Tua doesn’t turn into the elite quarterback this rebuild was designed to find, Tannenbaum’s thoughts on the quarterbacks in the 2020 draft will echo loudly.
The Dolphins executive passed on Josh Allen in 2017. But while working with ESPN before the 2020 draft he was certain who he would have drafted as a franchise quarterback: Justin Herbert.
Tannenbaum had questions about Tua entering the draft but repeatedly said Herbert was the top quarterback prospect. Herbert broke rookie records and looked like there will be no regress in his first game of 2021. Herbert ranked seventh on Tannenbaum’s quarterback list.
“Why was Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa way down at No. 30?” Tannenbau wrote. “I need to see more. He made a really nice throw to DeVante Parker on the sideline to his right at one point, showing a glimpse of what he can do when he’s at his best. But his lack of mobility showed up on his interception, and I just don’t see a high ceiling for Tagovailoa.”
Oh, and he’ll be doing the ranking each week, just to be forewarned. Say this for Tannenbaum: He’s made the leap from guarded football official to media member willing to share his views.
2. Tannenbaum’s first five are pretty much everyone’s first five in some order: Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen and Russell Wilson.
3. The four quarterbacks listed after Tua: Justin Fields, Taylor Heineke, Andy Dalton and Trey Lance.
4. For all those criticizing Tannenbaum because he failed, let’s say this, too: He sat in the chair that had to make decisions on quarterbacks, so at least understands the weight of those decisions and the manner they’re made. For instance, he didn’t take Allen because of concerns of his accuracy. He wasn’t alone there. Allen, though, has done what many NFL people say can’t be done — he’s improved his accuracy by leaps and bounds in the NFL.
5. Oh, and Ryan Tannehill is ranked ninth: For whatever that’s worth.
