The Miami Dolphins have backed Tua Tagovailoa as their quarterback publicly despite his underwhelming conclusion to the 2023-24 campaign, but will their offseason actions follow suit?
If general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel chose to move on from Tagovailoa, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a professional sports organization pull a 180 after showing a player support. After all, offseason tides are constantly shifting, and you never know who might become available.
For example, Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings explored a world where the Chicago Bears trade away starting quarterback Justin Fields during a new seven-round mock draft on January 20. With top ranked QB prospect Caleb Williams officially declaring for the NFL draft, Chicago could opt for a reset at the position and Cummings liked the Dolphins as a landing spot for Fields — using a third team to complete the deal.
Below are the details of Cummings’ high risk trade proposal:
- Denver Broncos get: Tua Tagovailoa & Dolphins 2024 fifth.
- Dolphins get: Justin Fields, Broncos 2024 third, Broncos 2025 second.
- Bears get: Dolphins 2024 sixth, Dolphins 2025 third, Broncos 2025 sixth.
So, to summarize that better for Dolphins supporters — Miami would flip Tagovailoa, this year’s fifth and sixth and next year’s third for Fields, a third this year and a second rounder next year.
In this deal, the Dolphins actually gain draft value with two day two selections coming in and one departing. They’d also shed cap space going from Tagovailoa to Fields, creating approximately $17.166 million in saving…
“While Tagovailoa has been productive in McDaniel’s scheme, a decision has to be made: Is he worth an extension? Or will it be a move that stalls the Dolphins out?” The analyst questioned. “Fields and Tagovailoa are both precarious passers… but Fields’ rushing ability would enable McDaniel to do diabolical things with his run scheme. And if insulated well enough with his weapons, Fields could take the next step as a passer.”
Tagovailoa was also pegged as a scheme fit for Sean Payton’s Broncos as the team moves on from Russell Wilson officially.
Considering the deal would turn back the QB clock exactly one season — with Fields entering year four of his rookie contract — potentially add creativity and athleticism to an intelligent scheme and upgrade draft capital, Grier would have to at least consider a trade like this.
The main question would be: Does Miami trust their ability to unlock Fields? If the answer is yes, there’s nothing stopping the Dolphins from making this trade.
Dolphins Mocked ‘Best Pure Center’ in Round 1 of 2024 NFL Draft
After opening our minds to the possibility of this blockbuster trade, Cummings detailed a full seven-round mock. In round one, he had Miami drafting their center of the future.
“What do the Dolphins need from their center in 2024?” Cummings asked, answering: “They need a high-level athlete who can cover ground and climb levels. They need a strong blocker who can work across-face while keeping the line and drive finishing power. They’ll need an alert, well-leveraged, and combative pass protector.”
According to the PFN draft expert, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson fits all those requirements.
“Powers-Johnson grades out as a top-50 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board,” Cummings said in a scouting report of the blocker. “He’s the best ‘pure center’ prospect on my rankings, slightly edging out players like [Zach] Frazier and [Sedrick] Van Pran.”
He added that “for teams in need of a long-term starter at center, Powers-Johnson is worthy of early Day 2 capital — at the very least.” And that “he could ultimately sneak into Round 1 because of his talent, physicality, and positional scarcity.”
