MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., May 28 (UPI) — Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins coaching staff maintain a mutual understanding of their focus entering his sixth NFL season: “an expectation of a mastery of everything.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke about Tagovailoa’s off-season goals during the second day of organized team activities Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“We already know he can do a lot of things throwing the football, but we are working on the craft of being a quarterback each and every play and continuing that process of development so he continues to be, on the field, a better version of himself than he was the year previous,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was among dozens of Dolphins to report to the voluntary sessions, which started Tuesday at Baptist Health Training Complex.
He is entering his fourth season under McDaniel.
Each of those campaigns started with an off-season that included a primary focus. In his first year, McDaniel helped Tagovailoa rekindle his self confidence.
Tagovailoa also worked on his leadership ability, while crafting his body to withstand the physicality of the league. He manicured his diet and altered his gym routine, even including jiu-jitsu to practice how to disperse energy while falling.
Along the way, Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards and passer rating, while the Dolphins owned the top offense in the NFL. While questions still linger regarding his ability to stay healthy — after he played in just 11 games last season — an expectation of mastery — paired with his $212.4 million contract is evidence that the Dolphins are comfortable in their belief that Tagovailoa is ready to put his repertoire together on a consistent basis.
“It’s pretty clear, in season four, the expectation of having mastery in everything from both him and the coaching staff, gives you daily opportunity to prove consistency,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel owns a 28-23 record as a head coach, but the Dolphins are 3-7 during that stretch without Tagovailoa as their starter. The fourth-year head coach said “everything is on the radar” when it comes to looking for ways for Tagovailoa to improve. He also cited the necessity to hone fundamentals and technique, while understanding the value of repetitions, regardless of their outcomes.
“I think that for Tua, being in year four of the system, really going through the process and understanding what his job is and how to excel at it, it’s consistently of development for him,” McDaniel said. “I think there were a lot of lessons learned last year in particular on and off the field, when he was playing and when he wasn’t, of how to do his job.”
“He is a quarterback, the franchise quarterback of a team. His job is to lead men each and every play and finding different ways to continue the process of evolution for him. That’s always been the name of the game for him. Whether that’s getting the offense to the line of scrimmage faster, out of the huddle, whether that’s being able to adjust protections, to sight adjusts, growing his game, working on progressions, escaping the pocket and getting rid of it. All of the things that a quarterback is asked to do.
“I think that is where he is at. He has dipped his toe in the water with everything. Now its consistency of mastery. That’s why it’s a never-ending exercise.”
Tagovailoa and other Dolphins players will return for additional organized team activities over the next two weeks. Dolphins mandatory minicamp will be held June 10 to 12 in Miami Gardens.
