Carolina Panthers: Tua Tagovailoa Should Be Offseason Priority

The Miami Dolphins can say “Tua Tagovailoa is our quarterback”, but what they really mean is “Tua Tagovailoa is our quarterback (whispers ‘for now’)”. With all his legal troubles, there’s no guarantee the Dolphins are going after Deshaun Watson until it’s cleared up. The Carolina Panthers were also said to be in the mix for Watson but now are claiming they’re not. If a quarterback is on their radar, why shouldn’t these two teams engage in talks for the offseason?

Whether or not Tua is back in Miami next year is largely dependant on his play the rest of this year. Is the team really ready to move on less than two years into his tenure? Even if the Dolphins aren’t in on Watson, Carolina should make the push. Right now, Miami is in position to receive a top 10 pick. Even though they traded their first-round pick to the Eagles, they’ll still receive the struggling 49ers pick (currently #10). A pick that could surely be used to beef up their offensive line, but throw a second-round pick paired with a late-round and swap pick and the Panthers might be in business.

More NFL: Where Does Tua Tagovailoa Need to Improve?

Why would the Carolina Panthers want a struggling quarterback? Simple. Tua Tagovailoa has a skill set that is currently developing. He’s got the read and timing down to run a successful RPO offense. Pair a good RPO quarterback with one of the league’s best rushers and watch the magic happen. Christian McCaffrey forces defenses to account for him at all times. Defenses would cheat up in order to not get burned underneath and Tagovailoa could go up and over the top. Stay back on their heels? They’ll give McCaffrey a running head start.

After a four-game losing streak, it’s clear Sam Darnold isn’t their guy. He was a good placeholder, but the next guy could be theirs without shoving a rookie quarterback under center. If they can manage to pull Tagovailoa away from the Dolphins without giving up a first to do so, they’d walk away winners in that deal. They’d have their young quarterback under center, a playmaker in the first round, and a mean offensive 1-2 punch that could be hard to account for.

The Dolphins might not be heading for a breakup with Tua Tagovailoa just yet, but if the Carolina Panthers can force their hand, push all-in.