For Tua Tagovailoa, Success Depends on Arm Strength

Tua Tagovailoa will have his work cut out for him if he wants to be the next franchise quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. While the bar has been pretty low for quarterbacks in Miami for some time, there still have been plenty of greats before him. He’s got the talent to be the next big thing in South Florida, but he’s still got his work cut out for him.

He’s got the quickness off the snap to read pressure and avoid hits. His ability to make throws is borderline effortless. He often makes clutch plays when needed. However, there’s one area of his game that will challenge his success, his deep passes.

The Dolphins have very speedy receivers in the huddle. Devante Parker showed up at the end of the season proving he could be a #1 receiver. Before he got hurt, Preston Williams made all the right plays. Albert Wilson was slow to come back from his injury but was coming on late, and Jakeem Grant is one of the fastest receivers on the field. Both Allen Hurns and Isiah Ford did well in situational plays last season.

More NFL: Are the Eagles Ready to Reclaim the NFC East?

Their success will be determined by Tua and his development though. This is a young team still in their prime. Ryan Fitzpatrick might be the guy now, but these young receivers are Tagovailoa’s weapons in the future. Whether it’s later this year or early next year, he’ll have to develop chemistry by the end of next offseason.

Tua’s quick release and ability to turn a sticky situation into chain movers will be great in the bread and butter plays. However, while he leads receivers in stride on short and mid-range throws, it’s his deep ball that is a concern. Of course, the big splashy plays don’t happen as much as the underneath throws, but they have their place.

Watching the tape on Tua, a lot of his long throws are falling right between the numbers of the receivers downfield on open throws. At times, receivers had to turn back or hesitate while the ball came to them. With many NFL defenders being able to match receivers stride for stride, its a bigger concern at a pro-level.

Defenders being right in the pocket of a receiver, Tua will have to get the receiver’s arms out in front of him. A throw that falls a few inches short is either picked off, knocked away, or the defender makes the immediate tackle. With guys who can burn down the field, those extra 4 to 6 inches on a throw to hit a receiver in stride can make all the difference. Late in a game, the extra 3-5 yards closer to field goal range with the clock running make all the difference.

The Dolphins will have speedy receivers who can get the yards after the catch and make big plays, but in order for Tua to have the success, he’ll need more finesse on his throws. The deep ball might not be a necessity against struggling opponents, but playoff-worthy teams can score in an instant based on the big play.

With Tua Tagovailoa he’ll have the ability to command his offense with his skill set, but if he wants to keep up with the trend he’ll need to show off his strength. The deep ball in the NFL is a much tighter window, he can make the throws, but if he gets that little bit of extra touch on the football, he might end up being the QB Dolphins fans have been waiting for.