LeighSteinberg on radio the Brick at Night

[lbmclean_nocal]

I'll thank the Dolphins to start Fitzpatrick this year, and if he gets hurt,throw Rosen to the wolves. O-line will be 1st and 2nd year players mostly, and they'll need to figure things out.

pretty much sums it up perfectly

 

[BlueFin]

If Tua is healthy, he will play this season...too much talent, he will win over that team easily, and he will put on a show at practice. It will be too hard to keep him off the field unless the o-line is a disaster.

The O-line is totally the determining factor assuming Tua is 100%....if it’s unsettled I think they will choose to hold him out.

 

[Rev Kev]

The O-line is totally the determining factor assuming Tua is 100%....if it’s unsettled I think they will choose to hold him out.

lol

 

[Butterfrog 2.0]

If he is healthy and plays like he did before, he will be on the field sooner than most people think. The coaches won’t have any choice. You play best players.

Idk... I could see the coaching staff spinning it by saying he still needs to learn etc. Mahommes was probably a better player his rookie year than any of the other QB's on the roster but he still sat out the whole year.

 

[warren4prez]

Still pushing that idea huh? Despite him being medically cleared you don’t believe the doctors

I can understand why some would want to see Tua start immediately. However, I'm in it for the long run and it's best if he sits for the entire season nurse his "entire body for year". I truly believe it will help out a lot. Let that man rest for a year so his body can heal. There is no reason he should be rushed back what so ever because if he gets hurt there is no going back, we made an investment and it should be protected at all cost!

 

[meatpardle]

I'm not so sure. Part of the equation as to when he plays is also getting a brand new group of O-linemen (Jackson, Hunt, Kindley from the Draft - Karras, Flowers - free agents - Davis, Deiter and another "Joe Schmo" from last season) to come together and gel as a unit and this is more difficult by the Covid-19 virus social isolation.
I may be totally wrong, but I still think that we are rolling with Fitz in 2020 and "the Beard" continues to pull the team together and he also takes the hits while the O-line becomes fully functional. Tua's job this year is to learn to be a professional from Fitz, learn how to read NFL Defenses, learn how Fitz inspires teammates through his tough gritty play, learn how to win the respect of all teammates, learn, learn, learn, learn while his body recovers 100%... Furthermore, I have zero problem in playing Rosen, if Fitz gets injured or craps the bed. Josh is the Dolphins low cost insurance.
Besides, Aaron Rodgers waited 3 years on the bench behind Favre. Tony Romo waited 2 years with a clipboard before he got his shot. Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Pat Mahomes all spent a year on the bench watching and learning before getting their respective opportunities to start. I believe in Tua, but we don't have to rush. Patience, in this case, is a virtue.

If he's fit he will play, even if it's just the last quarter in week 17. People bang on about Mahomes and Rogers 'sitting', but those two as well as Brees and Brady all played in their first year.

 

[gregorygrant83]

Idk... I could see the coaching staff spinning it by saying he still needs to learn etc. Mahommes was probably a better player his rookie year than any of the other QB's on the roster but he still sat out the whole year.

He may have been, but his teammate Alex Smith led the league in passing that year so I could see why a coach might not want to yank a vet having that type of season. Smith finished the year with 4000+ yards 26 tds and 5 ints.

 

[Dolphins81]

If Tua is healthy, he will play this season...too much talent, he will win over that team easily, and he will put on a show at practice. It will be too hard to keep him off the field unless the o-line is a disaster.

I agree! When Tua starts out performing the other QBs in practice it will be hard to not play him.

 

[1-4-damoney-Tua-4-dashow]

Lol his talent isn't the issue people. The protection around him is. I don't care how amazing he is in practice. The TEAM is not ready for him to start. Maybe the oline improves quickly and coaches give him a look late but my hope is Fitz gets us between 7-9 wins, shouting distance of a playoff spot, and we see clean pockets for most of the late games.

Mahomes was best player in KC immediately. Didn't deter them from doing what was right and letting him get accustomed to the NFL at a gradual pace. Do I think Tua has an MVP year in 2021 probably not, but hell of a L t better shot than throwing him to the wolves this season.

 

[mwestberry]

Using the O-Line as a reason to keep him benched is silly .... we haven't had a decent O-Line for a minute lol .... so if the O-Line isn't fixed again next year then what? ... sit him another year lmao ....

If he outperforms Fitz and Rosen in TC (or virtually if no camp) he will play IMO

 

[1972forever]

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Still pushing that idea huh? Despite him being medically cleared you don’t believe the doctors

Tannehill was cleared by the Doctors to play after he did not have surgery on his knee and then he went down for the season the next year while injuring the same knee without even taking a hit. So I do question if Tua is ready to take the pounding a QB takes in the NFL.
I really don’t see the reason to play him in 2020 since he had major surgery less than 6 months ago. Let him sit and learn and he will have plenty of time to play beginning in 2021 and beyond.

I stated before the draft that I would have no problem with the Dolphins drafting him at 5. I certainly hope he has a long and successful career but that doesn’t mean I am foolish enough to overlook all the injuries he suffered at Alabama. As far as the Doctors saying he is healthy enough to play is concerned, Doctors are merely human and they make mistakes all the time.

 

[Danny]

I'm not going to assume anything cause anything is possible. Logic would tell you that he should not start week one with such a young team that will have about 25 new players in it. I'm sure there's a good chance that Tua would play at some point as long as he's healthy and Flores feels the time is right. Like someone said above, no mini camps or OTA's will hurt the chances of Tua or any other rookie to start right away this year.

 

[aquabob]

I don't think this is the year for a rookie QB to Start right away. I think the install of the offence will be complicated for every team. No OTA's or Mini Camps etc. I hope we are as patient as possible... If he hits the field I hope its near the end of the season..

It’s going to be very difficult to get a rookie qb ready to play this season if there is no OTAs or if training camp is affected.

Throw in the injury and the question marks on the OL, and I doubt we put him out there this year.

 

[Fin D]

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Tannehill was cleared by the Doctors to play after he did not have surgery on his knee and then he went down for the season the next year while injuring the same knee without even taking a hit. So I do question if Tua is ready to take the pounding a QB takes in the NFL.
I really don’t see the reason to play him in 2020 since he had major surgery less than 6 months ago. Let him sit and learn and he will have plenty of time to play beginning in 2021 and beyond.

I stated before the draft that I would have no problem with the Dolphins drafting him at 5. I certainly hope he has a long and successful career but that doesn’t mean I am foolish enough to overlook all the injuries he suffered at Alabama. As far as the Doctors saying he is healthy enough to play is concerned, Doctors are merely human and they make mistakes all the time.

The Tannehill thing isn't quite how it actually went down. Him playing without surgery, was always a real gamble and it was never presented as anything different. It was always one of those things where without the surgery you can play sooner but there's a risk you reinjure and then have to have the surgery.

That situation is not analogous to Tua at all.

Secondly there were no medical red flags with Andrew Luck and how'd that play out?

We can all go around all day finding examples that contradict or confirm whatever stance we are taking......the truth of the matter is that none of it proves anything about Tua as we are all human and therefore individuals. Sadly, all we have for meaningful evidence one way or the other in this discussion are......events that haven't happened yet. Predicting injury, is about the same as having a "system" to win at roulette.

 

[1972forever]

The Tannehill thing isn't quite how it actually went down. Him playing without surgery, was always a real gamble and it was never presented as anything different. It was always one of those things where without the surgery you can play sooner but there's a risk you reinjure and then have to have the surgery.

That situation is not analogous to Tua at all.

Secondly there were no medical red flags with Andrew Luck and how'd that play out?

We can all go around all day finding examples that contradict or confirm whatever stance we are taking......the truth of the matter is that none of it proves anything about Tua as we are all human and therefore individuals. Sadly, all we have for meaningful evidence one way or the other in this discussion are......events that haven't happened yet. Predicting injury, is about the same as having a "system" to win at roulette.

Again, I was not opposed to the Dolphins drafting Tua at 5. I just didn’t want them to move up and use more draft resources to draft him in case his career is short because of the injury to his hip.
I am happy they were able to get him at 5 and I hope he has a long and successful career in Miami. Yet since it has been 6 months since he had major surgery on his hip, I would hope they just let him sit during the 2020 season while his hip fully heals and he learns the offense.

I fully understand that predicting injuries is a crap shoot but history of QB’s coming into the league who suffered numerous injuries in college does show that those QB’s have tended to suffer more injuries in the NFL. Hopefully that won’t be the case with Tua but I see no need to rush him into playing during the 2020. Especially with Fitzpatrick and Rosen on the roster and the Dolphins are still another draft and free agency period away from being a playoff contender,IMO.