Tua Tagovailoa working closely with WR Gary Jennings Jr.

[spiketex]

With Jennings Miami has to have one of the tallest receiving cores in the NFL.

Parker and Williams are like 6’4
Hurns is 6’3
Jennings and Ford are like 6’2
Gesicki is like 6’6

That’s a lot of mismatches in size, strength and athleticism

Preston Williams is actually 6'5" and DeVante Parker is 6'3" - so you got the 6'4" average correct.
Jakeem Grant is 5'7" - and he may happily inform you that it's not just all about height. Speed is also part of the equation.

 

[rickd13]

I watch some West Virginia games just because of where I’m located but if I recall correctly and I would love for you to correct me if I’m wrong; he is an absolute machine up the seam and in the middle of the field which is kind of Tua’s sweet spot. Tua can most certainly throw outside the numbers but because of the touch and his ball placement he’s much more of a quick pass throw in dimes over the second level in between coverage kind of guy and Jennings has the talent and he could be elevated by Tua’s abilities.

I agree with what you said about Tua's strengths, that's why I wanted Miami to address the WR position this past draft. I'm not so sure the guys on the roster now align with Tua's game that well. Tua would benefit from RAC guys and I don't think this WR corps has much of that. I hope they address it next offseason.

 

[Dolphinator530]

Preston Williams is actually 6'5" and DeVante Parker is 6'3" - so you got the 6'4" average correct.
Jakeem Grant is 5'7" - and he may happily inform you that it's not just all about height. Speed is also part of the equation.

Speed is important, on the track. But speed means squat if you have stone hands. 21 catches is a career high, Drake had more catches than that last year and he was traded halfway through the season.

Wilson, Grant and Perry are small but if you look at the reception list at the end of the year grant will be at the bottom. The guys who will get reps will be the guys I listed and most of them are big dudes.

 

[Dolphinator530]

I agree with what you said about Tua's strengths, that's why I wanted Miami to address the WR position this past draft. I'm not so sure the guys on the roster now align with Tua's game that well. Tua would benefit from RAC guys and I don't think this WR corps has much of that. I hope they address it next offseason.

Oh guys match up because he is so accurate. He isn’t going to sling it 60 yards like Mahomes but don’t get it twisted he can back shoulder and throw outs with the best of them.

And any guy can be a RAC guy if the ball is placed well. If you want like home run guys Miami doesn’t have but one guy like that I trust in Wilson, but all the other guys can get big chunks with his ball placement and ability to read and set up the defense.

 

[NBP81]

Imagine Tua was throwing to smaller receivers at Bama... now he has taller weapons and can throw more jumpballs rather than always depending on his accuracy

I think when you have a very accurate QB, you're going to get much more from speed then you would from jumpballs... Imagine Grant or Wilson having even a slight step on someone 1 on 1 and not breaking stride while catching the ball, this is what kills defenses, speed. Sure getting chunks on 50/50 balls is always nice, but the % is way lower on those throws. All in all, Williams and Parker are perfect fits for Fitz as 50/50 balls downfield is the only reason he's still in the league. For Tua, I'd target speed and route running over height.

 

[Mach2]

Oh guys match up because he is so accurate. He isn’t going to sling it 60 yards like Mahomes but don’t get it twisted he can back shoulder and throw outs with the best of them.

And any guy can be a RAC guy if the ball is placed well. If you want like home run guys Miami doesn’t have but one guy like that I trust in Wilson, but all the other guys can get big chunks with his ball placement and ability to read and set up the defense.

I agree.

I don't buy into that at all.

It's far more important that they, through working together, know and trust each other, than what "type" of receiver.

Say, for example, MG gets a lot of size mismatches. If Tua can accurately put the ball where only his reciever has a play, it's nearly indefensible 1v1.

 

[Mach2]

I think when you have a very accurate QB, you're going to get much more from speed then you would from jumpballs... Imagine Grant or Wilson having even a slight step on someone 1 on 1 and not breaking stride while catching the ball, this is what kills defenses, speed. Sure getting chunks on 50/50 balls is always nice, but the % is way lower on those throws. All in all, Williams and Parker are perfect fits for Fitz as 50/50 balls downfield is the only reason he's still in the league. For Tua, I'd target speed and route running over height.

I'm certainly not in favor of "jump balls", and hitting recievers in stride is a beautiful sight. Doing it on a consistant basis is elite level QBing.

 

[Mach2]

I'm certainly not in favor of "jump balls", and hitting recievers in stride is a beautiful sight. Doing it on a consistant basis is elite level QBing.

Like Montana at the pinnacle elite.....
Like Kurt Warner in SL elite......

 

[NBP81]

I agree with what you said about Tua's strengths, that's why I wanted Miami to address the WR position this past draft. I'm not so sure the guys on the roster now align with Tua's game that well. Tua would benefit from RAC guys and I don't think this WR corps has much of that. I hope they address it next offseason.

100%. This recieving group(outside of Wilson IMO) fits Ryan Fitpatrick a whole lot more than it does Tua.

I'm certainly not in favor of "jump balls", and hitting recievers in stride is a beautiful sight. Doing it on a consistant basis is elite level QBing.

Parker can be your #1 guy, he can do it all but preston and all those other guys are pretty much fringe guys with their biggest ability being target window. I really dont think that as an offense with an accurate QB, WRs with an inordinate ability to catch inaccurate balls should be a priority.

 

[Finsfan1984]

Guys at the NFL level don’t get the same separation they do in college regardless of speed. TUA will be able to throw those close back shoulder throws in tight coverage just as well as Fitz. Preston is a great route runner and uses his body well when covered, hence ACCURACY is crucial. Same can be said for DVP as well. The idea that our WR’s fit Fitz better than TUA because of jump balls, 50/50 throws, and back shoulder throws is garbage! Sometimes, that’s the best option on a particular play. It’s great to have a few of those types of players who can consistently win those plays!

 

[gregorygrant83]

Speed is important, on the track. But speed means squat if you have stone hands. 21 catches is a career high, Drake had more catches than that last year and he was traded halfway through the season.

Wilson, Grant and Perry are small but if you look at the reception list at the end of the year grant will be at the bottom. The guys who will get reps will be the guys I listed and most of them are big dudes.

I get that some of us want to replace Grant with an upgrade, but for people to keep throwing out that his issue as a wr is his hands is not accurate. I know it was a small sample size, but Grant dropped one pass in 2019 and another in 2018. I'm not saying he's the next Jerry Rice, but passes aren't bouncing off his hands at the rate people here like to sell. Sure he's had his issues at times fielding punts, but that's a different skill and is really no reflection on your ability to catch passes. Some of the all-time great receivers couldn't field punts.

Again I'm not saying Grant is a great wr or should or shouldn't be in the teams future plans, but the constant "stone heads " receiverr isn't on point. As for the career high 21 receptions note, there's a lot of factors at play. Injuries and usage being among the top. For the most part Grant has been Miami's 4th or 5th wr on the depth chart, I doubt many players in that role on bad teams have been putting up great numbers either. As a wr sometimes you are limited by you qb play and playcaling. If you don't get targets you aren't going to get a lot of receptions. If you watch Grant on film you can see his issue hasn't been the inability to get open.

 

[BigNastyFish]

I think when you have a very accurate QB, you're going to get much more from speed then you would from jumpballs... Imagine Grant or Wilson having even a slight step on someone 1 on 1 and not breaking stride while catching the ball, this is what kills defenses, speed. Sure getting chunks on 50/50 balls is always nice, but the % is way lower on those throws. All in all, Williams and Parker are perfect fits for Fitz as 50/50 balls downfield is the only reason he's still in the league. For Tua, I'd target speed and route running over height.

Kinda agree but then I don't. First and foremost I don't believe it's as binary as you're presenting.
Attacking the DB down the field VERTICALLY is definitely a hyper modern dimension of the game
and the more accurate those "tight window" (i.e., "contested) throws the better the odds
your receiver WINS the vertical battle (obviously as long as they are skilled at vertically
attacking the ball). BUT

Preston showed a LOT more to his game than that last year and DVP can abuse a DB on multiple
dimensions -- so I've come to conclude that "enhanced accuracy" and "processing speed" is GOOD
regardless on the receiver type (as long as your receivers have sufficient game to get open and make plays).
That said -- I kinda think Tua will really like the talent we have with our receivers...

Hope so at least!

BNF

 

[Ferretsquig]

Parker can be your #1 guy, he can do it all but preston and all those other guys are pretty much fringe guys with their biggest ability being target window. I really dont think that as an offense with an accurate QB, WRs with an inordinate ability to catch inaccurate balls should be a priority.

I think Preston has a higher ceiling than Parker. The man has some quick feet for someone his size and I think hes capable of getting more separation. Of course he does have to start catching all the easy ones and show he can do something once hes got the ball.

If Parker could run a crisp route I'd say he can do it all. Its just never been part of his repertoire and limits what you can do with him. I think ideally you'd want to pair him with a Welker type....someone who is a bit more versatile in the routes they can run and the QB can count on to get open underneath.

To me that's the big missing piece/pieces of this offense. The Pats were at their best when they had that crisp route running to pair with their disruptive force. Welker/Faulk or Edelman/White....that slot and pass catching RB combo that's proved so effective for them when hunting mismatches. The types that can consistently beat a linebacker or find that soft spot in the zone. Those will be Tua's best friends.

 

[jimthefin]

He has good straight line speed but poor agility. I don't see him as a slot WR. Really our problem is a lack of slot WR's. Other than Wilson we really don't have any. Yet all the fans want to cut Wilson and force non-slot options to play slot WR.

Jennings has one of the worst 3-cones times in the combine and I happen to think that is very important for a slot WR. I'd also like to see a guy who reaches out and plucks the ball away from defenders and he doesn't do that.

Those are good points.

He has the physical size of a slot, but quickness in and out of breaks is the most important trait for that spot.

Along with good hands of course.