Tua Tagovailoa’s arm energy has turn into the most popular matter surrounding him on this key offseason for the Miami Dolphins quarterback.
Whether he possesses the mandatory deep passing skill to make all of the throws required of him to reach the NFL heading into Year 3 is the largest query on analysts’ minds.
He’s sponsored by Muscle Milk, popping out with a brand new industrial prior to now month for the high-protein beverage. He simply did an interview with Muscle and Fitness Magazine, detailing his exercise routine and the way he feels he has turn into stronger this offseason.
Even his psychological energy is usually chronicled. Does he have what it takes to be a frontrunner as an expert and the psychological fortitude to beat sure challenges introduced to him?
But above all, Tagovailoa’s downfield throwing is what’s most closely scrutinized. It’s a polarizing matter with opinions so drastically divided between those who really feel his arm energy is poor and the Tua believers that see no such considerations.
Thursday’s minicamp apply was a day for the latter of the 2 factions as Tagovailoa linked on a pair of deep throws over the center to Tyreek Hill in 11-on-11 motion — one in stride for a 55-yard landing and one which Hill needed to await barely and was marked down on the 5-yard line. The second of the 2, a 56-yard completion, got here close to the tip of apply, and the Dolphins punched in a Tua-to-Hill landing two performs later.
Tagovailoa’s two spotlight passes to Hill every traveled not less than 45 yards within the air.
“If you saw the third-to-last play that we had, I don’t know if I can throw the ball downfield still,” Tagovailoa mentioned sarcastically following Thursday’s session, throwing a jab at his critics. “However you want to break down that to social media or whatever outlets you guys are with, you do so.”
He mentioned he doesn’t take note of the criticism on social media over his passes, a lot of which was introduced on this offseason by a clip posted by the Dolphins’ social media accounts of an underthrown deep ball to Hill earlier than organized group actions.
“For me, it’s just, zone that out,” mentioned Tagovailoa. “We come out to practice. Everyone else, Twitter warriors, keyboard warriors, whatever else you want to call them, they’re not out here practicing with us working hard.”
Previously this offseason, Tagovailoa dismissed the notion that he added extra pressure on his throws. In the Muscle and Fitness interview launched Wednesday, nonetheless, Tagovailoa detailed that bettering his arm energy has been a significant offseason objective.
“One of the biggest things for me was building my foundation back up from my feet to my core and then to my arm strength. A lot of what I did was tailored to helping me get my arm stronger,” Tagovailoa mentioned within the interview. “I have seen some improvements on being able to push the ball down the field once again.”
On Thursday, Tagovailoa indicated the highest offseason precedence was nonetheless to get acclimated with the brand new offense below coach Mike McDaniel.
“I wouldn’t say I put the most emphasis on my downfield throws this offseason just because learning the offense was kind of the biggest thing,” he mentioned.
With a lot of the Tua speak surrounding his arm energy, what McDaniel appreciated most on Thursday was that he was mentally sturdy, bouncing again from a troublesome apply towards Miami’s protection on Wednesday.
“I talked to him [Thursday] specifically where I told him I’ve just been waiting for those moments where you have a slight obstacle,” McDaniel mentioned. “[Wednesday], he had some throws that he demands better of himself. [Thursday] was the first day I got to really evaluate Tua because that is professional quarterback [play] in the National Football League. You’re going to have things that we don’t execute to perfection. You’re going to have people talking about how you’re not performing, and guess what — no one cares. It’s about leading, and he had a ton of energy. I was very, very happy with his effort.”
Tagovailoa was his personal harshest critic over Wednesday’s drills.
“[Wednesday’s] practice wasn’t up to the standard that I know our offense can compete at, and it obviously starts with me,” he mentioned. “In particular, there was some ball placement deals that I didn’t particularly like.”
McDaniel additionally had a witty response to the notion that Tagovailoa’s arm energy gained’t enable him to make throws required of him.
“He’s not throwing the ball 85 yards, but I don’t see the practical application of an 85-yard thrower unless you have the best offensive line in the history of football — and the defense is poor to add on rushers when you’re max protecting,” he quipped.
Beyond McDaniel, new Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith and quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell have made it clear earlier within the offseason that they really feel assured Tagovailoa could make all of the throws they want from him.
Hill, final week, spoke about how Tagovailoa’s passes are a number of the “prettiest” he has caught, and he backed up his quarterback following the video that was closely criticized with certainly one of a sequence of in-stride throws. Cornerback Xavien Howard, on Wednesday, mentioned Tagovailoa has been “bombing” the deep ball.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com