Way-too-early 2021 NFL Power Rankings: Rams, Packers, Chiefs chasing Buccaneers

We just looked at the Arizona Cardinals who traded away Josh Rosen one season after drafting him, and now, we look at the team who took Rosen in a draft-day trade that year — the Miami Dolphins. And like Arizona, Miami had one season with Rosen before they realized they needed to get someone else. For the Dolphins, that player ended up being Tua Tagovailoa who they took at No. 5 overall.

Tagovailoa wasn’t a day one starter though as he had hip surgery to end his 2019 campaign with Alabama, but he did end up taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick when the Dolphins went into their bye week. Fitzpatrick was upset about the move, feeling like he was finally fully in charge of an NFL team.

Even with his feelings of disappointment, Fitzpatrick remained the perfect mentor for Tua and even stepped in at different points in the season. Now, it appears it will be Tagovailoa’s team from the start in 2021 and while he was 6-3 as the starter in 2020, he has a lot of room to grow.

The good news is, there’s a solid team around him and Miami proved that by winning 10 games this past season. They’re heading in the right direction and if he can develop into the starter they hoped he would be, they could become contenders in the AFC East.