QB Tua Tagovailoa meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

QB Tua Tagovailoa meets with the media | Miami Dolphins

Nice hat. Thank you. I got an easy one for you. I’m curious. What do you remember about meeting Jaylen Waddle for the first time? Um, so we were at Alabama and that was going into my second second year. Um I mean I I remember I remember we had one distinct memory I remember we had a seven on seven throughout um it would be our our training camp. So we had our fourth quarter program in the morning lift guys go to class and then we had another part of it where we all come back to the facility then we have a seven on seven deal and I remember throughout that seven on seven deal I had my guys out there then the second group would would go in um and I mean you got the you got the ball into his hands you know prior to all the injuries that Watts had over there I mean he is fast fast. Yeah, super quick. So, after last game, you mentioned something about um changing nutrition before games. Uh what were you talking about? What’s what’s new with uh how you approach uh game day? Uh just carbing up more um for for the games and then, you know, getting more fluids in. Yes. So, um how does all that help? Um, well, I think it definitely helps with um, you know, just the aspect of the brain. I guess everyone everyone would would be wondering how did I feel on that hit and whatnot. Felt perfectly fine. Felt great. And you know throughout throughout the years that that was that was one of the bigger things we we hadn’t addressed was making sure that I got you know a good amount of carbs in my body and you know so that as I drank water or as I drank uh the right stuff or whatever it was that it you know it stay in. And the doctors are talking about the liquid that your brain sits in and all of that. And so that that was just the biggest aspect of of um of all of that with the Yes, sir. Yep. Now you got me curious. Why carbs? Why carbs? Well, I Yeah, you’d probably think it it’d make you heavier or slow you down in a way. For sure. Um, but I guess for for me, from what I come to know or come to understand from what the doctors were talking about is, you know, your brain kind of sits in fluids and, you know, if I’m eating eggs, bacon, and sausage, and there’s not not much uh carbs, like if there’s no bread or whatnot, you know, you kind of drink water and it’ll just flush out of you. So, you can’t stay hydrated that way. Um, but the carbs kind of help soak that in and and stay there. Jaylen, um, what have you seen from him in the past year or so that gives you confidence that, you know, now that you guys are going to lean and depend on him a lot more that he’s going to step up for that? Yeah, I mean, my my first my first three years with him, um, first time he came to the league, you know, he’s he’s been able to have thousand yard uh years, you know, those first two years uh in the league for him. And so it it’s one of those where we we get right back into that. And you know, Jaylen understands the offense a lot better than he did, you know, the first year Mike came here. So I I trust that he’s going to be where he needs to be. And we’ve built that chemistry from Alabama all the way till now. But, you know, that doesn’t Jaylen knows that doesn’t give uh way to me just always looking for him as the target. you know, we we got to go through through the progression and uh see see what they the defense wants to run now that you know, 10 is 10 is out. Um do they still want to stay in the two high deals or do they now like their matchups to where they can sort of crowd the box now? With with uh Waller, where are you in the chemistry development stage? I mean, obviously first game, two touchdowns, pretty good. Yeah, no doubt. No doubt. But I know you’re a quarterback who you like to get that work in to develop and create a groove. Where are you in that? We’re still trying to we’re still trying to work through that. Um, you know, the the touchdown the first touchdown throw to him was an eye openener for me just given the the length that he has in a way that was a that was a trust throw where I felt like, dang, that was high that I threw that ball. And for him to get up and and make a play like that kind of gives me um, you know, more of an insight of what kind of ball I can throw to to him if he’s ever coming across the middle or if it’s a one-on-one matchup. uh with him on a go bar or whatever that looks like. There’s still some some routes that we still got to tidy up uh and get on the same page with. And you know, a day like today, tomorrow, and Friday, we’ll be able to work work those kinks out. Frank Smith’s guy, as I’m sure you know. Yeah. Um what did Frank tell you about Darren before you even got on the field? Uh the biggest thing that Frank Frank told me is as long as you put it in his vicinity and you give him a chance, you know, he he’s going he should come down with it. And even in practice, you know, like when I tell you I’ve I’ve tried to do that like purposefully too, like he does come down with it and it’s it’s pretty cool to see. How does quarterback play change for you now where the pass catching court isn’t all speed speed everywhere? You got a big guy like Darren Waller, you know, you mentioned a throw that never worked for you, you did when you threw it to to Darren Waller. How does it change for you? I don’t think it changes at all um in terms of how we’re looking at at the the scheme of what we’re running and then looking at the defense. I don’t think it changes in that aspect. Um and you know, with with 10 being out, like I said, we’re we’re just trying to now we’re going to have to figure out what the defense wants to do. Um, are they going to play true to their own defense given that there’s only 17 out there and then we have our other guys in Waller and they like their matchups or are they still going to keep the shell? Two of the the last time Jaylen was your I guess number one receiver, de facto number one was that 2021 season when you had nothing really else. How did how did how he performed respectfully? Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. Go ahead. Damn. Oh my Oh my You’re good, bro. And he was he still went for thousand yards, 100 catches, I think. How did his ability to perform then in offense that wasn’t built like it is now teach you about what he can handle, you know, when he is relied on to be the guy? Yeah, it it taught me a lot because you go from college, college is such a different thing than coming into the NFL and uh how he went about his business that year. Um just things that we asked of him, you know, and him knowing that as well, like he he took it upon himself too that year that like I I can’t be a rookie. Like this isn’t this isn’t the year for me to be a rookie. Like I I gotta come in and I gotta I gotta go and ball for this team. So, I got the utmost confidence in JDub. It was one of those where you just had to grow up fast. Yeah. No doubt. With with NWI and Taj Washington, um you’ve even had the opportunity to work with Theo Weise in periods where uh Tyreek wasn’t working in in OTAAS and the offseason. What have you learned about them? I’m sorry, Drich 2. Don’t want to exclude him. What have you learned about them a as an Arsenal? Well, the difference with with them and 10, as we all know, is is the speed, right? So, the timing of how those guys all come out of routes, whether it’s an incut or an outcut, is slightly different all individually as well, right? Taj is going to look different than NWI, then D, um than Theo, all of those guys. And it’s also um you know how much pace do I need to put on the ball if they’re they’re breaking and I’m throwing it before their break. Um and and even go like go balls as well for for those guys just tracking the speed, how much um how much air I need to put under the ball and whatnot. Uh that’s that’s sort of the distinction that I’ve learned being able to throw to those guys. Do you like bigger receivers? I mean, not that everybody likes bigger receivers, but Mike puts an emphasis on creating separation, which is his explanation on why he has small receiving unit. Um, how would you play different with bigger targets? I think I think there’s a there’s a there is a big difference when you’re playing with uh someone of Darren Waller stature, of NWI stature versus JDub versus Reek versus Taj um you know versus D in terms of what you can do with manipulation and then how to get the throws there um for those guys. Whereas 10 and 17, it’s more, okay, if I manipulate this guy, I got to be able to get the ball up and down quick for them because these guys could be way taller than them and it’s just one of those for them, right? Whereas Dwall, I mean, if it’s a corner route and you’re trying to hold that that corner down, even if he gets back and you’re throwing it high just for him, you know, there’s more of a potential that that’s a catch than not. You mentioned college being such a different game than the NFL. Um, you know, I think I might know the answer to this question, but then why does the college reps that you have with Jaylen Wadd? Why is that significant? I think that that’s significant because the plays in the NFL and the plays in college, they they they translate, but the only difference is the players, the scheme, how everyone is going about their business on the other side. That’s that’s I would say that’s the only difference. But timing um you know how you’re seeing it as a quarterback in a way at all it it does translate but it’s it is a different game to once upon a time it felt like how the league was built especially at receiver you wanted the the 63 guy that can go up over anybody and grab it and it feels like there’s been kind of like this I guess migration toward separation smaller guys that can get open from your perspective as a quarterback like what is more important that the catch radius or just the ability to separate. I think they’re both important, you know. Um, but with with every every individual person with the position that they play and the stature that they have, there’s always a give and take, right? With Reek and Wadd speed, but then the takeaway is the height or the the go up and and get it. Um, in some of the one-on-one scenarios, maybe closer to the red area versus a bigger guy, maybe not as much separation, but if you can give them the best chance by putting a really good ball up there for them to get it, you know, they can get it, but then the downside would be maybe separation. Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. How much have you been able to watch him? What do you think of his career? Yeah, I’ve been I’ve been able to uh keep up with with him over there at Carolina. You know, the the thing with playing in this league, it it’s it’s not easy, right? And I know he knows that, but he got to continue to keep keep pressing forward, keep doing what he’s doing. Um not worry about what everyone else is is talking about as he’s trying to work through, you know, his deals out there in in um in Carolina. But, you know, I’m I’m I’m thinking of him. I’m I’m praying for him. I you know I I hope he he has a long uh career in the NFL. Go ahead to T to you mentioned a couple of times how defenses may change their approach now that Tariq is out. What’s your best guess? Do you think that they’re not going to respect the deep ball as much? They’re going to move safeties up. Does a run game have to show them that you can punish them that way? you know, I’m I’m not too sure. Um, it I mean, we we’ve we’ve had games where 17 was out and only 10 was in. We’ve had games where 10 was out and only 17 was in. Um, and teams have gone to their normal base defense of what they they would normally run from what we see on film. But I don’t know, you know, that’s that’s the beauty of football. We’ll see on Sunday what what they want to do defensively. If they do want to keep a shell or if they want to fit the box and just tell us, hey, pass the ball on us, then you know, we’ll adjust accordingly. Thank you.

QB Tua Tagovailoa meets with the media

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