Maybe Flores Was Onto Something With Jordan Love
Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
It’s always fun to think about what would happen if things worked out a little differently for a certain team, and it’s no different with the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, and it seems the team is happy with the decision, but that wasn’t always the destiny for the Phins. They could easily have had Jordan Love lining up under center for them.
Back when the Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa, Brian Flores was in charge, and according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, he wasn’t exactly sold on taking the Alabama product. Instead, Flores wanted to take an offensive lineman at fifth overall and come back with the 18th pick to take Love. Love wound up getting selected 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins took offensive tackle Austin Jackson out of USC with the 18th overall pick.
For this exercise, let’s just imagine that Jordan Love was selected with the 18th overall pick, and the Dolphins would have ended up with a different offensive lineman with the 5th pick. Jedrick Wills Jr. was selected 10th overall by the Cleveland Browns, while Mekhi Becton was selected 11th overall by the New York Jets.
Becton has shown some signs of being a solid offensive lineman, but hasn’t really lived up to the hype that surrounded him heading into the draft. He now is with the Philadelphia Eagles after the Jets opted not to bring him back for a second contract. Wills Jr has not lived up to his lofty expectations either, and there is already chatter about how Cleveland is going to replace him after this season.
Even though Flores might have wanted to draft a different offensive lineman, the Dolphins probably are in a better position now with Jackson, which means this hypothetical all comes down to the quarterback.
After being drafted by the Packers, Love didn’t get a chance to start until last season after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers. All the sitting seemed to pay off, as he threw for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He looks like the long-term answer at quarterback for the Packers, but the big question is how Love would have played had he not sat on the bench for as long. Jacoby Brissett was the backup quarterback to Tagovailoa to start the 2021 season, and Love might not have sat behind him for long.
Early in the 2023 season, Love saw some struggles, and there were some questions about him adjusting to the NFL, even after sitting for a couple of years. As he settled in though, he played well, and it looks like he has all the tools to lead the Packers to their fifth Super Bowl.
Since joining the Dolphins, Tagovailoa has been good, but at times, there has been inconsistency. When looking at his track record during big games, he has sometimes disappeared. Last season, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to an 11-6 record, but when they needed a win in the last game to clinch the AFC East, they lost. That’s been the story during his whole tenure. When the lights are brightest and the Dolphins need a win, Tagovailoa has fallen short.
When looking at the two quarterbacks’ stats, we also have to consider the talent they have around them. Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs were the top two receivers for the Packers. Both players are solid pros and should take an even bigger step forward in 2023, but they aren’t close to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins have surrounded Tua with all kinds of talent, and he still hasn’t gotten over the hump.
To make this evaluation, one more year of seeing Love would be nice, but based on the one year, the Dolphins would probably be in a better position with the former Utah State standout under center.
As for Flores, he’s now with the Minnesota Vikings, and he has to figure out how to slow down Love a couple of times a year. Tagovailoa is now under Mike McDaniel, and he needs to figure out how to get him over that hump. Tagovailoa will probably put up good stats again this season, but he needs to start winning the games when the stakes are the highest. If he doesn’t, there are going to be more grumblings about how the decision to draft Tagovailoa was the wrong one.
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