High-Risk Dolphins Trade Proposal Swaps Tua Tagovailoa for Former 1st-Round QB

Getty A new three-team trade proposal would replace Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Miami Dolphins have backed Tua Tagovailoa as their quarterback publicly despite his underwhelming conclusion to the 2023-24 campaign, in which he threw for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 26-7 wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but will their offseason actions follow suit?

If general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel chose to move on from Tagovailoa, who will enter the final year of his rookie deal, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a professional sports organization pull a 180 after expressing support for a player. After all, offseason tides are constantly shifting, and you never know which quarterback might become available.

For example, Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings explored a mock-draft scenario in which the Chicago Bears trade away starting quarterback Justin Fields. With top-ranked QB prospect Caleb Williams officially declaring for the NFL draft, Chicago could opt for a reset at the position, and Cummings liked the Dolphins as a landing spot for Fields — using a third team to complete the deal.

Below are the details of Cummings’ high-risk trade proposal:

• Denver Broncos get: Tua Tagovailoa & Dolphins 2024 fifth.
• Dolphins get: Justin Fields, Broncos 2024 third, Broncos 2025 second.
• Bears get: Dolphins 2024 sixth, Dolphins 2025 third, Broncos 2025 sixth.

So, to summarize that better for Dolphins supporters — Miami would flip Tagovailoa, this year’s fifth and sixth and next year’s third for Fields, a third-rounder this year and a second-rounder next year.

In this deal, the Dolphins would actually gain draft value with two Day 2 selections coming in and one departing. They’d also shed cap space, going from Tagovailoa, who will have a $23 million cap hit in 2024, to Fields ($6 million cap hit in 2024), creating approximately $17 million in savings.

Of course, Tagovailoa is the more proven commodity at this stage of his career, but Fields might have the higher ceiling of the two — and that’s the key for a Dolphins team with a narrow Super Bowl window.

NFL Writer Explains Dolphins-Bears Trade Theory Involving Broncos, Tua Tagovailoa & Justin Fields

This is quite the wild trade proposition from Cummings, but the PFN writer explained why his theory is even worth talking about — assuming the Bears draft Williams.

“Fields is still a flawed passer, but there’s no denying his potential in the right system,” Cummings wrote on January 20. “Fields is a quantifiably elite rushing threat at 6’3″, 228 pounds with 4.45 speed, and he ran for 1,143 yards in 2022.”

Continuing: “Fields’ pure physical talent is almost unmatched across the league and at the opposite end of the spectrum from Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa wins with anticipation, accuracy, quick decisions, and sharp processing — but he’s a limited athlete with a limited arm.”

Cummings noted that some of these limitations were “exposed” against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.

“While Tagovailoa has been productive in McDaniel’s scheme, a decision has to be made: Is he worth an extension? Or will it be a move that stalls the Dolphins out?” he wrote. “Fields and Tagovailoa are both precarious passers … but Fields’ rushing ability would enable McDaniel to do diabolical things with his run scheme. And if insulated well enough with his weapons, Fields could take the next step as a passer.”

Tagovailoa was also pegged as a scheme fit for Sean Payton’s Broncos as the team moves on from Russell Wilson.

Considering the deal would turn back the QB clock exactly one season — with Fields entering Year 4 of his rookie contract — potentially add creativity and athleticism to an intelligent scheme and upgrade draft capital, Grier would have to at least consider a trade like this.

The main question would be: Does Miami trust their ability to unlock Fields? If the answer is yes, there’s nothing stopping the Dolphins from making this trade.

Dolphins Mocked ‘Best Pure Center’ in Round 1 of 2024 NFL Draft

Cummings also detailed a full seven-round mock. In Round 1, he had Miami drafting its center of the future.

“What do the Dolphins need from their center in 2024?” Cummings wrote. “They need a high-level athlete who can cover ground and climb levels. They need a strong blocker who can work across-face while keeping the line and drive finishing power. They’ll need an alert, well-leveraged, and combative pass protector.”

According to the PFN draft expert, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson fits all those requirements.

“Powers-Johnson grades out as a top-50 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board,” Cummings said in a scouting report of the blocker. “He’s the best ‘pure center’ prospect on my rankings, slightly edging out players like [Zach] Frazier and [Sedrick] Van Pran.”

He added that “for teams in need of a long-term starter at center, Powers-Johnson is worthy of early Day 2 capital — at the very least.” And that “he could ultimately sneak into Round 1 because of his talent, physicality, and positional scarcity.”