Palm Beach Post article: NFL Draft: Tua Tagovailoa fails two teams’ physicals, ex-GM Lombardi says

It's so hard to tell if there's truth to that or if it's a smokescreen, but I'm guessing that NFL execs will know much better than we would what's fact and what's fiction. If it is true, he could fall out of the early rounds entirely.

If he does fall, I wonder if someone like New Orleans or Green Bay would take him late, knowing that they can fully red shirt him.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

If he does fall, I wonder if someone like New Orleans or Green Bay would take him late, knowing that they can fully red shirt him.

It would probably be the best thing for him.

With the Virus and Tua unable to have a pro day and then go work out for individual teams... I totally believe that several teams are not considering Tua... It is a gigantic risk and the draft is loaded with Studs at Corner, Linebacker, DT, Tackle, Wide receivers There are other good QB prospects also.

Especially for teams that have other options at the quarterback position. Not being able to work Tua out or have him examined. It makes sense why teams are looking at absolute studs like Young, Simmons, Brown, Okudah.... and considering taking them over the Injured QB

If Miami passes on Tua I could see him fall to the Jaguars or the Raiders.

Even though he is my #3 QB on the board I'd prefer he would pass the physicals. Not so we take him, but so that he occupies a slot before our pick ensuring Herbert hits #5.

Alternatively to pick him if Herbert is gone.

"Etrius24 wrote:

With the Virus and Tua unable to have a pro day and then go work out for individual teams... I totally believe that several teams are not considering Tua... It is a gigantic risk and the draft is loaded with Studs at Corner, Linebacker, DT, Tackle, Wide receivers There are other good QB prospects also.

Especially for teams that have other options at the quarterback position. Not being able to work Tua out or have him examined. It makes sense why teams are looking at absolute studs like Young, Simmons, Brown, Okudah.... and considering taking them over the Injured QB

I'm trying to work out how teams have done such extensive pre-draft evaluations when everything is on lockdown?

"AGuyNamedAlex wrote:

Even though he is my #3 QB on the board I'd prefer he would pass the physicals. Not so we take him, but so that he occupies a slot before our pick ensuring Herbert hits #5.

Alternatively to pick him if Herbert is gone.

I totally get the logic, and can't fault it. But I'm still interested to see what the Fins would do if Herbert is gone and they've deemed Tago to be off the board medically.

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

I totally get the logic, and can't fault it. But I'm still interested to see what the Fins would do if Herbert is gone and they've deemed Tago to be off the board medically.

They'd do the Chubby Checker...

'C'mon let's tank again, like we did last summer
Yeah, let's tank again, like we did last year...'

"Phin McCool wrote:

They'd do the Chubby Checker...

'C'mon let's tank again, like we did last summer
Yeah, let's tank again, like we did last year...'

Well, there are other positions that are important to a football team other than quarterback....

"Unlucky 13 wrote:

Well, there are other positions that are important to a football team other than quarterback....

I absolutely agree with this buuuut.

That said, the other positions are generally a bit easier to acquire later in the draft, because QB often get drafted earlier than their talent dictates. Not to say you cant find a good QB later, but at that point it's about hoping everyone else but your team missed something.

Also, though we obviously have holes, I think our roster is looking pretty good. Honestly regardless of who we draft I'd like them to sit at least 8-12 games.

I dont think it's impossible that we are in the wildcard hunt if things go well with Fitz. Not to say we will make it, I doubt we do, but we may have some games that feel meaningful late season to us.

Our aggressive FA plays took me from what I thought was a 3-6 win team to a 5-8 win team.

The more this plays out, the more I'd rather draft Love or even Hurts. I think Tua, as much as I like his play and skills, is not a guy that is going to hold up. Look at his history it is clearly showing you the guy cannot stay healthy. It will be a huge mistake to draft him, again not because he isn't good but because he will miss too many games with injuries.

This is all assuming we cant get Burrows without giving up everything we've got in the bank.

"Tin Indian wrote:

The more this plays out, the more I'd rather draft Love or even Hurts. I think Tua, as much as I like his play and skills, is not a guy that is going to hold up. Look at his history it is clearly showing you the guy cannot stay healthy. It will be a huge mistake to draft him, again not because he isn't good but because he will miss too many games with injuries.

This is all assuming we cant get Burrows without giving up everything we've got in the bank.

I want absolutely nothing to do with either Love or Hurts, period. Not in any round.

"KeyFin wrote:

It's so hard to tell if there's truth to that or if it's a smokescreen, but I'm guessing that NFL execs will know much better than we would what's fact and what's fiction. If it is true, he could fall out of the early rounds entirely.

This is where I am probably being naive, but in this situation wouldn't the relationship between Lambardi and the GMs factor in? Would they purposely use him to spread misinformation? When the truth comes out, how would their relationship be going forward? Looking at it from another angle, maybe they confided in Lombardi and he broke their trust. Now that would be messed up on his part. If I was Lombardi, I sure wouldn't like being used for a smokescreen. His credibility is at stake, isn't it, or is that a non-factor in today's (just throw stuff out there) media environment?

Mike Lombardi wrote:

He broke his wrist the first day of spring ball one year. And then they fixed it, he came back, and he broke it again.

And he’s brittle. You can’t deny it. You can’t deny it.

BROKE HIS WRIST TWICE IN ONE YEAR???

No thanks. This dude is a walking injury.

Ive been saying he is made of glass for so long... and even if he were healthy i am not picking him... he is Mariota 2.0.. same high school program, same style of play. The only difference is Mariota had MUCH less talent in Oregon than Tua did in Bama.. yet recorded identical numbers.

"Surfs Up 99 wrote:

This is where I am probably being naive, but in this situation wouldn't the relationship between Lambardi and the GMs factor in? Would they purposely use him to spread misinformation? When the truth comes out, how would their relationship be going forward? Looking at it from another angle, maybe they confided in Lombardi and he broke their trust. Now that would be messed up on his part. If I was Lombardi, I sure wouldn't like being used for a smokescreen. His credibility is at stake, isn't it, or is that a non-factor in today's (just throw stuff out there) media environment?

To some degree reporters worry about credibility, but at the same time you'll never hear one come out and say, "Oops, I lied to you last week." Instead, they'll say their source had it wrong, it's all the source's fault, and believe their own ethics are still beyond approach. Honestly, Lombardi probably doesn't care if the news is real or fake because it creates the same end result- more clicks and ultimately a bigger paycheck.

In journalism, you have to trust your sources and hope that they have your best interests at heart...which they rarely do. For instance, in this news story....what does "failing a physical" mean? It could be Tua didn't do a cardio test on the treadmill because of the hip, which would be perfectly understandable. Not testing doesn't = fail, but saying Tua didn't do a particular cardio test doesn't make you want to click. So the media sensationalizes it and says, "Here's big, breaking news that changes everything...."

Here's something else to keep in mind- a lot of these types of reports say "a GM in the league said..." That doesn't mean the reporter talked to the GM. He more likely talked to the assistant to the GM's secretary who overheard the GM saying, "His physical didn't go well." Again, that's not sensationalized enough and there's no context there to pass judgement to begin with....but if you twist those five words just a little bit, then you have a breaking story during an otherwise slow news cycle. That's where most of this stuff comes from.

So take any report with anonymous sources with a grain of salt- I'm not saying to dismiss them completely, but don't take it as the gospel either. We don't have the source, the context of what was said or even what Tua was supposed to have failed...that's a ton of assumptions and a huge leap of faith.

What I'm hoping this does is keep anyone from trading up above us to give us the maximum options at 5.

"KeyFin wrote:

To some degree reporters worry about credibility, but at the same time you'll never hear one come out and say, "Oops, I lied to you last week." Instead, they'll say their source had it wrong, it's all the source's fault, and believe their own ethics are still beyond approach. Honestly, Lombardi probably doesn't care if the news is real or fake because it creates the same end result- more clicks and ultimately a bigger paycheck.

In journalism, you have to trust your sources and hope that they have your best interests at heart...which they rarely do. For instance, in this news story....what does "failing a physical" mean? It could be Tua didn't do a cardio test on the treadmill because of the hip, which would be perfectly understandable. Not testing doesn't = fail, but saying Tua didn't do a particular cardio test doesn't make you want to click. So the media sensationalizes it and says, "Here's big, breaking news that changes everything...."

Here's something else to keep in mind- a lot few these reports saying "a GM in the league said..." doesn't mean the reporter talked to the GM. He more likely talked to the assistant to the GM's secretary who overheard the GM saying, "His physical didn't go well." Again, that's not sensationalized enough and there's no context there to pass judgement to begin with....but if you twist those five words just a little bit, then you have a breaking story during an otherwise slow news cycle. That's where most of this stuff comes from.

So take any report with anonymous sources with a grain of salt- I'm not saying to dismiss them completely, but don't take it as the gospel either. We don't have the source, the context of what was said or even what Tua was supposed to have failed...that's a ton of assumptions and a huge leap of faith.

Thank you! I know you are familiar with this sort of thing, so that's why I asked. I appreciate the insight!

"Rick 1966 wrote:

What I'm hoping this does is keep anyone from trading up above us to give us the maximum options at 5.

If true, it likely just makes Herbert the trade-up target for someone rather than Tua. It may even increase the likelihood of a tradeup if teams have removed Tua entirely since the "supply" has now been lowered.

I keep thinking to myself, "How could you really take a guy with serious medical issues when you can't have your doctors meet with him and inspect on your own?"

I know a lot of Tua fans will offer rebuttals. Whatever your rebuttal may be, you would have to at least consider that trading up for that pick only compounds the risk.

As the process plays out, I am starting to see value in standing pat at 5.

Don't believe anything in the media. They are all just click bait hoes now. There isn't anymore integrity in the field. Unless they have video of someone saying it, I wouldn't believe a word of it.

It would be easy to refute the two broken wrists, if they aren't true. If these injuries are true and weren't made known, that is a massive red flag.

Isn't one of the Lombardi's in Carolina now? Is this their smokescreen to get Tua to replace Cam?