By: Jeremy Trottier

This NFL season has most definitely been a memorable one, to say the least, with some of the best teams completely underperforming, and some of those we thought would be the worst at the top of their game.  The primary reason some of these teams with lower-tier rosters have been able to get to the top of their division or near to it has been their head coaches.  Head coaching is a huge deal at this level of play, hence why the NFL hands out a Coach of the Year award every season.  In this article, I will be detailing the top 5 candidates for this award so far this season and briefly describe why they deserve this award. 

#1 ”“ Nick Sirianni ”“ Philadelphia Eagles

As of right now, it should be a no-brainer who the leading candidate is for Coach of the Year, as winning is a huge factor in this award, and Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles is currently 8-0 as of the writing of this article.  After building this roster with young talents through the draft and flashy trades, Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman have brought the Eagles back to a winning culture, which is due to coaching just as much as the players.  Jalen Hurts has been developed into a very quality starting QB in this league under Sirianni,  which has propelled the Eagles from a middle-ranking team to the top of their conference and the only remaining undefeated team for now. 

#2 ”“ Robert Saleh ”“ New York Jets

Second place is tough, as there are a lot of underwhelming rosters outperforming their skill due to great coaching, but the New York Jets have been able to do it against premier teams in the NFL, which is what I took into consideration here.  Just last week the Jets took on the Buffalo Bills, who are one of the if not the most well-rounded roster in the NFL, and beat them 20-17 on the back of a phenomenal defensive performance.  Know who was responsible?  Head coach Robert Saleh has found his footing in his second season as the Jets head coach and led them to a 6-3 record as of the writing of this article. 

#3 ”“ Kevin O’Connell ”“ Minnesota Vikings

Next up we have a rookie head coach and one of the youngest head coaches in the league, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.  While they may have some of the top premier talents in the league, such as Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, they have also been coached up to a 7-1 record after struggling with a very similar roster last season under Mike Zimmer.  While their schedule has been slightly weak to start off the season, they have also performed well enough on the field to warrant this record, and seem to be a shoo-in as NFC North division winners this season as long as they do not fold under the pressure down the stretch.

#4 ”“ Brian Daboll ”“ New York Giants

It feels almost wrong putting Daboll so low on this list, but that just goes to show how great the head coaches have been this season.  Another rookie head coach, Daboll has led the New York Giants, one of the lesser rosters in the NFL entering the season, to a 6-2 record, and straight into the dogfight for the NFC East division title.  The giants have had 3 statement wins so far this season, against the Tennessee Titans (21-20), the Baltimore Ravens (24-20), and the Green Bay Packers (27-22).  Overall, Daboll has done a great job utilizing the run game with Saquon Barkley correctly and has turned this franchise back into its winning ways in only half a season.

#5 ”“ Mike McDaniel ”“ Miami Dolphins

Another AFC East head coach coming from the San Francisco 49ers previously would be Mike McDaniel, who has been able to handle the turmoil of losing Tua Tagovailoa mid-season relatively well and has coached this offense into something teams fear now.  Just 3-4 years ago this team was at the bottom of the league scraping up losses to try and tank for Tua, and now they sit only a half-game back of the AFC East title and are doing everything in their power to take this division away from the Jets, Bills, and Patriots.  McDaniel has the assets to work with, hence why he is lower on this list slightly but is absolutely deserving of this award if he can keep this team on track going the distance. 

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By: Jake Rajala

The New England Patriots may honestly be cursed in their fights against the Miami Dolphins. The Phins have impressively (and surprisingly) won the prior four match-ups against the usually well-prepared Pats team. Today — Mike McDaniel and his squad defeated the hooded Pats head coach, Bill Belichick, and his squad by a score of 20-7. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Patriots loss to the Dolphins.

• Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa didn’t play like a vintage Tom Brady, but he did unravel to be the best QB on the day. The Phins signal-caller had a passer rating of 104.4, 270 passing yards, 1 passing TD, and a potent 69.7% completion percentage. Tagovailoa made a few clutch throws (as shown below) and took care of the football. It was simply a successful start for the Phins QB with his new creative HC.

• Devante Parker

Devante Parker, where art thou? It was a sexy image when the Phins were able to acquire the former Phins WR Devante Parker. Well, the crowd that moved from waiting for the answer to the universe into the Devante Parker fan section was disappointed today. He must have told the illustrious WR Allen Robinson, who ousted a catch for 9 yards on Thurs. night, to hold his beer. Parker recorded a mere one catch for 9 yds against his former squad today.

• Tyreek Hill

Jaylen Waddle had the beautiful touchdown grab on fourth down, but I liked Hill’s production a tad more (he had a modest eight catches for 94 yds). *It was more important that he was in sync in the first game, which was clearly executed. The Tua-Hill combo will begin to turn up the heat moving forward.

Of course, Hill was literally a magical WR on one play for his beloved QB.

• Melvin Ingram and Brandon Jones

The Dolphins made an underrated move to acquire Melvin Ingram on a one-year deal worth $4 million dollars this off-season. Ingram should begin to practice his touchdown celebrations after having a scoop and score today. Let’s not forget that Brandon Jones created the opportunity (strip sack) for his LB pal.

• Mac Jones

After making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Mac Jones surely didn’t have an exciting beginning to his sophomore campaign in Week 1 of 2022. The Pats QB finished with 213 passing yards, 1 passing TD, and 1 interception. To make matters worse – he sadly suffered a back injury in the Pats loss. Hopefully, he isn’t MIA for a few contests.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have arguably made more glamorous off-season additions than any other NFL team. There are countless NFL critics and Dolphins followers that believe the new-look Dolphins could be the next surprise AFC team to compete in the big dance. With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine why the Mike McDaniel – Tua Tagovailoa sandwich and their impressive weaponry could compete in the big dance next season.

I am speed – Lightning McQueen

The Kansas City Chiefs second MVP in Super Bowl LIV was arguably WR Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs were down 20-10 halfway through the fourth quarter and the former blistering fast WR made a clutch catch on 3rd and 15 from Patrick Mahomes. The utterly obvious target on 3rd and 15 still made the catch and saved the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

All in all, one or two explosive plays are hard for any elite defense to prepare for and they make a big difference in the post-season. Outside of Hill being a routine playoff threat, Ja’Marr Chase really helped Cincy in the recent post-season, Percy Harvin was unstoppable in Super Bowl XLVIII, and Jacoby Jones was the Baltimore Ravens x-factor in their last Super Bowl journey.

Strength of schedule

The Dolphins should feel ecstatic about their 2022 competition, as they carry the 21st most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the LA Rams have the most difficult schedule and the reigning AFC Champions Buffalo Bills have the 12th most challenging schedule in 2022. The Dolphins will also not only play the NY Jets twice in the season, but they should feel confident against the NE Patriots (as the Phins swept the Pats last season). If the Dolphins can win five games in their division, while squashing countless weak opponents, the Dolphins could have a nice seat in the post-season.

The demise of Kansas City and Tennessee

The Chiefs had the most gifted QB in the NFL last season and the Tennessee Titans claimed the 1 seed in the AFC last season. The Chiefs sent their best weapon (Hill) to the Dolphins and they also lost the Honey Badger. Outside of the fading Chiefs, I am quite confident the Titans will not repeat as the one seed in the AFC. The Titans lost AJ Brown and Derrick Henry’s ability is moving further away from his OPOY version. It does make sense that the Bills (aka not the Chiefs, Titans) are listed as the common betting favorite to win Super Bowl 57. Perhaps the ascending AFC team in Miami with an improved QB and familiarity against BUF could be the next unsung AFC Champion.

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By: Jake Rajala

The mythical quarterback Drew Brees retired in the 2021 off-season, but the former Saints legend recently stated that he may play football in 2022. There are undoubtedly lots of NFL folks that believe Brees’s thought of throwing the pigskin next season is a pipe dream. Nonetheless, Brees may be able to override his 43-year-old weaknesses with his on-field awareness and unmatchable amount of passion.

I believe that Brees could un-retire and chase a Super Bowl ring if he can join an elite roster with talented offensive pieces. I honestly believe that the loaded Saints team would rather ride with the big-arm, wise Jameis Winston than the Big Easy hero in Brees. Winston was 5-2 without his current WR trio (Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Chris Olave) last season and Winston can really utilize the ability of Chris Olave (and Deonte Harris) deep down the field.

If the Saints don’t bite on the HOF-caliber QB, I would love the shiny and utterly talented Dolphins roster to acquire Brees for his last ride in 2022. The Phins have been rumored to be interested in Tom Brady and It would make sense for Mike McDaniel to be interested in a different greek god QB in Brees. The Dolphins have Brees’s former LT Terron Armstead and new weaponry: Tyreek Hill, Chase Edmonds, and Sony Michel.

It may seem obvious that Brees doesn’t have the sexiest arm strength, but he could still be the better version of Tua Tagovailoa. Tua is well-known for not possessing mean arm strength and he hasn’t been an impressive game manager (10 interceptions last season).

The Saints Super Bowl XLIV champion could unveil a training camp performance that’s similar to his 2020 season (excluding his playoff fiasco), or he could prove to be a washed-up QB in September. If Brees’s fountain of youth is completely missing, he could still be an excellent mentor for Tagovailoa. The former Alabama QB was often compared to Brees in the draft process and he could really sharpen his physical and mental abilities by being in the same QB room as Brees. Sean McVay pulled a few tricks out of his sleeve in 2021 and it may be time for the young, Dolphins HC to keep his foot on the pedal and ink Brees in the near future.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have been one of the most polarizing NFL squads this offseason. Similar to the Los Angeles Rams, the Dolphins have a young ambitious coach who isn’t scared to take risks. It’s honestly hard for a lot of people to imagine and sometimes be a fan of mystic growth, but the Dolphins could really take a large leap next season. It wouldn’t be a shock if the 2022 Dolphins surprise the NFL world in a way that the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals shocked NFL audiences.

With that enunciated, I believe the outlook of McDaniel will be a significant reason why the Dolphins could strike a playoff berth and unveil an unusually successful season. Furthermore, the fiery, hipster McDaniel could win COTY in the process of a fantastic 2022 Dolphins season. Here are a couple of reasons why McDaniel is truly a darkhorse to win COTY next season.

• Scoring machine

The Dolphins may not unveil 13+ wins next season, but the Dolphins could score A LOT of points. Tua Tagovailoa will have Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, so expect fireworks frequently. The COTY isn’t always the coach “with the most victories”. Sean McVay won COTY in 2017 with an 11-5 record and Kevin Stefanski was named COTY in 2020 with an 11-5 record. I believe McDaniel could follow a similar path as McVay and Stefanski in winning COTY by improving Tua Tagovailoa, unleashing a Top 10 scoring offense, and leading the Dolphins to 11 or 12 wins in 2022.

• Success against the Bills

It will be hard for the Dolphins to win the AFC East or be a cream of the crop AFC squad if they get swept by the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins had 9 victories last season, but the Bills mopped the floor against MIA. The Bills beat the Dolphins 35-0 and 26-11 in 2021. If the borderline playoff team Dolphins can split games with the Bills next season, it would make a significant difference for the new-look Dolphins team. If the underdog Dolphins can upset the Bills twice in a similar way that the Saints swept the juggernaut Buccaneers, the Dolphins could realistically win their division and really sit well in their conference at the end of the season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel filtered the wide receivers by speed on Madden in the fantasy draft and then decided to make his idea come to fruition. McDaniel aggressively sought out the fastest wide receiver in the NFL in Tyreek Hill and then brought him to Miami.

Hill is ecstatic to join Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa, and DeVante Parker in Florida. With that said, what is the true “dynasty” outlook of Hill? Well, I believe he has a bright outlook, to say the least.

Hill was a rockstar in Kansas City in each season and he was really involved in 2021. He registered a career-high 159 targets last season. Travis Kelce managed to receive 134 targets, but it didn’t stop Hill from being the top magnet for Patrick Mahomes.

Jaylen Waddle had 140 targets in his direction with Tua last season, so he was clearly a big weapon for the Dolphins offense last season. Hill managed to receive an insane amount of targets with Kelce being fed because Mahomes had the third-most passing attempts last season. Meanwhile, Tua (388) had fewer passing attempts than David Mills (394) in 2021.

I expect McDaniel to put more steam on the Dolphins passing engine moving forward. I also expect DeVante Parker to be slightly phased out (or traded) in 2022. With that said, the biggest positive for Hill is that he should really be top WR1 by a noticeable margin next season. McDaniel knew Hill was worth the compensation and salary from the WR spot because he knew that he could brew a lot of special plays for his new toy.

Deebo Samuel was fifth in receiving yards last season, but he also averaged 18.2 YPC. I know Andy Reid is an old sage, but I really expect McDaniel to have a very good idea of how to make Hill special for his second straight season.

The NFL world witnessed Zac Taylor and Brandon Staley surprise the NFL with their creative offenses last season. I expect the ambitious McDaniel to give Hill a lot of screens, quick slants, and deep shots down the field. Hill made the All-Pro team as a special teamer, so it’s clear he’s utterly gifted with the football in his hands. I believe there’s a slightly overrated idea that he needs Patrick Mahomes to be an elite WR.

According to FTN Daily, Hill had an ADOT of 10.36 last season and it may drop a bit, but he should really still have a plethora of targets in the middle of the field. Tua is one of the most accurate QBs in the league and that will certainly help Hill.

I believe Hill will be a monster for the Dolphins. I think the Hill trade will have more magnitude than the Amari Cooper exchange and Hill is truly a Top 7 dynasty WR headed into the 2022 season. I also expect the ballsy McDaniel to find a way to improve the QB spot in 2023 if the Dolphins whole offense isn’t firing off all cylinders next season. With that enunciated, I still expect Hill to be fed the pigskin well with a quality Tua or an average Tua. Hill should be worth multiple early, first-round picks right now.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Miami Dolphins have clearly pressed the pedal to the metal over the past week. Mike McDaniel has recently brought in the elite left tackle Terron Armstead and speed-demon wideout Tyreek Hill. I still believe McDaniel has some tricks up his sleeve and he will look to add a few more pieces to his puzzle. With that said, here are a few profiles that the Dolphins could look to add this offseason.

• Jadeveon Clowney

It’s hard to believe the Dolphins aren’t the favorite to ink Jadeveon Clowney at this point in time. Clowney (9 sacks in 2021) can join a very talented defense that had the ninth most takeaways last season. The Dolphins offense could even match or surpass the talent of the Phins defense with the NFL’s top WR trio (DeVante Parker, Hill, Waddle). Last but not least, Clowney can work hard in the beautiful Miami area.

• Ndamukong Suh

The Dolphins should aspire to sign the versatile, familar stud Ndamukong Suh on a short deal. If Suh doesn’t want to return to Tampa, he should join the loaded Dolphins team. Suh isn’t “washed up”, as he six sacks in 2021 and six sacks in 2020. He also has 16 TFLs in the past two seasons combined. Suh could be a pivotal x-factor against the Patriots and Bills time-chewing offenses.

• Anthony Barr

The former Vikings Pro Bowl LB Anthony Barr could be a flexible chess piece for Josh Boyer’s defense. Barr can play inside LB, OLB, and he can come off the edge on occasion. Barr had 3 interceptions and 2.5 sacks for the Vikings last season. According to NBC Sports, the Vikings are unlikely to re-sign Barr. He can be a better version of Kyle Van Noy for the Phins defense.

Honorable mention:

• Tyrann Mathieu

I don’t foresee the Dolphins signing Clowney and the Honey Badger, but they should look to strike gold with Clowney or Tyrann Mathieu. The former All-Pro Chiefs safety is apparently looking to get a very wealthy contract. The Dolphins recently cut ties with Allen Hurns and Jesse Davis, so they could surprise and pay the Honey Badger his due.

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By: Jake Rajala

The chill Mike McDaniel took an extra espresso this morning and made a bold trade to acquire Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins also gave Hill a 4-year, $120 million dollar contract extension. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs received the Dolphins 29th overall pick in the upcoming draft, a 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft, and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

The Dolphins will truly have a star playmaker in Hill, who will be in the same WR unit as Jaylen Waddle and DeVante Parker. McDaniel clearly wanted to come out balls to the wall in his first offseason in Miami. His impressive acquisition comes a day after they signed the premier left tackle Terron Armstead in free agency.

The Dolphins are putting together a scary roster, but they are also placing a lot of hope on Tua Tagovailoa. It’s possible to have a talented QB carry an offense with mediocre weaponry, but unlimited firepower can’t make an average passer consistently superb and clutch in 2-minute situations.

Hill may be a gifted talent, but the Chiefs clearly feel comfortable letting him walk out of the building. They still feel like they have excellent playmakers surrounding Mahomes, such as the newly acquired JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce. They will also lean on the 26-year-old Mahomes improving his all-around craft without his former deep-threat wideout.

The ultimate question arises after the Hill trade has been completed: which team won the trade? Well, here are the grades that I believe each squad deserves:

Miami Dolphins: B-

The Dolphins will likely be a playoff contender for the next few seasons at least, but I’m not sure that Hill was worth the bank. They have a terrific WR duo in Waddle and Parker, plus I don’t know if Tua is the type of QB that will properly utilize all three WRs to at least near their full potential. He doesn’t exactly strike me as the prime Peyton Manning on the Denver Broncos or the 2021 Joe Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.

I still have a ton of confidence in McDaniel and I believe he can be a mad genius with Hill in his offense. I expect Hill to get many screens, jet sweeps, and deep shots down the field. He will bring a boost to their offense, but I’m not convinced the Dolphins will have an elite offense and I believe they struggle at having the money to add many other quality pieces to their squad in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Kansas City Chiefs: D

I believe the Chiefs made a brutal mistake in allowing Hill to leave their offense. Hill may not be a final championship piece on the Dolphins and nearly every other potential trade suitor, but he was a big part of their opportunity to win more Super Bowl trophies with Mahomes.

The Chiefs saved money by signing JuJu and letting Hill walk, but they should have had a better plan to keep Hill. He’s an enormous reason why the Chiefs were able to have miraculous comebacks in each 2020 playoff content. Over the past few seasons, the Chiefs arguably whiffed on the draft selection of Clyde Edwards-Helaire and they allowed Hill to leave the building.

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By: Khari Demos

The Miami Dolphins always seem to be an intriguing place for evaluating quarterbacks. With the selection of former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL Draft, it looked like the Dolphins had found their next best thing under center since Dan Marino.

But after two seasons, the jury may still be out on Tua. By comparison to his fellow 2020 draft mates, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow are considered to be in the elite QB club. Herbert was the 2020 NFL Rookie of the Year and followed that up with a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, while Burrow just led Cincinnati back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 season.

Meanwhile, for Tua, he’s had far more struggles and had similar numbers this season to players who may be considered lesser at the position.

But even with all the smoke and rumors about Tua, the Dolphins have brought in head coach Mike McDaniel, who similarly to owner Stephen Ross, has vowed to help get the best out of the southpaw QB. Just take a look at what the new HC said about Tua on Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine:

“I’m really excited moving forward because the guy has some skills that I think are untapped. I think it’s important that you empower the quarterback with the rest of the players around him and the scheme you bring forth. So, I think his best days are in front of him. And that’s a really cool piece of the process to be part of as a coach.”

Tua’s subtle athletic ability should fit well in McDaniel’s zone-run, bootleg-based system. The 38-year-old coach comes from the Shanahan coaching tree, having worked under both Mike and Kyle throughout his career. The movement and misdirection should work well for Tua as he enters Year 3.

So who should Miami target to back him up? I like it when teams add players who have similar skillsets to their starters, as well as guys who may have played under a coach before or in a similar scheme.

Also to consider, Chris Streveler is the team’s only other QB under contract for 2022, as the Dolphins enter free agency with a league-high $61. 2 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. Plus, with Tua’s injury history that includes a fractured hip at ‘Bama, as well as missing four games this past season, Miami needs a viable backup just in case he misses anymore action.

With all things considered, here are three names the Dolphins should highly consider bringing to their QB room.

Tyrod Taylor

One of the more experienced QBs on the market, Taylor no question fits the same mold as a player like Tua. Not only does he have high-level athleticism for the position, running a lot of play-action and boot game will be similar to what he did while in Buffalo. His 1,575 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns helped the Bills finish as a top-five rushing team twice in his three years as a starter, including his 2015 season where he was a Pro Bowl alternate.

Last season also showed that Taylor can still play, even in a limited fashion. Even with what many considered arguably the worst roster in football with the Houston Texans, the Virginia Tech product had a strong showing in a Week 1 smackdown of the Jacksonville Jaguars, before going 10 for 11 in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns before injuring his hamstring.

Once healthy, Taylor then helped Houston knock off the AFC’s eventual No. 1-seed in the Tennessee Titans in Week 11.

Similar to Tua, Taylor’s biggest issue seems to be health, as he’s missed action in three of the last four seasons. But that’s why he could make the perfect backup for Tua and something else to consider with Taylor is his recent history with young QBs.

Whether it was Herbert, Baker Mayfield, or Davis Mills last season, Taylor has been more mentor than impact player over the last few seasons. He did have his days in the sun leading Buffalo back to the playoffs in 2017, but his days as a starting QB are likely behind him.

But as a QB with a dual-threat skill set and prior experience as a starter in the NFL? That sounds like the perfect type of backup for a young signal-caller.

Colt McCoy

The former Texas Longhorn QB has had more downs than ups throughout his NFL career, but the 2021 campaign was his best yet, as he helped the Arizona Cardinals go 2-1 in a stretch without Kyler Murray. Even in a small sample size, his 101.4 passer rating, 54.5 QBR and 74.7% completion rate were some of the best marks of his career.

His best showing of the year came in a Week 11 win over Seattle. McCoy went 35 for 44 with 328 passing yards and two TDs.

So like Taylor, McCoy’s undersized stature (6-foot-1, 212 pounds) and movement ability would not only present similarly to Tua’s, but would also fit perfectly in McDaniel’s spin on the Shanahan system. The biggest issue here may be Arizona letting McCoy walk, as the Cardinals have noted how crucial it’ll be to bring him back for his 12th NFL season.

Marcus Mariota

This might be the zestiest name of the group for several reasons. First off, there’s still a lot of high hopes for a player that was selected No. 2 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Another dual-threat player at QB, Mariota could also be a fit for McDaniel’s system with his ability to roll out and get the ball out in a West Coast scheme. The former Oregon Ducks QB rushed for over 300 yards on three occasions as a Tennessee Titan.

But over the last three seasons, the 28-year-old has not put much tread on his tires, as he’s only played in 18 games since 2019 (including six starts). Things did not end well for the 2014 Heisman Trophy Winner in Nashville, so he had to find a different role in a different place, eventually landing with Las Vegas to back up Derek Carr.

Mariota did not see much action during his time with the Raiders, but he drew a ton of buzz for his performance against the Dolphins late in the 2020 season after Carr bowed out due to injury.

I think one other very underrated factor here is Mariota and Tua’s relationship. As two Hawaiian born signal callers, it has been stated how much the Dolphins’ starting QB has looked up to Mariota over the years, so there’d be a natural, mutual respect if he were to come to Miami.

So that may give the Dolphins an upper hand in terms of signing Mariota. But what could be the biggest roadblock for this deal is his desire to return to the starting QB ranks in the league. Here’s what he said during training camp last year in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill.

“Absolutely,” Mariota said when asked if he keeps an eye on other QB situations throughout the NFL. “It is my goal (to be a starter), so I do keep tabs on what’s going on. For us as players, it’s kind of important to see what the landscape is. That being said, I enjoy this team. It’s a great organization to play for.”

That may be the biggest issue here for Miami. But if the Dolphins are able to convince Mariota to mentor a player in Tua that he’s mentored since the latter was in fourth grade, they could have a great QB insurance policy on their hands down in South Beach.

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