BREAKING NEWS: It's TUA Time!

But make no mistake: There’s been a difference in practice between Tua’s throws compared to the 37-year-old Fitzpatrick’s throws. "It’s obvious,'' one team official said. It should be, too. That’s why Tua was the hot draft pick at No. 5. So the issue always was the best way to get to Tua’s talents quickest.

How diligent has Tagovailoa been in preparing for this day?

Tagovailoa has been consulting not only with the offensive staff and personnel, but defensive players, too.

“He actually comes around and asks the defensive guys how he can get better,” linebacker Jerome Baker said recently. “Even in his first few weeks, he was coming into the defensive rooms and asking us how to see this or how to do that.”

Baker advised him to attempt any throw he thinks he can make because “if it’s going to help you, it’s going to help us. Just do whatever you can to get better. In practice, that’s your time to really [experiment], just try to do things that you normally wouldn’t do. He’s a smart guy.”

Tagovailoa will need to contend with Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald in his first NFL start. Donald’s advice to him?

“Hold the ball,” Donald cracked Tuesday to SI.com, laughing. “Don’t do too much running. Take them sacks.”

Though Dolphins players were surprised by the timing — the team had not been told of the quarterback change when the news leaked — reaction conveyed Tuesday by a few Dolphins players was positive, despite the affection and high regard internally for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Two players said Tagovailoa has looked good in practice, and one expressed excitement about the transition. One conveyed that Tagovailoa has a cannon for an arm, and it will be interesting to see if the vertical passing game becomes a bigger component of Miami’s attack.

Teammates like Tagovailoa and his infectious personality; they were impressed when he reached out to many of them after the draft to introduce himself.

Degarmo wrote:I don't know if you all saw the picture of Tua after the game this week, but he went back out to the field in full gear and sat down on the 15 yard line and took it all in.  That made me a huge fan of his right at that moment.  I'll be damned if I'm not gonna root for a kid that gives a shit, with so many of these guys in the NFL just collecting a check for showing up.

DolFan 316 wrote:Meh. It's something I guess but I still can't get excited enough to watch or care about this joke of a season. It would be different if the virus and BLM didn't exist but they do, so...

white1 wrote:Just read on Twitter (sorry no link): Trevor Lawrence has engaged the services of an NFL advisor.  The advisor is recommending that he stay at Clemson if the Jets own the #1 overall pick.

LOL!!!!!!

Classic Jets - they are so bad they are nearly a lock to get the top pick, but also so bad that college QBs are going to actually tell them no.  At least Miami can tank right - it takes finesse HAHA!