Tua medical recheck

Tagovailoa, according to the report, participated voluntarily in a medical recheck facilitated by the NFL Combine with an independent doctor that was selected by NFL team physicians. Results were “overwhelmingly positive,” according to NFL Network.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said all NFL team doctors were permitted to provide input on what exams they wanted to see conducted and a comprehensive exam was performed, with results shared with all 32 teams. His agency said he has now performed all his medical obligations.

“They cleared him, thank God they cleared him,” former Patriots and Raiders executive Mike Lombardi said sarcastically in an interview with vsinlive. “Dr. Leigh Steinberg’s office cleared him…. If Tua passed a physical, 32 teams in the NFL don’t know about it. Let me put it that way.”

Lombardi was kiddingly referencing Steinberg, one of Tagovailoa’s agents, along with Chris Cabott.

...the man who oversaw football operations for the Dolphins until last season says not only should his former team not trade up for Tagovailoa, but that it would be “irresponsible” to select him at all in the top 10 of this month’s NFL Draft.

Asked on ESPN’s First Take about whether he would trade up for Tagovailoa, Mike Tannenbaum — who’s now a commentator for the network — said: “In this environment I simply can’t do that for an organization when you look at the type of guaranteed money you have [for picks that high. Arizona quarterback and 2019 No. 1 overall pick] Kyler Murray had $25 million in fully guaranteed money.

“You just don’t know [how his health really is]. You want your own doctors, your own trainers, your own strength coaches to work with Tua, see mobility, see range of motion. And because we’re in this very unique environment, it would be irresponsible to take him in the top 10 simply because you don’t have information first hand to know exactly where he is.”

“It is an opportunity because the upside is so compelling, he is so talented [but] this is a conversation you want to have with your owner and your head coach and say, ‘Hey, if we are sitting here in January and he has to miss another year because this is an injury that’s hard to predict. It’s not a well-vascularized part of the body in terms of you could have re-injury.

“I want the owner to sign off to know if, ‘Hey, if this goes sideways, remember this conversation. This is a huge risk. And by the way, this player has been hurt two other times.’

“He is injury-prone and I want to make sure we’re in lockstep and this is a true partnership because I would rather take a safer player in the top 10 this year because of the unique circumstances. I would want to make sure the owner is ironclad with our decision.”