By Jordan Long
The Miami Dolphins are preparing to take on the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. They look to improve on their 1-6 record. Rumors are swirling that Miami could land Houston Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson on or before the November 2nd trade deadline. It could also be during the offseason as well. If that is the case Tua Tagovailoa would be on his way out. The Broncos may be a landing spot for Tagovailoa.
The Denver Broncos have been searching for a long-term solution at quarterback ever since Peyton Manning won Super Bowl 50 and retired from the game. The Broncos have tried Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien, Drew Lock, and Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback. None of them have been the long-term answer.
This season Bridgewater ended up winning the job from Drew Lock. In the first 3 games of the year, Denver stood at 3-0 and Bridgewater looked like he would be the answer for the Broncos, for not only this year, but for the future going forward. Bridgewater passed for 827 yards and 4 touchdowns without an interception during the 3 game winning streak.
The last 4 games have been the opposite. The Broncos have lost 4 straight. Bridgewater passed for 874 yards and 8 touchdowns but tossed 5 interceptions.
It hasn’t been all his fault. Bridgewater has been rushed and hit many times this year by the opposing defenses. The line isn’t protecting him. Bridgewater has been sacked 18 times this year, far too many. The line needs to do a better job at protecting him otherwise he won’t last the rest of the year.
Let’s just say Watson goes to Miami and the Broncos are able to land Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa’s cap hit is reasonable for the next few years. He is going to have a cap hit of around $8.25 million next year and $9.663 million in 2023. The reason why Tagovailoa is still on his rookie deal. That makes a lot of sense for Denver. The Broncos would then have a decision to make with Lock and Bridgewater. Lock would probably be part of any deal. Bridgewater could be kept because he is a free agent after the season.
Tagovailoa may not be the quarterback of the future for Denver. He has shown flashes for the Dolphins, but he is probably not the long-term answer. Tagovailoa is still a project. In his 2-year NFL career Tagovailoa’s record is 7-6. He passed for 2,649 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Those numbers aren’t screaming to go out and trade for him. The Broncos are better off seeing what they have in Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. The worst case is Denver either drafts a quarterback in 2022 or they somehow land Aaron Rodgers.
Denver might need to upgrade the quarterback position next year. In the end, Tagovailoa may not even be available. The Dolphins could decide to keep him. Watson may not be delt to Miami. For Denver, depending on how the rest of the year goes, they will look at all options to upgrade the position. For now, Tagovailoa landing in the Mile High City is a long shot.
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