The assessment of a former first-round pick quarterback is always an interesting discussion. There are going to be those who say they need more time or more pieces around them, and there will be those who give up after a few games.
In the case of Tua Tagovailoa, the evaluation is mid-way through his second year, but he hasn’t even started a full season of games. However, in the eyes of Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, the former Alabama quarterback isn’t the answer.
“I like Tua,” Carter said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Tuesday. “He’s a nice guy, but he can’t be my quarterback moving forward. I gotta be able to make the trade. I’ve got the picks, and I’m gonna get me a guy. [Do] you know the reason why? Because I can’t replace that whole offensive line, but if I trade for Deshaun Watson, I can have a bad offensive line, and he can get around with it.”
Carter has been sharing his belief that the Dolphins should trade for Watson for a while now. However, there’s a huge chance that if the Texans quarterback gets moved that he’s added to the Commissioner’s exempt list. Then, the Dolphins would be left with whatever pieces are leftover from the trade, and they still don’t have the quarterback.
It’s not as if Tagovailoa has been horrible. No, he’s not putting up huge numbers, but he’s not the reason you’re losing games. You can blame the failing offensive line and defense, the injuries to his top two veteran receivers, and the coaching staff.
He may not be the answer, but a trade for Watson is too risky at this point in time, and, when it becomes safe to make the trade, the Texans will either want to keep him or ask for even more.