Some NFL Scout takes on Tua

Someone will pull the trigger, but interesting to read that some teams have taken them off their board completely

An anonymous NFL executive expressed "serious concern about the durability" of Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa to The Athletic's Bob McGinn.
McGinn has conducted these polls with executives and scouts for 36 years. Quotes were made anonymous starting in 2015. That executive wasn't the only one of the 18 polled to slam Tagovailoa. "I don?t want to put my whole franchise on a left-handed, beat-up, 6-foot quarterback. No thank you," said an AFC personnel man. ?He?s a great college player but, wow, he is fragile,? another AFC personnel man said. ?He?s a super kid and I don?t wish ill will, but there?s three, four or five red flags staring us all in the face saying, ?You know what? This guy?s not going to be all that he?s cracked up to be.?? Some teams have expressed concern about Tagovailoa's hip injury being a problem again in a few years, causing concern when he's due a second NFL contract. On top of the hip, Tagovailoa has also had surgeries on both ankles for high-ankle sprains, a sprained knee, and hand surgery. He's already been pretty banged up in his career. At least three teams have removed Tua from their draft boards completely. His draft night could be interesting.

Top 5 pick.

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Originally Posted by HoopsDawg

Top 5 pick.

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Agree, but there may only be a couple teams willing to take him there. All it takes is one

Bust

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Originally Posted by Cooterpoot

Bust

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I thing so too. He's smallish, has been beat up and I honestly don't think he has the arm strength(he is very accurate thought) to be a big time NFL QB. That's just my opinion though.

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

I thing so too. He's smallish, has been beat up and I honestly don't think he has the arm strength(he is very accurate thought) to be a big time NFL QB. That's just my opinion though.

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I could see him having a Sam Bradford type career.

Sam Bradford was actually an above average QB when healthy, but could never take a hit.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

I could see him having a Sam Bradford type career.

Sam Bradford was actually an above average QB when healthy, but could never take a hit.

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I think that's a good comp. I just don't see Tua being a game changer in the NFL.

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Originally Posted by Cooterpoot

Bust

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Agree. He may get hurt in training camp. He will never play a full season as a starter. He wouldn't be on my board for early pick.

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

I could see him having a Sam Bradford type career.

Sam Bradford was actually an above average QB when healthy, but could never take a hit.

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RG3

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Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

Agree, but there may only be a couple teams willing to take him there. All it takes is one

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Hey there is always the Oakland Las Vegas Raiders.

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Originally Posted by Irondawg

Someone will pull the trigger, but interesting to read that some teams have taken them off their board completely

An anonymous NFL executive expressed "serious concern about the durability" of Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa to The Athletic's Bob McGinn.
McGinn has conducted these polls with executives and scouts for 36 years. Quotes were made anonymous starting in 2015. That executive wasn't the only one of the 18 polled to slam Tagovailoa. "I don?t want to put my whole franchise on a left-handed, beat-up, 6-foot quarterback. No thank you," said an AFC personnel man. ?He?s a great college player but, wow, he is fragile,? another AFC personnel man said. ?He?s a super kid and I don?t wish ill will, but there?s three, four or five red flags staring us all in the face saying, ?You know what? This guy?s not going to be all that he?s cracked up to be.?? Some teams have expressed concern about Tagovailoa's hip injury being a problem again in a few years, causing concern when he's due a second NFL contract. On top of the hip, Tagovailoa has also had surgeries on both ankles for high-ankle sprains, a sprained knee, and hand surgery. He's already been pretty banged up in his career. At least three teams have removed Tua from their draft boards completely. His draft night could be interesting.

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I would love to know the three teams who removed him from their draft board completely. So those teams wouldn't take Tua in the 7th round? Interesting.

And I would be very wary of taking him in the top 10. But removing him completely from your draft board is pretty stupid.

Tua minus the injury/durability issue is absolutely starting NFL QB material.

With that said, I would not draft him in the first or even the second round. I would not bet on him ever making it a full 17 games plus playoffs without missing time with an injury.

Well one big plus side for Tua, he doesn't have to play MSU in the NFL.
Didn't we pretty much end both of his seasons?

I think Tua is going to have a big time career. You can barely touch the QB in the NFL and he will be taught to slide/get rid of the ball much like Russell Wilson had to learn to do the same.

I think he's absolutely a game changer WHEN HEALTHY. I just have absolutely zero faith that he could stay healthy for through the grind of an NFL season. He plays too reckless, but playing reckless is what makes Tua great.

It's a no win situation for a team looking for a Day 1 starter and that's why I wouldn't risk taking him.

Tua is all about risk vs reward.

- Based on what everyone here has seen from Tua at Bama, odds are he going to be consistently hurt.

- Does that mean he will get hurt? No.

- Does that mean if a team takes him & he doesn't stay consistently hurt, that team was right? No necessarily because the odds are he will get hurt. The result doesn't make it quality decision. You can have the wrong process & still end up right while also having the right process & end up wrong.

- Thus the question with Tua comes down to this with me..... in order to off set the odds of being consistently injured, he has to possess what I deem to be high high ceiling QB skills. To that end, I have questions about arm strength, consistently throwing to wide open WRs in college, & on field demeanor as I've expressed my concern with him constantly limping on the field

I would not take him, but, if a team thought that his ceiling off set the odds that he will be consistently injured, then that would be a quality process in taking him as a top 5 pick

It will be interesting to look back and 5 years and see who was the better pro - Tua or Hurts

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Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve

I think he's absolutely a game changer WHEN HEALTHY. I just have absolutely zero faith that he could stay healthy for through the grind of an NFL season. He plays too reckless, but playing reckless is what makes Tua great.

It's a no win situation for a team looking for a Day 1 starter and that's why I wouldn't risk taking him.

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nothing ventured, nothing gained. there is no such thing as a safe draft pick at QB other than maybe Peyton Manning.

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Originally Posted by HoopsDawg

nothing ventured, nothing gained. there is no such thing as a safe draft pick at QB other than maybe Peyton Manning.

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Good point. Some great QB's in the game:

Brees - not a first rounder
Brady - 5th or 6th round
Rodgers- possible number 1 pick slid to late 1st round
Dak - 4th round
Mahomes and Watson - taken after Trubisky
Russell Wilson - not a first rounder

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

Good point. Some great QB's in the game:

Brees - not a first rounder
Brady - 5th or 6th round
Rodgers- possible number 1 pick slid to late 1st round
Dak - 4th round
Mahomes and Watson - taken after Trubisky
Russell Wilson - not a first rounder

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But this is evidence to not reach up and take a QB.

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Originally Posted by HoopsDawg

I think Tua is going to have a big time career. You can barely touch the QB in the NFL and he will be taught to slide/get rid of the ball much like Russell Wilson had to learn to do the same.

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Did you watch Dak play last couple years? Year before last he was running for his life every play. Those NFL Ds are on another level. Little ole MSU last year just fell on him. Tua couldn't handle Sweat and Simmons year before. He'll see that every week, every play. Great 7on7 QB but NFL will eat him alive unless he gets in a perfect situation and has a lot of luck.

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Originally Posted by R2Dawg

Did you watch Dak play last couple years? Year before last he was running for his life every play. Those NFL Ds are on another level. Little ole MSU last year just fell on him. Tua couldn't handle Sweat and Simmons year before. He'll see that every week, every play. Great 7on7 QB but NFL will eat him alive unless he gets in a perfect situation and has a lot of luck.

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Get rid of the ball quick like brees

I worry about him, as well... Tua might not have the same skill position talent around him in the NFL (as in college)...

He's GOT to learn to chunk the ball away... If he figures that out, he'll have a decent chance at the next level....

13 on the wonderlic test too.

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Originally Posted by trob115

13 on the wonderlic test too.

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Ouch. I guess we know now why he takes the hits and don't get rid of the ball.

Who was the Ole Miss QB who scored the lowest ever on the wonderlic?

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

Ouch. I guess we know now why he takes the hits and don't get rid of the ball.

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Ouch is right. That score surprises me.

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

I would love to know the three teams who removed him from their draft board completely. So those teams wouldn't take Tua in the 7th round? Interesting.

And I would be very wary of taking him in the top 10. But removing him completely from your draft board is pretty stupid.

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Not if your team doc says no chance

That 13 score was actually from 2018 - he made a 19 this year when he took it. NFL average is 20

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Originally Posted by parabrave

Who was the Ole Miss QB who scored the lowest ever on the wonderlic?

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There's a number of them that wouldn't surprise me. Bo Wallace, Jeremiah Masoli, Chad Kelly, Romaro Miller, and I'm sure I'm leaving some out.

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Originally Posted by TUSK

I worry about him, as well... Tua might not have the same skill position talent around him in the NFL (as in college)...

He's GOT to learn to chunk the ball away... If he figures that out, he'll have a decent chance at the next level....

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When you play at Bama with those WRs ... don't have to hold ball long in most any game. Primary is usually open. And even if he did have to hold ball ... lots of time to look around. NFL will be different. He doesn't have much experience going down to his 3rd/4th progression after snap.

So I'm not sold on a healthy Tua being lights out in NFL. I think he'll struggle for a little while even if he stays healthy. We'll see. And you right about throwing the ball away too.

Anybody taking him top 20 will regret it. You can say the NFL protects QB's- but all but 5 teams gave up 30 sacks or more on the season.

Bama gave up 12 sacks in 2019. 12. And Tua still got broken.