Mike McDaniel: Tua Tagovailoa’s skill set is “very…

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Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has displayed flashes of his potential in his first two seasons. But the fifth pick of the 2020 draft has yet to display much consistency of high-level play.

Miami’s hoping new head coach Mike McDaniel can help draw that out of him, just as McDaniel said he would when speaking to the quarterback during his private flight to South Florida. McDaniel’s offense should be a decent fit for the young quarterback.

In an interview with ESPN, McDaniel touted Tagovailoa’s ability and potential within the scheme.

“What I’ve seen is a skill set that I’m familiar with, that’s very successful in this offense,” McDaniel said, via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. “You’re seeing a very accurate passer that receivers love to catch footballs from — tight spirals and accurate throws, which are huge for run after the catch and YAC yardage. What that means for an offense is if you have people who can run after the catch, that’s an outstanding skill set for him.

“I also see some great athleticism, some natural pocket movement and really, a tough competitor that’s willing to stand in there when necessary. All of these things that are components to a quarterback’s game that are very important in NFL systems.”

McDaniel has said Jaylen Waddle in particular can be effective when it comes to YAC.

Tagovailoa completed 68 percent of his passes last season for 2,653 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If McDaniel can get more out of Tagovailoa in 2022, the Dolphins may finally have the franchise quarterback they’ve long needed.