Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier reaffirmed the franchise's belief in Tua Tagovailoa following a reported pursuit of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Grier told reporters Wednesday that pursuing Watson was "no different" from how the team approaches any other position on the field. He added the Dolphins are "very happy" with Tagovailoa.

As much as Grier and the Miami front office might say otherwise, it's difficult not to view the team's interest in Watson as a reflection of its feelings on Tagovailoa. If the Dolphins thought the 2020 first-round pick could one day reach an All-Pro level, then they presumably wouldn't have looked to add Watson in the first place.

CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora also reported in September that head coach Brian Flores "would have preferred to select Justin Herbert over Tagovailoa." Grier denied that rumor, but the report's existence only furthered the perception about how skeptically the organization views its franchise quarterback.

Now, Miami is left to deal with the consequences after failing to strike a deal with the Texans before Tuesday's deadline.

Through five starts in 2021, Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,040 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Compared to fellow draftees Herbert (1,994 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions) and Joe Burrow (2,215 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions), the southpaw has yield underwhelming returns.

To that end, it wouldn't be surprising if the Dolphins are having misgivings about orienting their future around Tagovailoa.

The Arizona Cardinals used a first-round pick on Josh Rosen in 2018 and traded him away one year later when the opportunity to select Kyler Murray presented itself. Dwayne Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick, didn't last two full seasons with the Washington Football Team.

Grier is undoubtedly in a difficult position because he can't come out publicly and say the Dolphins are losing faith in Tagovailoa. However, the rumors that have surrounded the team in recent months are certainly giving that impression.

Deshaun Watson is expected to remain with the Houston Texans past the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline after the Miami Dolphins reportedly declined to make a move at this time.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Dolphins owner Stephen Ross made the final decision to not pursue Watson. 

The Texans are expected to resume trade talks during the offseason. 

Watson is currently the subject of 22 lawsuits by women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. Ten women have made criminal complaints against Watson; the Houston Police Department and NFL are investigating the allegations.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the ongoing cases and investigations were the main blocking point in a trade getting done ahead of the deadline. Watson's playing future remains up in the air, and it's likely he will face an NFL suspension next season, even if he's not charged with a crime. The NFL's personal conduct policy does not require criminal charges or convictions for players to be suspended.

Watson has been inactive every game this season. 

The Dolphins were regularly mentioned as Watson's top suitor, and it seemed recently that there was momentum for a deal. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk told Pardon My Take last week that there was a "94.9 percent" chance Watson would be traded before the deadline.

Miami has not seemed enamored with Tua Tagovailoa since taking him with the No. 5 pick in last year's NFL draft. Coach Brian Flores gave Tagovailoa a tepid endorsement last week, saying the Alabama product would be his quarterback for the remainder of the 2021 season but offered no guarantees beyond that. 

The overwhelming likelihood is that the Dolphins and Texans will resume trade talks when and if the lawsuits and cases against Watson are resolved. While Miami could face increased competition from teams wanting a young quarterback, the Dolphins remain an overwhelming favorite to be Watson's eventual landing spot. 

The Miami Dolphins are 1-7 to start the 2021 season, and their long-term outlook is even worse without much proven young talent on the roster.

"There are very few core players," an NFL executive said of the Dolphins, per Mike Sando of The Athletic. "They probably had the most draft capital to work with, and it is not like they have turned themselves into the (1990s) Cowboys. When you miss on that many picks, you have to wonder, 'Does your coach even know what he wants?'"

The Dolphins have traded several high-profile players in recent years, including Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil, allowing the team to make five first-round picks and four second-round picks over the last two drafts. 

There are few sure things on the roster as the team continues its rebuild.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in 2020, has been up-and-down since entering the league and has an 86.7 quarterback rating in 15 appearances. The team has been heavily linked to Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline as a possible long-term replacement under center.

Second-year offensive linemen Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt have earned starting roles, but the entire unit has struggled this season. 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene has failed to earn consistent playing time at cornerback.

Rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle has played well this season, but his production is far behind Ja'Marr Chase, who was taken one spot earlier in the 2021 draft.

The result is a team that has lost seven games in a row after beating the New England Patriots while ranking 28th in the NFL in points scored per game and 29th in points allowed. 

Miami went 10-6 last season but couldn't be expected to sustain success without more production from its young players. It creates a lot of uncertainty heading into the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline Tuesday.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard could draw some interest from teams ahead of the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported he expects the Dolphins to field calls for Howard, who has sought out a new contract. The Dolphins are 1-7 after Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Howard is under contract through the 2024 season, so there's no real urgency from the Dolphins' side to make a trade. The two-time NFL interceptions leader has recorded 23 tackles and had two picks through the first half of the 2021 campaign but has not played up to his previous form. Pro Football Focus has given him a replacement-level grade of 59.4 for the season. 

Howard requested a trade during the offseason but has seemingly changed his mind as the deadline approaches. 

The Dolphins are one of the NFL's biggest disappointments this season. They were expected to compete for a playoff spot after going 10-6 in 2020 but would need to win out in order to match their win total from last season, a highly unlikely event given their level of play through the first eight weeks.

Howard will undoubtedly draw some interest from teams looking to buy low, but the odds are he stays in Miami and the team hopes 2021 is a blip on the radar. 

The Miami Dolphins are in last place in the AFC East at 1-7, but head coach Brian Flores is more concerned about his players than his job security.

"I'm just worried about the players," Flores told reporters after Sunday's 26-11 loss to the Buffalo Bills. "I'm worried about getting them better, helping them improve. So no [I'm not worried about job security]."

Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN noted Flores met with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier following the loss but explained he always does so after games.

While the Dolphins were just 5-11 in Flores' first season as the head coach in 2019, they appeared to turn the corner last year on the way to a 10-6 record. They fell just short of the playoffs but seemed to be on the right track.

They remained on the right track with a victory over the New England Patriots to start the season, but things have derailed with seven straight losses.

It's reached a point that Dolphins great Larry Csonka called for a rebuild on Twitter:

Flores is now 16-24 through 40 games for the Dolphins and hasn't inspired much confidence during the recent losing streak. Perhaps last season's impressive performance will buy him some time as the team looks to turn things around with an eye on the future.

He doesn't seem particularly worried about his job status, but he will likely be under the spotlight in the second half of the season.

The Dolphins have winnable games remaining against the Houston Texans, New York Jets (twice) and New York Giants, and how they perform during those could determine whether Flores is still the head coach in 2022.

Several receivers and tight ends could be on the move ahead of the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, New York Giants pass-catchers Darius Slayton and Evan Engram, Miami Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker and Arizona Cardinals wideout Andy Isabella have all been discussed in potential trades. 

Breer also listed the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions among the teams looking for help at the position.

Trades make sense for the Dolphins and Giants, two struggling teams with an excess of pass-catchers when healthy.

Slayton and Engram are behind Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney on the depth chart, although each could be valuable in the right situation. Slayton had over 700 receiving yards at 15 yards per catch in each of the past two years. He has kept pace in 2021 with 12 catches for 190 yards.

With a 14.6 average depth of target, Slayton could be a quality deep threat on any team.

Engram has struggled with consistency during his career, but the tight end earned a Pro Bowl selection last season and has elite athleticism in a 6'3", 240-pound frame. If he can keep his drops down (he has one this season after totaling 11 in 2020), he can be a difference-maker in a new location.

Parker also has upside as a former first-round pick who totaled 1,202 receiving yards just two years ago. The 28-year-old has been quieter in 2021 with 17 catches for 242 yards, although he is competing for targets with Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki in an offense that ranks 29th in scoring.

With Will Fuller V also on the roster, the Dolphins could move on easily without Parker.

Isabella is in a more unique situation, as he can't get any playing time behind one of the deepest receiving corps in the NFL. The 2019 second-round pick has played zero offensive snaps and just six special teams snaps so far in 2021, per Pro Football Reference.

Arizona already has DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore, which means it would take a lot for Isabella to move into a prominent role in the offense.

A team could take a chance on the former UMass star to see if he can contribute with more playing time. 

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores confirmed Tua Tagovailoa will remain the team's starting quarterback for the rest of 2021:

The statement comes amid reports that the Dolphins are involved in trade talks with the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported the teams have a tentative agreement for a deal, but Dolphins chairman Stephen Ross wants the "legal issues resolved." Watson has been accused of sexual assault or sexual misconduct by 22 women who have filed civil lawsuits against him.

Despite the constant trade buzz, Tagovailoa has remained positive about his role as the team's franchise quarterback.

"I have utmost confidence and trust I am the quarterback of this team," he said Wednesday. "Off conversations I've had with Flo—those will stay private—I feel very confident I’m the person."

Tagovailoa has been widely criticized since being selected fifth in the 2020 draft. The former Alabama star had a quiet rookie season with just 11 passing touchdowns in 10 appearances, averaging 181.4 passing yards per game.

There are also questions about his durability after a hip injury prematurely ended his college career and a rib injury held him out of games in 2021. 

The 23-year-old has still showed his upside in recent weeks, totaling 620 passing yards and six touchdowns in the past two games since returning from his rib injury. He has also only made 13 starts in his career, giving him time to reach his potential at this level.

Miami is likely already out of playoff contention after a 1-6 start, but Flores is clearly prepared to give Tagovailoa a chance to prove himself for the future. 

Tua Tagovailoa isn't letting the Deshaun Watson rumors get in his head.

“I have utmost confidence and trust I am the quarterback of this team. Off conversations I've had with [coach Brian Flores], those will stay private, I feel very confident I’m the person," Tagovailoa told reporters Wednesday.

The Dolphins have been linked to Watson for months, with seemingly the only thing holding them back from making a trade are Watson's ongoing civil and legal issues stemming from allegations of sexual assault. Twenty-two women have filed lawsuits against Watson and 10 have filed criminal complaints, alleging crimes ranging from unwanted touching to forced oral sex. 

Houston police and the NFL are conducting investigations into the matter.

Several recent reports have suggested the Texans are determined to trade Watson before the Nov. 2 deadline, with the Dolphins being the overwhelming favorite. David Newton of ESPN reported Wednesday that the Carolina Panthers, who are widely regarded as the other major suitor for Watson, are not planning to make a pre-deadline deal.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has all but confirmed that Watson will be eligible to play if he is traded.

"Obviously, the police have been investigating, and we don't have access to all of that information at this point in time," Goodell told reporters Tuesday. "We pride ourselves on not interfering in that and in being as cooperative as we can in order to get all the facts. I think that process is still ongoing."

The Dolphins are 1-6 and have looked decidedly unlike a playoff team, but they do have an incentive to play well over the season's second half. Miami will send its first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of a deal that was completed in the 2021 draft. It's almost certain the team wants that pick to be in the double digits rather than the top-three selection it would be if the season ended today.

Tagovailoa has been solid but unspectacular during his young NFL career. He's thrown for 835 yards and seven touchdowns against four interceptions in four games this season, missing three contests with a rib injury.

Watson is one of the five best quarterbacks in football when he's on the field. When it comes to measuring ceilings, there is no comparison. However, the Dolphins and every other interested party has to measure Watson's skill set versus his significant off-field issues. 

The Miami Dolphins have reportedly signed veteran running back Duke Johnson to their practice squad, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Johnson, 28, last played an NFL game for the Houston Texans in 2020, registering 235 rushing yards, 28 catches for 249 yards and two total scores in 11 contests.

In a career featuring stints with the Cleveland Browns (2015-18) and Texans (2019-20), Johnson has rushed for 459 yards and eight touchdowns, adding 307 receptions for 2,829 yards and 12 scores. He's largely been utilized as a pass-catching, third-down running back throughout his time in the NFL. 

Johnson had spent time on the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad this season as well. 

As for Miami, the Johnson signing comes as Malcolm Brown is set to head to injured reserve:

Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed will still lead the backfield for Miami in what has been a tough year for the team's running backs. The Dolphins are averaging 80.1 rushing yards per week, 31st in the NFL, and have scored just three rushing touchdowns (tied 28th). 

Granted, not much has gone right for the 1-6 Dolphins, and fans don't even have a top-five pick to look forward to if the struggles continue, given that the Philadelphia Eagles own Miami's first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. 

A year after going 10-6 and nearly making the playoffs, the Dolphins are one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. 

While the Miami Dolphins have been the overwhelming focus of trade rumors for Deshaun Watson, it appears the Carolina Panthers are another potential strong suitor.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN made an appearance Monday on SportsCenter and said Carolina's loss to the New York Giants on Sunday may have created a bidding war:

"With Carolina, things have changed after that ugly loss to the New York Giants. I've checked with multiple sources who acknowledge that things could heat up for Watson, largely because they need a franchise quarterback, and right now, the feeling is they might not have one. Now, Carolina was heavily involved in Watson's sweepstakes back in February-March time before the sexual assault allegations. I was told they were willing to outbid just about anybody at that time, so that's important to keep in mind. Now Miami, their talks could intensify because the feeling around the league is they didn't want to bid against themselves originally. But now, if Carolina or other teams are involved, they might not have to. Sitting at 1-6, though, [it's] still unclear how far they want to go to the finish line here. But I was told directly from a source, Deshaun Watson is willing to consider multiple options here. It is not 'Miami or bust' as has been sort of the perception league-wide. Multiple teams are going to be interested, and he's going to take all that into account."

The Panthers dropped their fourth straight game in a 25-3 loss to the Giants, with quarterback Sam Darnold being benched in the second half. Darnold has thrown seven interceptions over the course of the losing streak. 

The Dolphins, meanwhile, dropped to 1-6 with a last-second loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Peter King of NBC Sports reported Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is "not pushing his football people" to make a deal for Watson, though it's possible that changes if the Panthers are interested. Miami has consistently expressed interest but reportedly did not want to bid against itself.

Teams have remained hesitant to meet the Texans' exorbitant asking price for Watson as he remains under investigation for sexual assault and misconduct. Twenty-two women have filed civil lawsuits, and several others spoke to Houston police regarding their allegations. The NFL is also conducting its own investigation.

The Texans have kept Watson inactive for each of their first seven games, allowing the NFL to avoid a decision on whether he'll be placed on the commissioner's exempt list. King reported the league has no plans to inform any potential suitor one way or another whether Watson will be eligible after a trade. Even if Watson is eligible for the remainder of this season, it's likely he will face a suspension next season under the NFL's personal conduct policy.

"I am trying to understand something," an executive told King. "We're not even sure if Watson would be able to play on opening day next year because of all these cases against him right now, and Houston thinks it'll get someone to pay three ones and two twos for him by the trading deadline this year? It's crazy to think anyone would do that. It's crazy for Houston to not wait till the offseason."

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported one factor that could push the Texans to make a more immediate move is owner Cal McNair, who "just wants it to be over with." Watson has also reportedly handled the situation "professionally" behind the scenes.

The Dolphins arguably have more incentive to make an immediate trade for Watson because they traded their first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. That selection would be No. 2 or No. 3 if the season ended today. Adding Watson for the second half of the 2021 season—assuming he's eligible to play—might not make the Dolphins a playoff team, but they would likely win enough to wind up giving up a more palatable selection. 

The Panthers could instantly have one of football's most dynamic offenses with Watson and a returning Christian McCaffrey. However, they may be more comfortable waiting until the quarterback's legal situation is sorted.