Miami Dolphins

A pair of former NFL stars reportedly nearly came to blows with Nick Saban during his tenure as head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005 to 2006.

According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd (h/t TMZ Sports), neither quarterback Daunte Culpepper nor linebacker Zach Thomas took kindly to Saban's coaching tactics (beginning at 2:57 mark):

With regard to Culpepper, who was acquired by the Dolphins in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings prior to the 2006 season, Glazer said: "Nick Saban, the reason why he didn't make it in the NFL, Daunte Culpepper tried to fight him one day, and the security guy stepped in."

Glazer added that Thomas almost went after Saban as well: "And then I think his final straw is that he questioned Zach Thomas' toughness, and Zach almost kicked his butt. That just doesn't work on this level."

While Culpepper only appeared in four games for the Dolphins during the 2006 season, Thomas is a Dolphins legend who was with the team from 1996 to 2007 and was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro during his tenure.

Thomas is widely regarded as one of the toughest and most productive linebackers of his era, so it comes as no surprise that Saban reportedly calling that into question wasn't well-received.

Saban is arguably the greatest college football coach of all time, as he owns a 261-65-1 record in 25 seasons as the head coach at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama.

Included in that record are seven national championships, six of which he has won at Alabama, with the other coming at LSU.

Saban did perhaps the best coaching job of his career this past season, leading the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record through the COVID-19 pandemic, culminating with a 52-24 win over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

As good as Saban has been in the college ranks, he didn't get the job done in the NFL, going just 15-17 with no playoff appearances in his two seasons with the Dolphins.

Another prominent college football coach in former Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is making the leap to the NFL this year as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Glazer warned against employing some of the same tactics Saban did but doesn't foresee the same issues popping up for Meyer since he's "not one of those guys who tries to go after you and demean you."

The Miami Dolphins are seeking a new offensive coordinator, but head coach Brian Flores made one thing clear on Thursday: the franchise is sticking behind Tua Tagovailoa.

The rookie quarterback got the ball in Week 8, taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. After a 3-3 start to the season, Tagovailoa started nine of the last 10 games, going 6-3.

"A lot of attention gets paid to Tua, but I thought he made a lot of improvement over the course of the season. I'm excited about the future with him," Flores told ESPN's Cameron Wolfe. "He's a young player, talented player, bounced back from the hip. I think this is a big offseason for him. That Year 1 to Year 2 jump will be important, like it is for all rookies."

Tagovailoa ended the year with 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions on 64.1 percent passing in 10 games. His veteran counterpart, Fitzpatrick, collected 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine appearances. 

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier stood behind Tagovailoa as the future of the franchise.

"Tua, we're very happy with," he said. "He's our starting quarterback."

According to Wolfe, Dolphins players were split on which quarterback they believed was the best option for the franchise. But the team believes that the Alabama product's bright spots outweigh the rust that comes with any rookie's adjustment to the NFL. 

“Criticism comes with the territory in the NFL across the board,” Flores told Wolfe. “Our team did a good job ignoring that stuff. Anyone who saw the Dolphins this year saw we were a tight-knit group and I think that’s still the case. The idea that there is any kind of fracture is overblown. I thought there was a lot of support throughout the locker room."

The Dolphins have interviewed six people for their vacancy at offensive coordinator, including two from inside the organization, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. 

A disappointing rookie season from Tua Tagovailoa has Miami Dolphins teammates questioning his abilities, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

General manager Chris Grier said last week it was "clear that Tua is our starter" going into 2021, but multiple anonymous Dolphins players don't think the position should be guaranteed.

"I understand what they said," one player said. "But I don't understand why."

"I don't know, man, that's like a puzzle right there," another player added.

Tagovailoa totaled 1,814 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 appearances this season after being selected No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick—who began the season as the team's starter—had 23 fewer pass attempts in 2020 but had more yards (2,091) and touchdowns (13) with a much better QBR (77.3 versus 52.9).

Players were reportedly "caught totally off guard" when the Dolphins benched Fitzpatrick for Tagovailoa in Week 8.

Miami finished 10-6 this season, mostly thanks to a defense that tied for fifth in points allowed while adding three non-offensive touchdowns. The squad has the talent to be a top contender in the AFC, but it will need more from the quarterback position.

Players are "not convinced Tagovailoa is going to be great in the future," per Salguero, and question whether he can match up with AFC stars like Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo's Josh Allen.

"Those are the boys we got to beat, right?" a defensive player said. "It looks right now like that's going to be a big challenge."

The front office and coaching staff appear to still have faith in Tagovailoa. The quarterback was recovering from a hip injury suffered at Alabama that cost him much of the offseason last year, while the lack of preseason games also likely hurt his development.

A full year as the starter could help him reach the potential he showcased when healthy in college. However, he might have an uphill battle to convince his teammates he is the right man for the job.

Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores announced the resignation of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey on Wednesday after Gailey spent one season with the organization.

"I want to thank Chan for all of his hard work and dedication in what was a unique year," Flores said. "He played an important role on the staff and in the development of our young roster. I wish him all the best."

Gailey, who retired in 2017 after a two-year stint with the New York Jets, returned to coaching last January on the Dolphins' staff. He'd previously worked with Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick during three years together with the Buffalo Bills (2010 to '12).

Fitzpatrick enjoyed success following the reunion with Gailey. He ranked fifth in ESPN's Total QBR (77.3) across nine appearances (seven starts) during the 2020 season.

Rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, wasn't nearly as effective in Gailey's system, rating 26th in Total QBR (52.9) in 10 games (nine starts).

With Fitzpatrick on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Tagovailoa drew the start in the Dolphins' Week 17 game against the Bills. He struggled with one touchdown and three interceptions in the 56-26 loss, and Miami was eliminated from playoff contention despite a 10-6 record.

The departure of Gailey signals the Dolphins' desire to find a play-caller who better suits the skill set of the 2018 SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Although there's been some early speculation Miami could select another quarterback with the No. 3 choice in the 2021 draft, which it acquired from the Houston Texans, that would come as a surprise just a year after it invested a top-five selection in the Alabama product.

The roster features several other needs, led by an offensive line that ranked 24th in Football Outsiders' adjusted line yards and 20th in adjusted sack rate.

Tagovailoa, who recorded 87 passing touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in 32 games for the Crimson Tide, entered his rookie season less than a year removed from a major hip injury that required surgery.

Miami should try to upgrade the offense around him and bet on a healthy offseason to help him get back to full strength from a conditioning standpoint. He should be more prepared to read and attack NFL defenses in Year 2 as well.

In addition, a new offensive coordinator could help him find his stride at the professional level.

While some were disappointed with the development of Tua Tagovailoa during his rookie season, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was not among them. 

“We want to be clear—Tua is our starter and we are pleased with his development," Grier told reporters Tuesday.

It's fair to wonder if that sentiment is shared by coach Brian Flores, who twice benched Tagovailoa in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick when the Alabama product struggled. While Flores justified both decisions as attempts to win games—and Fitzpatrick did indeed lead a comeback in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders—it called into question why the veteran wasn't starting if the coach felt he was a better option when they needed yards through the air.

It's equally fair to wonder how those benchings affected Tagovailoa's confidence. Rookies at all positions are going to have a trial-and-error period, particularly at quarterback. Tagovailoa was also dealing with returning to football for the first time since suffering a serious hip injury that ended his college career.

The Dolphins' season-finale blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills only served to raise more questions about Tagovailoa, who threw three interceptions in the 56-26 blowout. Miami entered the weekend needing a win to clinch a playoff spot.

"I’d say for me there’s really no extra, added pressure. The expectation for myself is very high in how I perform and how I go out there and try to lead the guys to victory," Tagovailoa told reporters. "Obviously, this past weekend, I didn’t play to that standard. It’s more so me knowing that we’ve got to go out here and get the job done. If you can’t get the job done, then that’s on you. That’s on no one else."

The Dolphins own the third overall pick in April's draft, which owed to the speculation Miami could pull the plug on Tagovailoa after one season in favor of Justin Fields or Zach Wilson. That may have been an option if the Dolphins' pick (which comes via Houston) was No. 1 overall and would have landed them Trevor Lawrence, but it's far from a guarantee that either Fields or Wilson are even in Tagovailoa's class.

Miami will likely instead use its bevy of picks to fortify the roster around Tagovailoa. Giving him a weapon like Ja'Marr Chase or Devonta Smith could go a long way in figuring out whether he's a long-term option under center. 

The Miami Dolphins' fortunes quickly unraveled Sunday as they were eliminated from playoff contention.

With a 10-5 record heading into Week 17, the Dolphins were firmly in the driver's seat in the AFC wild-card race. They were the fifth seed in the conference via tiebreaker.

Here's what Miami needed in order to get into the postseason, any one of which would've sent them through:

• Win over the Buffalo Bills
• Baltimore Ravens loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Indianapolis Colts loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Instead, the Dolphins suffered a 56-26 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, who had already clinched the AFC East, while Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in a rough performance.

The Ravens, Browns and Colts then all won to close out the regular season and seal Miami's fate.

Some fans are likely to feel disappointment over how everything unfolded. It's important to remember, though, how far Miami has come in a single season.

Heading into the 2019 season, head coach Brian Flores dismissed the idea the franchise was embarking upon a rebuild, but that's basically what happened.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported in September 2019 that "multiple Dolphins players contacted their agents after Sunday's season-opening blowout loss and directed them to attempt to engineer trades elsewhere."

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote in response to that report that general manager Chris Grier had already shipped out most of the trade assets. Grier subsequently dealt Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All those moves left the Dolphins flush with salary-cap space, which they used to add much-needed experience to their roster.

Still, many expected 2020 to be a transition year since first-round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa wouldn't be ready by Week 1.

Instead, Flores and Grier were way ahead of schedule.

The MMQB's Albert Breer wrote Flores was getting his vote for Coach of the Year and that Miami was on solid footing regardless of this season's outcome:

"What's even better is as part of all this, he and Grier are putting together something that looks sustainable. Going into this weekend, Miami had the third-youngest roster in the NFL, and was starting six rookies, all of whom were playing without so much as the benefit of an offseason program. Tally it up, and I think Flores has accomplished more than any other coach in 2020. So I'd give him the hardware to reflect it."

When the team missed the playoffs in past years, fans went into the offseason with a level of skepticism that things would improve. The front office and coaching staff continued to make shortsighted decisions that proved counterproductive.

Flores and Grier's plan was painful at the start, yet it represented the kind of long-term vision that had been lacking for a long time. Now, they have a developing roster and a 22-year-old quarterback who showed plenty of upside going forward. Tagovailoa threw for 1,453 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions entering Sunday.

Assuming the former Alabama star takes a step forward in 2021, the Dolphins will be a serious threat to win the division.