Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn't overtly concerned that his team approached Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Tom Brady about joining the Fins while the ex-Alabama star was still at the helm.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm still here," he told reporters Wednesday, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "To me, that's all noise at this point."

Tagovailoa, who previously told reporters that he believes Miami is "all in" on him running the show, is entering his third NFL season. He completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns (10 interceptions) and 2,653 yards in 13 games last year.

The NFL discovered that the Dolphins violated the league's anti-tampering policy three times from 2019 to 2022, with two of those occurring in talks with Brady, per Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. They had "impermissible communications" as early as August 2019 and through the 2019 playoffs while he played for the New England Patriots.

Brady became a free agent in the 2020 offseason and signed with the Bucs. The Dolphins were found to have spoken with him while he was with Tampa Bay about two years later.

The Fins spoke with Brady and his agent, Don Yee, "no later than early December 2021" but again after the Bucs' season ended in January, when he was still under contract with the team.

"Those discussions focused on Brady becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive, although at times they also included the possibility he would play for the Dolphins," Maaddi wrote.

Owner Stephen Ross, who took part in those talks, was suspended and fined $1.5 million. Dolphins vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal was fined $500,000 and may not participate in any league meetings.

Brady ended up briefly retiring before returning to the Bucs. Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, will start for a Dolphins team that welcomed new offensive talent such as wideout Tyreek Hill and running back Chase Edmonds. They open the season on Sept. 11 against the New England Patriots.

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel doesn't have a problem sharing the field with Tom Brady despite the recent revelations on the team's tampering.

"Everyone else is making it awkward. It's not for me," McDaniel told reporters Wednesday. "... Our focus is coordinated."

The Dolphins forfeited two draft picks for tampering after the NFL determined the organization had impermissible contact with Brady, both in 2019 when he was a member of the New England Patriots and in 2021 when he was under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Though Brady initially retired earlier in the 2022 offseason, the quarterback returned to Tampa Bay for his third season with the team.

The Buccaneers are set to have a joint practice and scrimmage with the Dolphins on Wednesday.

The pairing could make things uncomfortable for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who knows the team was looking to replace him with Brady. The 2020 No. 5 draft pick is Miami's unquestioned starter going into 2022, but he clearly wasn't ownership's first choice after some up-and-down seasons.

The tampering probe also showed the Dolphins attempted to speak to former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton but didn't receive permission before he retired.

It could put McDaniel's job in question, knowing he also was a consolation prize for the team and might be replaced if Payton wants to return to the sidelines.

McDaniel is still looking to keep the team focused heading into his first year in charge.

Despite questions about ownership that have continued since former coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL in February, the Dolphins have an opportunity to be a legitimate playoff contender in 2022. The squad finished 9-8 last year and made significant upgrades in the offseason, including the additions of Tyreek Hill and Chase Edmonds.

There are several experienced running backs on the Miami Dolphins depth chart, but ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques reported the current pecking order "appears to be" Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and then Sony Michel.

Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and ZaQuandre White are also fighting for roster spots heading into the preseason.

Gaskin led the Dolphins in carries (173) and rushing yards (612) last season, but the team signed Edmonds, Mostert and Michel in free agency to upgrade a unit that finished 30th in the NFL in rushing.

Edmonds, the only one of the three new additions to sign a two-year deal, has the most upside after a strong season with the Arizona Cardinals. The 26-year-old totaled 903 yards from scrimmage in 12 games, averaging 5.1 yards per carry while catching 43 passes during his first year as a primary starter.

Mostert has still always been effective when healthy, averaging 5.7 yards per carry during his career. He's also spent the past five years working with new Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, who was the offensive coordinator and run game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers.

The 30-year-old is still coming off a knee injury that cost him almost all of 2021, while ankle issues limited him to eight games in 2020.

No matter who leads the depth chart, Louis-Jacques predicts the backfield to split carries in 2022.

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly looking to clear their logjam at receiver.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Dolphins have already spoken to teams about trading Lynn Bowden Jr. and Preston Williams.

Miami rebuilt the receiving corps this offseason around 2021 first-round pick Jaylen Waddle, acquiring All-Pro Tyreek Hill and veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. while drafting Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round.

Even with longtime contributors DeVante Parker (trade) and Albert Wilson (free agency) changing teams this offseason, there is still little room for Bowden and Williams on the roster.

Williams is the more established of the two with 56 catches across three NFL seasons. The 25-year-old especially impressed as a rookie in 2019, totaling 32 catches for 428 yards and three touchdowns in just eight games. He also returned kicks that season.

Injuries have been a major story during his career, however, as he's never played more than eight games in any season. He finished last year with just six catches for 71 yards while ranking fifth among Dolphins receivers with 175 offensive snaps.

Bowden missed all last year with a hamstring injury, although he did show promise as a rookie in 2020 with 28 catches for 211 yards. The former Kentucky star played quarterback, running back, receiver and returner at different times during his college career, showcasing the athleticism that gives him plenty of upside.

The lack of game production still remains a concern, as does the fact the Las Vegas Raiders traded him just months after drafting him in the third round.

It likely won't take a high draft pick to land either Williams or Bowden, but there could be value for a team looking for depth at receiver.

A U.S. District Court judge denied a motion by Brian Flores' representatives to obtain discovery before arguing against the NFL's attempt to take the case into arbitration, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.

Wolfe shared a statement from the lawyers for the former Miami Dolphins head coach:

Flores sued the NFL along with the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and New York Giants in February, alleging he was the victim of racial discrimination.

The 41-year-old said he received what amounted to token interviews with the Broncos and Giants during the hiring process. He also alleged Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss the team had in 2019 because the franchise wanted to get the best draft position possible.

The NFL recently concluded an independent investigation into the Dolphins and found the organization violated league policies regarding the integrity of the game. The announcement included a pair of seemingly contradictory findings.

"The Dolphins did not intentionally lose games during the 2019 season," the league said. "Nor did anyone at the club, including Mr. Ross, instruct Coach Flores to do so."

However, Ross did in fact emphasize draft position over Miami's on-field record:

On a number of occasions during the 2019 season, Mr. Ross expressed his belief that the Dolphins' position in the upcoming 2020 draft should take priority over the team's win-loss record. These comments were made most frequently to Team President and CEO Tom Garfinkel, but were also made to General Manager Chris Grier, Senior Vice President Brandon Shore and Coach Flores.

Some questioned the logic behind dismissing the intent of Ross' comments behind the scenes:

Ross issued a statement saying the investigation "cleared our organization on any issues related to tanking and all of Brian Flores' other allegations."

In addition to the alleged tanking, the independent investigation focused on contact between Dolphins officials and Tom Brady while he was signed to the New England Patriots and again after he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said investigators discovered "tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity."

Not only did Ross and Bruce Beal, a limited partner with the team, speak with Brady, but Miami also had "impermissible communications" with the agent for then-New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

As a result of the infractions, the Dolphins forfeited a first-round pick in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024. Ross is also suspended through Oct. 17 and has to pay a $1.5 million fine.

With Flores' suit ongoing, the potential for more revelations remains. The NFL filed a motion in June to move the matter to arbitration.

Flores is now the linebackers coach and a senior defensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Miami Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville told reporters Wednesday that any directive or belief that the team should tank from owner Stephen Ross never made it into the locker room in 2019.

"From the top down, [the goal was] to win football games and prepare and get ready to go—that's how it's always been," he said. "That's how I think this game is right. That's what we do, that's what I owe the game, every time we get a chance to compete, we do our best. There was never anything other than that expressed to us or to me."

"That's just not how we're wired," he added. "None of that was ever shared."

In the lawsuit former head coach Brian Flores filed against the NFL and a number of its teams, including the Dolphins, alleging racist hiring practices, he accused Ross of offering him up to $100,000 per loss in the 2019 season in an effort to tank for a better draft pick.

He also said that general manager Chris Grier said Ross was "mad" that the team's late-season wins were "compromising [the team's] draft position," per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacque.

The NFL investigation into Ross and the Dolphins did not find evidence of intentionally losing during the 2019 season, though it did find that the owner "made comments to team president and CEO Tom Garfinkel, general manager Chris Grier, senior vice president Brandon Shore and Flores that the team's draft position should take priority over winning games."

As for the accusation that Flores was offered $100,000 per loss, the NFL found "differing recollections about the wording, timing and context" and concluded that it was "not intended or taken to be a serious offer, nor was the subject pursued in any respect by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club."

"I am thankful that the NFL's investigator found my factual allegations against Ross are true," Flores said in a statement after the NFL's ruling. "At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross' offers and pressure to tank games especially when I wrote and submitted a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns regarding this subject at the time which the investigator has in her possession.

"While the investigator found that the Dolphins had engaged in impermissible tampering of 'unprecedented scope and severity,' Mr. Ross will avoid any meaningful consequence."

However, as a part of its overall investigation into the Dolphins, the league did fine Ross $1.5 million and suspend him for six games, took away a 2023 first-rounder and 2024 third-rounder and banned vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal from any league meetings for the entirety of the 2022 season for making "impermissible contact" with quarterback Tom Brady and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton while they were employed with other teams.

Flores, 41, was fired by the Dolphins in January after going 24-25 across three seasons as the team's head coach. He was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers to serve as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach this offseason.

Tua Tagovailoa is not allowing the Miami Dolphins' near-constant flirtation with Tom Brady to bother him.

The Dolphins' starting quarterback believes the organization is "all-in" with him, despite the NFL stripping Miami of two draft picks for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.

"I remember I came in in 2020, so whatever happened in 2019, I can't even speak on that. I was here in 2020, and I'm still here, and I'm blessed to be here," Tagovailoa said. "If it has to do with support from the team, I think the team's all-in with me and all the guys that we have now."

The NFL stripped the Dolphins of their 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick after an investigation found the team tampered with Brady twice—first in 2019 and then again last season—while he was under contract with other teams. Miami also met with Payton despite the Saints rejecting their overtures and did so before he resigned in New Orleans this offseason.

The investigation was launched amid a lawsuit filed by former Dolphins coach Brian Flores, which claimed racial discrimination in the NFL's hiring practices and accused Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of attempting to bribe him to tank for a draft pick. Ross was suspended through Oct. 17 for his part in the tampering probe, but the NFL said it could not corroborate Flores' tanking claim.

The Dolphins drafted Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft, which came after the team made its first of two overtures toward Brady. The future Hall of Famer chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2020 offseason, but Ross did not give up his pursuit and attempted to bring Brady into the fold again for the 2022 season.

Brady briefly retired in February, and there were reports of clandestine plans to have him join the Dolphins as an executive before unretiring and playing with the Dolphins, who planned to bring in Payton as their coach. Flores' lawsuit essentially scuttled any chance of that happening.

The Dolphins quickly pivoted, hiring Mike McDaniel as their head coach and foraging forward with Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback. Tagovailoa may publicly say he believes the team wants him as its franchise signal-caller, but the Dolphins' behind-the-scenes actions say otherwise.

The Miami Dolphins will forfeit their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and their third-round pick in the 2024 draft after violating the league's rules on tampering, via ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Owner Stephen Ross will also be suspended through Oct. 17, 2022, and he has been fined $1.5 million. Vice-chairman Bruce Beal was fined $500,000 and will not be eligible to attend league meetings.

Ross released a statement following the NFL's announcement:

The NFL found after a six-month investigation that the Dolphins had impermissible contact with Tom Brady, both while he was under contract with the New England Patriots in 2019 and when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. The team also spoke to the agent of Sean Payton while he was still the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported in February the Dolphins' plan was to pursue Brady and Payton this offseason. Both retired from their roles, although Brady eventually returned to the Buccaneers.

The NFL's investigation came after a lawsuit filed by former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who alleged racial discrimination in the league's hiring practices.

In addition to details of teams violating the NFL's Rooney Rules, the lawsuit stated Ross pressured Flores to "recruit a prominent quarterback in violation of League tampering rules."

Flores had spent 15 years on the Patriots staff while Brady was the quarterback.

The lawsuit also alleged the Dolphins engaged in tanking while Flores was the head coach, with Ross offering $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season. The NFL's latest investigation determined Miami did not intentionally lose games that year and the offer from Ross was not serious.

Commissioner Roger Goodell still indicated Ross should understand the weight of his words.

"Even if made in jest and not intended to be taken seriously, comments suggesting that draft position is more important than winning could be misunderstood and carry with them an unnecessary potential risk to the integrity of the game," Goodell said.

Flores released a statement after Tuesday's decision:

The Dolphins eventually hired Mike McDaniel as the team's head coach while Tua Tagovailoa remains the starting quarterback heading into 2022.