Alabama Football: What will happen with Tua after latest medical test
By Ronald Evans
Former Alabama football quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa received good news on recovery from his hip injury. It was such good news teams may look to trade up to get him.
The 2020 NFL Draft became more interesting on Monday. As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, former Alabama football quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa has a “healed” hip. Tua’s three-month CT scan showed the fracture in his hip has healed.
Based on the good news, Tua could be released for football activities soon enough, working out for teams in advance of the April Draft should be no problem.
The three-month CT scan for #Bama QB and coveted draft prospect Tua Tagovailoa was as positive as possible, sources say. The fracture has healed. The hip and its range of motion is good. It’ll likely be another month before he’s cleared for football activities, tho, as expected.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 10, 2020
That is great news for Tua. All Alabama football fans are sure to agree, the beneficiaries of the news, the entire Tagovailoa family could not be more deserving.
The medical update puts a new spin on the early picks this April. Almost every NFL expert agrees the first two picks in the Draft are completely locked in. The Cincinnati Bengals will make Joe Burrow the No. 1 pick. The Washington Redskins will follow by taking Chase Young No. 2.
In the current Draft order, the Lions will pick next, then the Giants, Dolphins, Chargers and Panthers. After Monday’s news, the Miami Dolphins cannot wait until the fifth pick to draft Tua. Other teams also need quarterbacks. They are the Colts, Chargers and the Bears.
That makes four teams vying for Tua and Justin Herbert. The two teams winning out will have to make moves, getting to the third pick for Tua and the fourth or fifth pick for Herbert. Who will the two quarterback-winning teams be and how soon trades will occur is not known. A conservative approach might be waiting until Tua can do workouts for teams.
A more bold approach would be for the Dolphins to do a deal with the Lions as soon possible, getting the No. 3 pick and blocking all other suitors. The Giants are expected to shore up their defense at No. 4. The Lions might consider a second trade, dropping down again from five. That would open the door for the Colts or the Bears to leapfrog the Chargers and gain the third QB in the first round. The Chargers could hold firm at No. 6 believing they might get Herbert and if not, push back QB urgency after a final season with Philip Rivers.
Alabama football fans enjoyed what Todd McShay had to say about Tua last week. Without the benefit of the latest medical news, McShay said,
"Tua ... I would argue he's better than Joe Burrow. When he's right, he's Drew Brees from the left side."
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 4, 2020
—@McShay13 👀 pic.twitter.com/gSXbGZTjDW
Next. The Alabama Football legacy of Tua Tagovailoa. dark
Agreeing with McShay’s opinion does not alleviate concerns NFL execs may have over Tua’s injury history. No matter how healthy the young man becomes this spring, he will remain something of a gamble. A gamble one NFL team will wager serious bucks to take.