One could argue most teams across the NFL should have been more aggressive in their pursuit of Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency last offseason after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.
After all, the Bucs won the Super Bowl in their first season with Brady at the helm — a continuation of the success he enjoyed in New England — and look poised to contend again in 2021.
But Colin Cowherd still can’t understand why one organization in particular balked at the opportunity to make a run at arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history: the Miami Dolphins.
“The defense and special teams in Miami right now are absolutely good enough to win a Super Bowl. It all hinges on (quarterback) Tua (Tagovailoa). And because they only had the fifth pick in that (2020) draft, they weren’t going to get Joe Burrow,” Cowherd said Friday on FOX Sports 1. ” … So you weren’t getting Joe Burrow. You were getting Tua — with the hip issue. Small Tua. And Josh Allen was already in Buffalo, so you knew in Miami what you had to do to win this division. Because Josh Allen was getting really good really fast. And Miami passed on Brady. And now, they cross their fingers and pray that small, marginally athletic, average arm Tua, who acknowledged he didn’t really know the playbook last year, can overcome Josh Allen.”
The Dolphins went 10-6 in 2020, finishing in second place in the AFC East, but missed the playoffs. And inconsistent quarterback performance ultimately played a major role in limiting Miami’s overall potential.
It’s why the ‘Fins were mentioned earlier this offseason in trade rumors involving Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, and it’s why Cowherd believes Miami should have been more aggressive in the TB12 sweepstakes.
“You can do everything right in the National Football League. Everything,” Cowherd said. “If you do not get quarterback right, you are not relevant.”
The Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers pushed for Brady, according to Cowherd. And the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears were among the other teams that might’ve at least considered the now-seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Perhaps the Dolphins — led by former Patriots defensive coach Brian Flores — could have made a compelling enough sales pitch to actually land Brady, though. And therefore, it’s worth wondering whether they should have been bolder, especially if Tagovailoa falters moving forward.
“Miami could have made a run and had him. I believe that,” Cowherd said. “You don’t think he would’ve liked to have faced (Bill) Belichick twice a year? Come on now. Come on now. You know he would’ve.”
