5 unexpected NFL teams who should give Justin Fields a chance as a backup

1. Dolphins can light a fire under Tua Tagovailoa with Justin Fields trade

The Miami Dolphins once again cruised through the regular season, only to get curb-stomped in the playoffs. Maybe we can chalk it up to cold Kansas City weather at the most inopportune time, but Miami would have been hosting a postseason game or two if not for their ill-timed meltdown late in the season.

Meltdowns have become something of a theme during the Tua Tagovailoa era. The box score doesn't really do justice to Tua's shortcomings. He is well-insulated in Mike McDaniel's system, operating in perfect calibration with two of the league's most explosive playmakers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But, when Tagovailoa faces pressure and the Dolphins' precious timing breaks down, the results are frequently disastrous. As the landscape currently sits, it's fair to wonder if Tagovailoa has the arm talent necessary to lead Miami past the AFC's true heavyweights.

Now, we cannot say that Justin Fields definitely does have the arm talent to elevate Miami's offense to the next level, but ... we can say that he's more diverse in his skill set. Tagovailoa is a decent athlete, but Fields can beat pressure by extending plays outside the pocket and punishing defensive breakdowns with his legs. That is not the case for Tagovailoa, who operates almost exclusively between the hashmarks.

Fields is not perfect, of course. He takes way too many sacks and he's not the deep-ball artist Miami's offense is typically built for. But, with the help of McDaniel's dynamic system, there's reason to believe that Fields could find ample success. There is certainly more upside tied to Fields' live-wire athleticism. He can generally make the same throws that Tua can, but his ability to improvise under pressure and stress defenses on the ground could be what elevates Miami to the next level.

Tagovailoa is currently entering the final year of his contract without an extension. If the Dolphins are at all uncertain about Tua's future — and they should be — this is the perfect opportunity to snag a high-upside replacement.