Tua On Track but the Redskins Should Avoid

The Redskins have interest in Tua Tagovailoa as they should. They should just make sure that their interest is controlled and more for window dressing than a shotgun marriage.

Tua Tagovailoa took a tiny step forward towards putting his stake in the ground on a team's front lawn. 

#Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa had his four-month scans today on his dislocated hip, and sources described them as “very good with no concerns.” Essentially, as positive as possible. Accordingly, he’ll now begin the slow progression of activity to get his body ready for play.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2020

That's huge, right? Not in my opinion, because Tagovailoa's NFL future is not just about one critical injury. 

Now the problem is this: How does Tagovailoa stay healthy and more importantly, is he injury prone? 

The answer to the first question is -- I have NO idea! Neither do the best doctors, trainers and medical personnel. 

As for the second question - there's no doubt. 

Yet, many in the media, if not all, are just singularly focused on one injury and getting clearance. 

They're all wrong. Sorry. That's the truth. 

You are going to hear a lot of nonsense moving forward and you surely already have. 

Conveniently - the media and perhaps even NFL executives simply cannot wait to throw up all over themselves with the popular narrative that Tagovailoa just has this one hurdle to clear. 

It's true. He does for right now. He has to get full clearance. Teams have to feel comfortable that his hip has healed. Blah, blah, blah. 

Here's the only question that matters. 

How do you take a quarterback at No. 2 or wherever Tagovailoa ends up that has a half dozen documented injuries in college? 

Seriously? 

If you want to trust that track record means nothing and the past isn't going to almost surely match the future - that's on you. 

This includes the Redskins. Sorry. It's not about taking a quarterback at No. 2 that bothers me the most. It's about taking this particular quarterback, who is not going to stay healthy during his NFL career. 

I don't if Joe Burrow will either. I'm not sure if Justin Herbert will either. 

I KNOW Tua Tagovailoa will not. 

The Redskins absolutely overlooked this with Kirk Cousins and they've been burnt time and time again because of it, in the two years since. 

Durability is just as important as leadership and I would argue it's the No. 1 thing I look when we start comparing players. Not just quarterbacks, but especially that position. 

Many of us knew that Carson Wentz would eventually get hurt for the Eagles last year. It took a lot longer than expected but it finally happened at the worst possible time. 

Injuries are in his DNA. They are also in Tagovailoa's blood and if I'm the Redskins - my responsibility is to common sense after so many years of not having much at all. 

You can be interested. You can be intrigued. You can try and use it as motivation. You can cover all your bases. You can do whatever you want, except for one thing.

Don't draft Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 2 pick that you earned. It's impossible for him to be the savior or the franchise pillar when he doesn't have two legs and a dependable frame to do the heavy lifting. 

Chris Russell is the Publisher of RedskinsReport.com & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.