Jumbo Package: Tua gets another good medical report

Happy Friday, everyone. Not much going on out there today, but Tua got some more good news.

Tagovailoa on Thursday participated in a voluntary medical recheck that was conducted by an independent doctor working in conjunction with the NFL scouting combine, his agent, Leigh Steinberg, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The exam took place in Nashville and the findings revealed that the quarterback’s surgically repaired hip is structurally sound, Steinberg said.

Of course, there are always detractors.

What conversation would Tannenbaum have with ownership about bypassing Tagovailoa in the draft?

“It is an opportunity because the upside is so compelling, he is so talented [but] this is a conversation you want to have with your owner and your head coach and say, ‘Hey, if we are sitting here in January and he has to miss another year because this is an injury that’s hard to predict. It’s not a well-vascularized part of the body in terms of you could have re-injury.

“I want the owner to sign off to know if, ‘Hey, if this goes sideways, remember this conversation. This is a huge risk. And by the way, this player has been hurt two other times.’

“He is injury-prone and I want to make sure we’re in lockstep and this is a true partnership because I would rather take a safer player in the top 10 this year because of the unique circumstances. I would want to make sure the owner is ironclad with our decision.”

This is an understandable position, really. Drafting a QB high pretty well ties a GM’s future to that player.

Could the Pats move up to get him?

Wouldn’t it be just like Bill Belichick to swoop in and snag Tua away from the rest of the league? Wouldn’t getting Tua be the big, bold move the Patriots love, and wouldn’t it ease the sting of seeing Brady go?

By my calculations, it’s definitely possible. In fact, the stars seem to be aligning.

If the NFL Draft goes according to projections, the Detroit Lions control Tua’s future. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow should go No. 1 to Cincinnati, and Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young should go No. 2 to Washington, which would leave Tua’s fate in the hands of Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia.

Both Quinn and Patricia spent a long time in the Pats’ organization. We shall see.

Derrick Henry signed back up with the Titans.

Derrick Henry has signed up for another season with the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee’s general manager said the running back and the Titans want to make sure he’s with the team for longer than that, though.

Henry signed his franchise tender on Thursday. The Titans used their 2020 non-exclusive franchise tag on the former Alabama All-American on March 16 rather than allow him to enter unrestricted free agency.

His franchise tender was nearly $11 million. Odds are that he didn’t find that in a multi-year offer elsewhere. Running backs just don’t get that kind of money often.

Last, who knows about college football this year?

“Everything is on the table,” Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill said.

Pac-12 commish Larry Scott told Jon Wilner of The Mercury News that the end of May is an approximate deadline for determining the direction of college football’s preseason and regular season.

“The optimistic model has an elongated training camp and on-time start (to the season),” Scott said. “The most pessimistic has no season at all.”

Added a Power Five AD: “The biggest issue is it’s constantly a moving target on when we get the ‘all-clear’ signal.”

I’ll say again, one other thing that may be on the table: a SEC season even if other conferences don’t play. If all of the states in the footprint will allow games with or without fans, it is a possibility. Hope for the best.

That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.