Bill Belichick: Patriots Had 'A Little Bit' of Contact with Tua Before NFL Draft

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday the team made "a little bit" of contact with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa before the 2020 NFL draft.  

Belichick explained the Pats did their due diligence on Tagovailoa, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the fifth overall pick, in case he slid on draft night because of concerns about his hip injury.

The Patriots coach also praised the rookie signal-caller ahead of Sunday's Week 15 meeting between the AFC East rivals:

New England was heavily linked to a potential trade up in April's draft to acquire Tagovailoa following the departure of franchise legend Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported in early April it was "definitely possible" the Patriots would move up for a shot at the University of Alabama standout.

The blockbuster move never materialized, and the Pats went on to sign Cam Newton in July to serve as their starter for the 2020 season.

Meanwhile, Tagovailoa took over the Dolphins offense from veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick following the team's Week 7 bye.

The 22-year-old Hawaii native has enjoyed a strong start to his career with a 62 percent completion rate for 1,214 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. He's added one rushing score.

Miami (8-5) has also surpassed New England (6-7) in the AFC East, though the Buffalo Bills (10-3) are closing in on their first division title since 1995.

It's intriguing to wonder how the division race would be shaping up if the Patriots were able to pull off a major move to land Tagovailoa, especially since Belichick has now confirmed at least some baseline interest during the draft process.

Instead, he's showing all the tools to handle the reins of the Miami offense for the long haul while the Pats continue to seek their quarterback of the future.