Rees on Penix and Tua: the evaluation is on a slope, and Friday still decides it

Tommy Rees took the podium Tuesday for the first time since camp opened, and he did not name a Week 1 quarterback. He did admit the scale is different.

Tua Tagovailoa has the live periods, the rush, the situational work. Michael Penix Jr. has walkthroughs, 7-on-7, and two days of 11-on-11 after last year’s knee. The unofficial depth chart for Friday in Miami lists them as Tua-OR-Penix. That is the whole argument in one hyphen.

What Rees actually said

He evaluates “the whole body of work” — what they have done on a big stage, and how they have handled a new install. He said he has been pleased with the progression. He also said Penix is on a different scale.

“You have live periods. You have situational football. You have things with a pass rush,” Rees said. “With Tua, there’s more hard evidence on the field. But it’s our job as coaches to sift through those processes to make sure that we get a fair evaluation of both guys.”

That is coach-speak for: Tua has the tape, Penix has the mental reps, and the staff is trying not to crown a guy who was in a walking boot for half of camp. Rees credited Penix for maximizing the reps he did not take. He credited Tua for taking ownership of an offense that asks him to do things he “maybe hasn’t had to do in his career.” When it is clean, Rees said, Tua is “as accurate as they get.” The other 10 have to keep it clean.

Penix took a bump. Rees wanted it.

Monday was the first 11-on-11 since the knee. Rees said the first real contact — a routine throw to Kyle Pitts with a defender on him — was the point. “We both said, ‘Good.’ … ‘Hey, man, you’re cleared. Let’s go.’” Smile, next play.

Tuesday, Avieon Terrell came free on a blitz. On Sundays that is a sack. Penix danced it and stayed in the pocket. Two practices is not a starter. Two practices with contact is more than Atlanta had last week.

The depth chart posted Tuesday is the tell. Penix is listed as a starter next to Tua after being medically cleared this past weekend. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand sit behind them. Starters are supposed to play Friday at Hard Rock Stadium (7 p.m. ET). Whether Penix is on that plane is still a Stefanski decision later in the week.

The 53 is the other fight

Cutdown is Sunday. Tyler Goodson is making it loud — 87 yards on 13 preseason carries, 6.7 per, a 49-yard touchdown against his old Colts team, then jogging straight to special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman to say he was still on kickoff. Aukerman told that story Tuesday like a man who has already circled a roster spot.

Interior D-line is the crowded room. Eric Johnson II, signed last Friday, won 1-on-1s. Chris Williams, Devonnsha Maxwell, Carlos Allen Jr. are all in the same pile. Kyle Hinton missed a second day after leaving the Colts game. Avieon Terrell got his first team periods Tuesday. Bralen Trice and LaCale London were back for a second straight day.

None of that names a quarterback. It does tell you Friday is the last live look before the roster becomes a spreadsheet.

Bird Gang bottom line

Rees will not pick. Stefanski will not pick. The depth chart picked both, which is how you say Friday night in Miami still matters. Tua has the evidence. Penix has two 11-on-11 days and a bump he wanted. If you are opening a pick’em league at pickembaby.com, the card is still Sept. 13 in Pittsburgh — wait for who takes the first snap.

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