Dolphins Sunday Mailbag: Jonnu, Wright, Ogbah, and More

Is there reason to panic about the interior of the offensive line? Which rookie could take the next step the quickest? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) runs as Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) drives him out of bounds during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Part 2 of a weekend Miami Dolphins mailbag:

From Jerry (@UFGatorJer):

How significant are the TE’s going to be involved in the offense this year? Seems like a huge opportunity to me.

Hey Jerry, one would hope the Dolphins would make a concerted effort to incorporate the tight end into the offense a lot more than the past two seasons, and what we saw with how the tight ends were used on Tua Tagovailoa’s one series against Washington was an encouraging sign. And we also can’t really think the Dolphins signed Jonnu Smith this offseason if they didn’t plan on making good use of his skils.

From Panthera (@17_Panthera_10):

What is more important for the Dolphins, staying healthy all season, or taking it to the next level on offense?

Hmm, interesting question. The real answer is “yes,” but if you’re pinning me down to one or the other, I think staying healthy would go first because that impacts the defense as well as the offense.

OFFENSIVE LINE OBSERVATIONS

From Rod Jackson (@RodJackson16):

Is the offensive line better or worse than last year?

Hey Rod, based on personnel alone, there’s no way we can say this year’s group is equal when arguably the best two linemen from 2023 (leaving out Terron Armstead because he missed a lot of games) no longer are on the roster. Robert Hunt and Connor Williams are the two departed linemen, but the hope is the cohesiveness will be better and there won’t be as many injuries once the season starts.

From Mike Marchese (@fin1fan):    

After this season, which we hope ends with a Lombardi, where will you go on vacation with your family next year?

Hey Mike, that is an excellent question, though we won’t be going right after the season because our big break will come in June/July. Wherever we go, it’s going to be difficult to top our recent Norway/Iceland excursion.

From Ben Reiss (@BenReiss1):

Should we be panicked over interior offensive line, and what can realistically be done to make improve it?

Hey Ben, maybe it’s the Canadian in me, but I always use the approach of not panicking until it’s time to panic. And the preseason is not the time to panic. Is it a concern? Without question. What could be done to improve it? Practice, practice, practice, and hope that Brewer, Wynn and Armstead hit the ground running when they return or start practicing full time.

JAYLEN WRIGHT AND THE DOLPHINS ROOKIES

From 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters):

If all the running backs stay healthy, what kind of split do you envision? What role is particular do you see Jaylen Wright having?

Another in a streak of excellent questions. I still it’ll be heavy on Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, with Wright getting some leftover snaps here and there (good health provided, of course). I can see Mike McDaniel just wanting to ride the hot hand, so who starts might vary from week to week.

From shawn (@Shipwreck2787):

What rookie do you feel can take the next step the quickest?

Hey Shawn, whenever this question comes up, the first thing we have to do is consider that position plays a big role in this. For example, it’s a lot easier for a running back to make an immediate impact than a wide receiver. Having said that, I’d say Chop Robinson has the most physical tools with which to work, so maybe he’s best suited to take the next step once he figures out the NFL game, but Jaylen Wright is the one in the best position to make a quick impact.

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

Acknowledging he was a free agent and available, is Emmanuel Ogbah quietly having a really good camp that sets up for a nice insurance policy for Chubb (who looks like he will miss 4 games at least) and Chop Robinson and Q. Bell, who may not be ready/in line for a lot of snaps?

Hey Chris, can’t argue with anything you said, but having a good camp isn’t the same as being able to make an impact in the regular season. That said, Ogbah at the very least looks like more of his 2020 version than his 2023 version, so there’s reason for hope that he can hold down the fort for a while.

From josh (@lwloco):

Alain, Walker hasn’t been practicing for a couple of weeks now. Does anyone know nature of injury and how long? Thanks in advance.

Hey Josh, wish I could help you here, but I’m afraid there’s been no information provided in regards to Walker’s injury.

From Olive Grove Jon (@Owlizee):

Hi Alain. Do you think there is a serious problem at backup QB or has it been blown out of proportion somewhat?

Hey OGJ, while neither Mike White nor Skylar Thompson has looked particularly sharp this summer, I’m still inclined to think the Dolphins aren’t in worse shape at the backup spot than most NFL teams. We need to always understand that Thompson and White don’t get to operate with the first-team offense at practice or the preseason, and that wouldn’t be the case if they got the call in a regular season game, so I’m not ready to call this a crisis yet.

From Mike (via email):

Hello Alain.  Thanks again for the mailbag. Regarding Bradley Chubb, McDaniel said "So he's being very wise beyond his years in terms of making sure that he doesn't, in a heat of competitiveness, overstep boundaries too soon." Do you find that interesting?  If I was asked to name the one moment last year that a player cost this team the most by losing their cool, I would say it was Chubb in the Monday Night Game against the Titans.

Hey Mike, Chubb’s personal foul against Tennessee occurred in the heat of the moment and I wouldn’t overreact to it. What McDaniel was talking about here also was not overstepping his boundaries in trying to push his comeback too fast at the risk of creating a major setback. 

From BBQ (via email):

Does an unemployed X say more about him as a person, him as a player, or the Dolphins as an organization (placated for years when not one other team wants him)?

Hey BBQ, it’s probably a combination of factors that has led to X still looking for a team at this stage. There’s also the issue of how much Howard is looking to earn from another team, a situation that maybe gets more complicated after he saw what Stephon Gilmore got in his one-year deal with Minnesota (up to $10 million). The reality with Howard is that he still was very good the past two years when healthy, but that didn’t happen all that much.

From Jorge Fernandez (@jfdad):

Best combination on both sides of line of scrimmage.

Hey Jorge, hmm, interesting question. How about Armstead, Wynn, Brewer, Eichenberg and Jackson on the offensive line; Seiler, Campbell and Hand on the defensive line.

From Omar Sharif (@estate_omar):

If injuries continue this year, should the team take a deep look as to why? I remember when Bill Parcells was hired and he referenced the injury dossier from the prior season and intimated that it wasn’t normal. Sorry, hopefully you get my question. Thank you!

Hey Omar, I totally get your question and I certainly would think, as analytics-driven as the Dolphins are, that they’ve studied every aspect of their injury issues to see if there’s some kind of pattern or potential remedy. The truth is there are some injuries that are just bad luck and there’s nothing you can do about it, like a torn patellar tendon for Goode or Phillips popping his Achilles on that bad turf at MetLife Stadium. Let’s also understand that every team has injuries.