Dolphins Sunday Mailbag: Wright, Armstead, D-Tackles, and More

Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and the 2025 draft are among the Miami Dolphins topics covered in this edition

Miami Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright (25) runs with the football against New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Third and final part of a Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From DF:

With all the uncertainty around this team right now, should the Dolphins look to moving down in the draft to possibly accumulate more picks?

They should not because of the uncertainty, but rather because they need volume to help replenish the roster. As explained earlier, trading down always is easier said than done because you have to find a trade partner.

From Lloyd Heilbrunn:

Has any other team in the league hemorrhaged as much talent as the Dolphins have since 2023? And people are talking about trading their best player...

Hey Lloyd, it’s a good point you make about the talent the Dolphins have lost, as well as the eagerness from some fans to want to move on from Hill. Yes, there could be some addition by subtraction, but it would be painful regardless to move on from the most talented player on the roster.

From Ohio Jon:

Not that it's a sure thing the Dolphins go DT at 13 BUT, if Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are both there, what do you think is the final deciding factor in who to take? Bonus: would you go DT at 13?

Hey Jon, I think my first choice at 13 would be cornerback, but I’d be fine with a DT. The choice between Graham and Grant would come down to floor vs. ceiling, but I think there’s a reason Graham is universally viewed as the better prospect and it’s that he’s a very low-risk prospect who seems a lock to be at least very good in the NFL.

From Miami Dolphins MXC:

Is Wright ready to be the RB2? Or we need somebody else there?

It’s a great question and one that’s impossible to answer from the outside. Based purely on game action, there’s absolutely reason for concern because Wright had 26 carries for a paltry 41 yards in the final nine games. Now, sure, the blocking up front wasn’t great, but Wright didn’t do much to help the cause or to provide a lot of confidence he can be a solid number 2 behind De’Von Achane.

From Jason Kirkland:

IMHO, there's no need to bring Hill back. Whether it's all the distractions, the effect he'll have on a locker room with 2 less leaders, any future drama, there's this: since the last 5-7 games of 2023, this offense hasn't been good. Maybe 10th in East with him. Your thoughts?

Hey Jason, I totally get the addition by subtraction angle, but I also would say he’s the best player on the team, you’re likely not going to be able to get much from him, and if he’s right next season, he can make the difference between being 10th in the East and making the playoffs. It’s a real dilemma.

From Brian Dougherty:

How much does the retirement of Armstead and the leaving of Campbell have to do with their opinion on the culture/structure of the Dolphins? Does Miami have a Cleveland Browns/NY Jets type of opinion around the league and amongst players?

Hey Brian, Armstead’s retirement had to do with his body (specifically his knees) giving out on him and I can’t speak to what kind of factor the Miami culture/structure was in Campbell’s decision to go back to Arizona. If the Dolphins have an image problem around the NFL, it’s also mitigated by the working conditions, the ones that earns straight A’s from players in the NFLPA poll.

From Richard Hulme:

Is there an argument to say getting rid of Tyreek actually protects, particularly McD, from the hot seat. You have a poor season with Tyreek, you had a star player to get results. Getting rid would be a way of saying we’re resetting, and this season’s results become less relevant?

Hey Richard, the Dolphins want to win. If they trade Hill, it won’t be to giving themselves an excuse to fail, it will be because they’re better off without him.

From James Bond:

#1 What is the bottom line goal this season for Grier and McDaniel to keep their jobs? #2 If they fall one game short of that goal, is Tua released with Grier and McDaniel?

Hey James, this is going to be a lame answer, but I think the bottom-line goal is for the team to be going in the right direction at the end of the year. I don’t think you can boil it down to playoffs or bust, or it has to be 10 wins. It’s going to be, is there any reason to think there’s hope in 2026 if everyone returns. And for the second question, Tua has $54 million guaranteed in 2026, so I can’t imagine the Dolphins carry that kind of dead space on their cap. The 2027 offseason would be when the Dolphins would make that move, if it comes.

From Jason Adams:

Stephen Ross wanted Lamar Jackson in the draft but Grier didn’t. Ross met with Tom Brady on a yacht and we lost a draft pick over it. Do you think Ross will step in and make Grier draft Shedeur Sanders if he falls to Miami at 13? Especially since Grier is tied to Tua.

Hey Jason, I think the odds of that happening would be extraordinarily small. I also don’t know how much of an appetite there would be in signing Sanders or any QB to a first-round contract considering how much they’re paying Tua over the next two years.

From CageyVet:

Why aren’t you pushing for Tua to be abolished forever ASAP? We can’t move forward with him.

You want me to do what? Look, I was very clear and consistent with my opinion that the Dolphins should not give Tua a contract extension and should have had him play on the fifth-year option, but that ship has sailed and now the Dolphins can only move on if they’re willing to absorb a massive cap hit. For example, the Dolphins would take a cap hit of $137.6 million if they cut Tua now, or $112.4 million if they made it a post-June 1 designation. So, not happening. Now, a trade would bring about minimal cap pain, but then the Dolphins would have to find another starting quarterback. I also don’t know how many teams would make an offer for a QB with a $40 million guaranteed base salary next year with a problematic injury history. And the bottom line in all of this is that Mike McDaniel basically is married to Tua and I don’t see a scenario where he’d sign off on moving on from him. So what’s the point of me advocating for anything. There’s really no decision to make right now. There was last summer and I made my thoughts clear on the matter.

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