Game Day Dolphins Mailbag: Poyer, Crosby, "Softness," and More

What's going on with Blake Ferguson? Why was David Long Jr. waived? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Miami Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer (21) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Third and final part of the pre-Raiders game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Chris Larrondo:

Still radio silence on Blake Ferguson?

Hey Chris, yes, radio silence in terms of what exactly landed Ferguson on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. He was eligible to be activated this week, but he was not designated to return and the Dolphins instead chose to again go with Tucker Addington elevated from the practice squad. I can tell you I saw Ferguson in the locker room after practice Friday, though can’t provide details beyond that.

From Luke Fader:

Hi Alain. Who is the practice player that emulates Maxx Crosby this year?

Hey Luke, good question there. We all know it was Quinton Bell who played that role last year because we saw it on the in-season “Hard Knocks.” Based on who’s on the practice squad, my best bet would be that the role was played this year by Matt Dickerson, but that’s purely speculation.

From Benny Ramirez:

With more news of former players called us "soft," do you believe the team will come out even more fired up? Crosby earlier in the year said Phins had no "Alphas" and now with the Elliott interview, will Miami be playing to prove a point?

Hey Benny, no, I don’t believe in that stuff in the least. And being “soft” isn’t about not playing hard, but having the ability to overcome adversity. We all know that Mike McDaniel is fond of saying “adversity is opportunity,” well, his teams have not been good in the past at responding well enough. I don’t think it’s the DeShon Elliott that are going to spark a major change there.

From FinsUpMass:

Why isn't Hill getting open downfield. Hard to tell on TV- can't see the DBs/WRs. Any idea?

Combination of factors including defenses keeping both of their safeties deep to prevent plays over the top, defenders getting aggressive with Hill and Waddle at the line of scrimmage to disrupt the timing of the routes, and also think Hill playing through a variety of injuries all season hasn’t helped.

From Phinsbam30:

Should Miami rest injured players against an Inferior opponent?

Zero chances. Let me rephrase, less than zero. Do you really think the Dolphins, with a 3-6 record, are in a position to take any opponent for granted and think they can coast to a win while being able to preserve players for better competition? Nope. The Dolphins are in desperation mode and anybody who’s physically able to play needs to play. Period.

From Jayco:

How did David Long (last season leading tackler) and a team Captain this year suddenly gets released?

The key part of your question was the word “suddenly.” This was not sudden. Long first was demoted, losing his starting job to Anthony Walker Jr., and not just losing his job but no longer being used at inside linebacker. Anthony Weaver said the move was about getting Walker snaps because he deserves them, but if Long hadn’t struggled as much as he did, he wouldn’t have gone from playing every snap on defense to playing none. Once the Dolphins landed Tyrel Dodson off waivers from Seattle, they decided they really didn’t need Long around anymore.

From Mason:

Alain, I understand we lost Tua for four games. Having said that, the Dolphins really haven’t played well for most of the season. How much of their 3-6 record is a reflection of how this team practices, and prepare during training camp this year? Also, another question is more about another person calling the Dolphins soft. For me, that’s an organization and head coach issue. When Flores was here that was not an issue. With that being said, is head coach job in jeopardy if they don’t make the playoffs?

Hey Mason, when a team is going through a bad year, everything is fair game in terms of second-guessing, and that absolutely would include how the team practices. Mike McDaniel always has preached fewer reps but making the most of them, but maybe a new approach should be explored. As for his job being in jeopardy, being that he’s tied to Tua as the guy who’s gotten the most out of the quarterback, I have a hard time seeing the Dolphins moving on from him unless there’s a collapse down the stretch and he loses the team.

From Bag of Donuts:

Will the O-Line be ready to play on Sunday?

Yes, the Dolphins have injury issues on the offensive line, with Austin Jackson on IR, and both Robert Jones and Terron Armstead dealing with knee issues, but I still would expect a good performance up front against a Raiders defensive line that has lost two key players to injuries, including Christian Wilkins.

From Marco A Briceño:

Hey, Alain. I’ve been thinking for at least three weeks that Jordan Poyer should be benched. Thoughts?

Hey Marco, you’re not completely out of line, but the problem is that Jevon Holland was dealing with injuries before the last game, so making a switch wasn’t that easy. And then last game I thought Poyer might have had his best performance of the season. So don’t see a move coming soon.

Additional reading:

-- Part 1 of the pre-Raiders game mailbag

-- Part 2 of the pre-Raiders game mailbag

-- Week 11 rooting guide

-- Dolphins-Raiders national media predictions