Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: McDaniel, Tua, Tyreek, Finding a Punter, and More

Tackling various issues on the minds of Miami Dolphins fans, from the Tua-to-Tyreek connection, to the need for a big back or inside linebacker, and much more

Part 3 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Dan Fahringer (@cjfahringer):

I love the additions of Mostert and Edmonds from a speed perspective, but do you think we need a power back for short-yardage situations or just lean on Ingold now that we have a FB again?

Hey Dan, looks to me like you forgot about Christian Wilkins as another short-yardage possibility. LOL. I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of adding a big back for short-yardage situations, but I’m not sure I’d exactly call it a big need.

From Waldo Waldie (@WaldoWaldie):

What is the No. 1 thing you want to see out of Coach McDaniel this season to make you feel the Dolphins got it right?

Hey Waldo, for me, one thing I like to see is a coach who’s aggressive, who’ll go for it on fourth down more often than not, and who’ll play to win instead of playing not to lose. And then there’s the usual stuff, like game management, ability to rally the troops and overcome setbacks, etc.

From Mark Schoninger (@SchoningerMark):

What’s one NFL rule/attribute change you’ve come up with yourself, that would make the game better?

Hey Mark, that one is insanely easy for me, and that’s to get rid of instant replay. And I mean like yesterday! As a fan of the game (in addition to being a reporter), I cannot tell you how much I hate all the delays to come with a final ruling that’s not even always that obvious or even the right one. Or I’d institute a very strict  rule — as in, NO EXCEPTIONS — that the replay cannot be longer than 30 seconds. If you can’t see an obvious mistake in the original call in 30 seconds, then the call stands and you go back to the game. I can live with one or the other, I just can’t deal with those interminable delays.

From Miami Sports Junkie (@arodz777):

Do you think the Dolphins will regret not addressing MLB in free agency and bringing back Elandon Roberts?

Howdy, I don’t think the two necessarily have to go hand in hand. I do think the Dolphins might regret not adding an MLB while at the same time having no issue with bringing back Roberts, who brings a physical element to the defense as well as leadership.

From Quinten Dantley (@DantleyBoi_1):

Due to Tua not having elite arm strength or even, what some might say, below average arm strength, do you believe he is capable of utilizing T. Hill’s speed to create explosive downfield throws?

Hey Quinten, here’s the thing about arm strength: There’s not a QB in the NFL who can’t connect on a deep pass now and then, otherwise they wouldn’t be in the NFL. It’s just that the stronger the arm strength, the easier it is to do on a consistent basis and arm strength also applies to getting the ball to the receiver quicker, which reduces the chances of DBs being able to knock it down or pick it off. So, yes, Tua can go deep to Hill (or Waddle) from time to time, though he needs more things to go right around him to make that happen (such as a cleaner pocket that allows him to fully step into the throw). The other thing is that Hill creates a lot of things after the catch, so he could have several long-gainers in 2022 off short throws. In fact, I did an analysis this week that showed that the notion of Hill as mostly a "take-the-top-off-the-defense" receiver is inaccurate and it's actually more of a possession receiver.

From Chris Davis (@KyLouFinFan):

What is the actual situation with 2022 cap space? And is there enough without a surprise big cut/trade to do anything else major in FA? Thanks

Hey Chris, after the trade of DeVante Parker (which carries $5.4 million of dead cap space because of the prorated portion of his signing bonus from 2019), the Dolphins have almost $22 million of cap space, per spotrac.com. And don’t forget that they always could create more space with contract restructures or cap casualties, so, sure, they could still make a big move, though I wouldn’t necessarily expect it because you want to have some wiggle room heading into the regular season.

From Richard Grosso (@rjgro):

Tyreek and others talking about how the Tua precision passing game & the McDaniel offense are gonna maximize T. Hill's skills; the guy was playing with Mahomes and dominated; realistic that he'd exceed that here?

Hey Richard, I do believe the Dolphins are going to do their best to get the most out of Hill after what they gave up to get him and Tua’s short and intermediate accuracy certainly can help in terms of YAC by catching him in stride, but I would caution against expecting too much (or that he should exceed what he did with the Chiefs) because he was playing in Kansas City with a top three QB in the league.

From jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain after all the Dolphins have done in FA what do you think are areas of need that they should address in the draft. I say center and middle LB should be among them.

Hey Jorge, yeah, you’re pretty much in line with what I’m thinking, though they’re not necessarily dire needs. The Dolphins also need to get their hands on a punter at some point.

From Mitch Gregory (@MitchGregor14):

Any punter news?

Nothing yet, but I wouldn’t worry about it. There’ll be somebody available in camp even if the Dolphins don’t have anybody by then. As of right now, the guy I’d go after if I were in charge would be veteran Thomas Morstead, the longtime punter for the Saints who split time last year between the Falcons and Jets.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following question came in before DeVante Parker was traded to New England along with a 2022 fifth-round pick for a 2023 third-round selection.

From John Kerns (@yitwail):

Supposing they can get a third-round pick for Parker, should they make the trade, and perhaps in turn trade two third-round picks for a second-round pick?

Hey John, based on what they did in the offseason, the Dolphins moving on from Parker certainly wasn't unexpected and they did get a third-round pick — but they had to throw in a fifth-round pick to make it happen and they're not getting that third-round pick until next year. As I wrote Saturday, I don't think they got a great return for Parker, but it suggests that's what the market dictated for him. Now that they didn't add a pick for 2022 but rather lost one and that they're not moving Xavien Howard after giving him a new contract, it's pretty hard to envision any scenario where the Dolphins can get back into the second round of the 2022 draft.