Dolphins Mailbag: Waddle's Waddle, Phillips' Sacks, the O-Line Potential, And More

Tackling various topics on the minds of Dolphins fans

Here's Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag following the Week 12 victory against the Carolina Panthers:

From A-Rod the phinphan (@TheGreatPhinsby):

Alain!! Who surprised you the most last Sunday? And can you please tell Flo that I said, "Get J Davis tf out of the lineup!" He's going to get Tua killed.

A-Rod! Who surprised me the most? I think I’d go with Phillip Lindsay simply because he got 12 carries after joining the team four days earlier. That was impressive in itself. As for Jesse Davis, yeah, he’s struggled, but it’s not like the Dolphins are bursting with options for that spot. And I’m not sure Flo would pay much attention to my suggestions anyway.

From Richard J. Leonard (@SLICK6971):

Who actually decided whether to throw the red flag or not? The decisions have been horrible.

To this day, we still don’t know who the “replay guy” is for the Dolphins because they’ve flat-out refused to tell us, but the bottom line is it’s Flores’ decision in the end based on the input he gets. That said, yes, that was a very bad challenge in the early stages of the Carolina game.

From Eli Tilen (@elijts):

Do you see an opportunity to have 2 back set (21 or 22 personal with Gaskin and Lindsay)? If so, what do you do with Gesicki?

Hey Eli, I’d put the odds of that happening as somewhere between 0 and 1.3 percent. It’s just flat-out not something we’ve seen and you’re not going to see it with two smallish guys not made for lead blocking.

From Jake (@JakeMc945):

Do you see the Waddle "Waddle" taking off like the "Ickey Shuffle?" You have to admit it's an excellent celebration & play on words.

Hey Jake, I think I like seeing “Waddle waddle” in print more than in action. But, no, I don’t think it’s going to take off. As proof, everybody was talking about it like it just came out against Carolina, when others pointed out (with video evidence) that Waddle actually did it in the game against the Jets.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Does Phillips get to double digit sacks this year? Related: when does either Burns or Sweat come on the market? Would be a great 3 man rotation at DE for us, along with Ogbah.

Phillips needs 3.5 sacks in the last six games to get to 10, and his current pace would put him at 9.2. But he’s also been really good in that department lately and he’s got the Giants and the Jets coming up … so I’ll say he does reach double digits. Burns and Sweat (assuming you mean Montez and not Josh) both are eligible to become UFAs in 2023, but that’s only if Carolina and Washington don’t pick up their fifth-year option.

From Sam (@Sguydon):

BUF and NE play twice, while the Bucs play BUF and NE plays the Colts. Their remaining schedules are among the toughest of the league. Is there an outside chance the MIA/NE game in Week 18 could determine the division title if we win out?

Hey Sam, technically yes, realistically no. The Dolphins would need help from a team like Carolina, Atlanta, Jacksonville or the Jets.

From TheHotChili (ImBoomBoomPow):

Who had the better showing? Gaskin or Lindsay?

Hey there, Gaskin had the two touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation, but I’ll go back to Lindsay being able to get 12 carries just days after joining the team and that becomes the winner for me.

From Hugo Castle (@CastleHugo):

How many picks the Dolphins have for next draft? Will Grier be picking the groceries?

I have the Dolphins currently with eight picks in the 2022 draft (one in every round, with two in the fourth). And, yes, I would expect Grier to be picking the groceries (with input from Brian Flores).

From Matt Fleming (@MattFleming7776):

Is it possible Miami missed on so many O-linemen or is the O-Line performance down to first-year coaching and lack of veterans? Could we actually have a potentially excellent line here and not know it? If Tua’s arm is an issue for this staff is that due to a failure in scouting, or is it due to limitations arising from Tua’s hip injury?

Hey Matt, we make a good point about the offensive line, although I wouldn’t go as far as to say the Dolphins have the makings of an “excellent” line. I do think there’s reason for hope that it will be much improved next season. As for Tua, I don’t believe Tua’s arm is an issue for this staff. Tua does not have a big arm, but it’s functional and more than capable of executing what he’s being asked to do right now.