Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Armstead, Cam Smith, Ravens Free Agents, and More

Should a succession plan already be in place for Terron Armstead? How should Tua's contract compare to that of Baker Mayfield? Those and other Miami Dolphins questions

Part 2 of the pre-combine week All Dolphins mailbag:

From Kristopher Kingan (@kpkingan):

Given the recent salary cap space "crisis,” even if Grier can make a lot of room, do you think the Dolphins window to be a champion is closing on this group of players?

Hey Kristopher, I do think the window will not be open indefinitely, but I think they’ve got another year where they can make a run with their nucleus but not sure if it goes beyond that because losing players like Xavien Howard might be inevitable next offseason and beyond as well.

From Mark Lever (@MarkFinsfan):

How do you think Cam Smith performs with a new DC on his second year?

Hey Mark, I happen to have high hopes for Smith based on what I saw from him last summer. I think the kid really has something and it’ll up to his coaches to get it out of him next season.

From Luis Rodriguez (@Elfrijo3232):

Hi Alain - I always hear the dolphins need to draft better. But if that was the case, wouldn’t they be in the same spot cap wise? If they had found Ramsey/Chubb/Hill equivalent players in the 2019/2020 draft, they’d still be tight for $$$ now. Thoughts?

Hey Luis, no, landing studs in the draft gives you players at a very good price until they reach their next contract. When the Dolphins traded for those three players you mentioned, they then had to give them really big contracts — much bigger than a rookie contract.

From Earlwithan_E (@Earlewithan_E):

I would like to know why some of the contracts are written to provide greater cap relief after June 1st as opposed to March. Thinking of X's contract for example. Thanks, Alain for all you and Omar do for us Fins Fans.

Hey Earle, it’s not the way the contracts are written, but rather how teams choose to handle releasing players. Each team is allowed to designate two releases each years as post-June 1, which allows them to create greater cap savings for that particular years but on the downside prevents them from using that cap space until June 2. I hope that makes sense.

From Carl Bueckert (@BueckertCa94374):

What do you think about WR Roman Wilson from Michigan, he could be a faster Jarvis Landry clone for the slot maybe available in round 3? If we have a 3rd? He's got moxie.

Hey Carl, the Dolphins currently do not have a third-round pick. And I do like Wilson and he absolutely does have moxie. But Jarvis Landry might have been the moxiest of them all. That’s a high bar right there.

From Ohio Jon (@thejonrambo80):

Is there a player from the past the Dolphins drafted because of a great combine performance that ended up being a huge miss?

Hey Jon, we’ll never exactly whether the Dolphins ever drafted a player because of a great performance (doubt it), but one player who comes to mind was cornerback Jamar Taylor, who they took in the second round of the 2013 draft.

From Bernard Taylor (@_BernardTaylor):

With Anthony Weaver coming over as the new DC, what’s the possibility of him convincing guys he coached from the Ravens to come with him to Miami. For example, safety Geno Stone or linebacker Patrick Queen?

Hey Bernard, going to join a former coach is just one factor involved in where free agents end up, but usually that’ll fall behind money, chance to win, projected role and maybe location. Besides that, when we talk about Stone and Queen specifically, another issue is whether the Dolphins will have the financial flexibility to give either a big-money contract, which might be required to land either — assuming they even get on the market.

From Panthera (@17_Panthera_10):

Hi Alain, if you had to pick one player that the Dolphins have a legitimate shot a drafting this year, who should it be, and why?

My immediate thought is to tell you that we should revisit this question closer to the draft after we find out some comings and goings in free agency. As I wrote in an article this week, to me it matters more than the team’s first two picks be able to contribute right away than what position they play.

From Brian Knipp (@knipp_brian):

If J.J. McCarthy is there for the Dolphins, could Ross force the pick because he loves Michigan and J.J. just won the National Championship?

Hey Brian, I’m never going to say never, but don’t see it. Just remember that it’s been widely reported that Ross suggested the Dolphins draft Lamar Jackson in 2018 but Chris Grier stood his ground and Minkah Fitzpatrick was the selection in the first round instead. I also think the idea of the Dolphins taking a quarterback in the first round this year is extraordinarily remote.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey Alain, if the Dolphins lose in the Wild Card round for a third consecutive year, what do you think Steve Ross will do? I’m worried that everything will stay status quo year after year. Thanks!

Hey Chris, I get this question a lot, and I’m going to continue with my position that it can’t be answered without knowing the variables. I would say I would be surprised if there were any changes if the Dolphins made the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

From Bob Curvelo (@curvelo13):

Hi Alain, great work as always. Even with Armstead coming back now, do you think Miami takes a LT early in the draft as a replacement, given how many games Armstead misses due to injury?

Hey Bob, I absolutely could see a scenario where the Dolphins take a tackle for the future and use him as a guard as a rookie to get an immediate return. This is exactly what they did in 2016 when first-round pick Laremy Tunsil lined up at left guard next to veteran left tackle Branden Albert.

From Miami mark (@MarkWardlaw97):

You might have already answered this one somewhere so sorry if it’s a repeat but what do you think is a rough ballpark estimate for AVG? I feel like he is tough to predict a price tag for.

Hey Mark, here’s an easy answer: It’s a lot higher than the $2.6 million for which he signed a one-year deal last offseason. How that’s for expertise? LOL. Seriously, my initial thought here was something along the lines of $6-7 million annually and looking at edge rushers around the league, that seems like a reasonable ballpark.

From Rico’s RoughNeck (@TheFin22):

You and Omar Kelly have discussed Baker Mayfield’s pending contract influencing Tua’s contract. Comparing the ‘23 season, it’s subjective who had the superior season. Baker is on his 4th team in 7 seasons and was on a 1yr-4mil contract. Does Baker warrant Tua$?

Hey Rico, give the age difference and Tua’s stats the past two seasons, no, I don’t believe Baker Mayfield will get a contract like Tua’s.

From Brian Z (via email):

Pardon my lack of knowledge regarding salaries, bonuses, the cap and trades. I am curious to know if a draft trade can happen with a player on the current roster, but referred to as "future consideration.” As in, trade him at/before the draft, but really he is in limbo, and still unofficially still on our roster until after the post-June 1 designation date, then the trade becomes official. Thus saving our team tons of cap space.

Hey Brian, I will have to dig further into this, but my understanding at this time is that players indeed can be traded with a post-June 1 designation, which would provide a bigger cap savings for the current years (but the cap space not available until June 2).

Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: X, Phillips, Baker, and More