Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Tindall Talk, McDaniel vs. Flores, and More
Part 2 of the new SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:
From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):
Hey, Alain. My biggest fan concern is that Year 3 will be a waste under Tua: Is there any chance everyone already knows Tua’s not the answer after his first two years? Shouldn’t we have upgraded after Year 2? Maybe he’s a draft bust who doesn’t need further evaluation? Thanks!
Hi Chris, oh boy, you’re going to make some Dolphins fans pretty unhappy here. Your concern absolutely has some merit because, like it or not, Tua has not shown yet he’s bound to become an elite quarterback and every franchise should strive to get that kind of guy, not just somebody with whom you can get into the playoffs if the rest of the team is stacked. And let’s not kid ourselves, if the Dolphins were completely sold on Tua becoming that kind of guy, they never would have explored — as GM Chris Grier admitted the team did — the idea of making a trade for Deshaun Watson in 2021. That’s a fact. Having said all that, there’s also nothing egregious in my mind about fully investigating what the team has in Tua before making a move one way or the other (long-term commitment or searching for a replacement) and putting everything in his corner this offseason with the hiring of Mike McDaniel and the additions of Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead, among others, should provide a clearer, more definitive answer. But, yes, based on what we saw the past two seasons — all reasons or excuses aside — there is reason for concern here.
From Phinaholic (@dana_buice):
Hey my friend, I’ve heard from many who cover the Dolphins that they expect a run-heavy team. After spending so much in the offseason bringing in new receivers, do you think it’s smart to be a run-centric team, and exactly how much do expect us to run the ball?
Hey Dana, I think the Dolphins would like to run the ball quite a bit because it’s what Mike McDaniel has had experience (and success) with, evidenced by the 49ers having close losses in the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game over the past three years. But those teams also had elite defenses and very good offensive lines, so that’s going to be the challenge for the Dolphins. As for whether it’s smart, I’m always of the belief the best coaching is the one that adapts to the strength of the players. Also keep in mind that throwing the ball all over the field puts more pressure on that team’s defense because time of possession and securing the ball help.
From josh (@lwloco):
Hi Alain, who was playing LT in minicamp and OTA … just curious who could be backing Terron?
Hey Josh, the Dolphins have several options when it comes to the backup left tackle position, including 2021 seventh-round pick Larnel Coleman, Greg Little and rookie free agent Kellen Diesch and moving Austin Jackson back there in a pinch always is an option.
From @funtimehaver13):
Hey Alain, will Tindall be expected to do a lot of heavy lifting? is there any expectation that he starts come regular season?
Howdy, no, I don’t anticipate Channing Tindall being asked to do a lot of heavy lifting at the start of his NFL career and I certainly wouldn’t expect him to be in the starting lineup. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if his playing time on defense was very limited during his rookie season and his contributions came mostly on special teams.
From Richard Grosso (@rjgro):
There seems to be a narrative by some in the local media that the new coaching staff is better than the last. Is that your sense, and what would be the basis for that positive outlook?
Hey Richard, first off, let me say this is totally the norm every time a team has a coaching change because, hey, they made a change for a reason, right? Kind of like the new girlfriend always is better than the old girlfriend, am I right? Like Brian Flores was seen in the summer of 2019 as a big improvement over Adam Gase, and Gase was seen in the summer of 2016 as a big step up over Joe Philbin, and so forth. So I would take that notion with a grain of salt until games actually are played. As for why that idea is out there, it’s pretty simple and it’s because Mike McDaniel is a lot more player-friendly than Flores was.
From John Kerns (@yitwail):
Why do reporters predict which players will make the roster when training camp is barely starting?
Hey John, your point absolutely has merit and, believe it or not, I tend to agree with you that it’s premature. But the reality is that fans, by all measures, really like those projections. Just with this weekly mailbag, probably the most common question I get is who’ll make the roster at a certain position and who won't.
From Dixon Tam (@DixonTam):
1. How much trouble are the #Dolphins in if Byron Jones isn't healthy enough to start the regular season? Who would start opposite of X? 2. Are Swiss Chalet and St. Hubert's basically the same restaurant?
Hey Dixon, good questions both. Yeah, I would be concerned having to start the regular season without Byron Jones because he’s extremely important (along with Xavien Howard) to what the Dolphins like to do on defense and there’s little depth behind him at outside corner. The Dolphins always could move Nik Needham outside if Jones were to miss some time, but he’s more effective as a slot corner and moving him would create a hole there. The other two logical candidates currently on the roster are 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene and former second-round pick Quincy Wilson, who the Dolphins signed in the offseason. But ideally, Jones will be ready for the start of the season. As for the second question, I'm going to tell you that I have never eaten at Swiss Chalet, so I don't know. I do know that St. Hubert's is completely awesome (hot chicken with a poutine).
