Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Wynn, Key to Wins, Jackson, and More
Part 1 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:
From Flipper13 (@Flipper13):
True or false, Isaiah Wynn is a top 4 offensive lineman on the Dolphins roster?
Hey Flipper, that’s an interesting question. Let’s start with the idea that Terron Armstead, Robert Hunt and Connor Williams are the top three, and then you could throw a few players into the mix for the No. 4 spot. Wynn definitely is in the conversation with Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg, Dan Feeney and Cedric Ogbuehi. Given the body of work produced by each player to this point, I’m going to go ahead and say true.
From Rémi Lesot (@Remi_Lesot):
Salut! What's your opinion about the Dolphins not playing at home during the "sunny games"? Except Denver on Sept. 24, Miami won't enjoy the famous Hard Rock Home Field advantage. Fact or Myth?
Oh, that home-field advantage for the Dolphins in September is no myth. I’d go even farther and say the Dolphins at home in September is the biggest home-field advantage in the NFL because of the configuration of the top of the stadium, which puts the opponent sideline in the sun and the home sideline in the shade, with a difference of some 20-30 degrees between the two. And if you’ve ever lived in South Florida in the summer, you know how brutal and unforgiving that sun can be. This isn’t the same as a snow game in Buffalo because the conditions are exactly the same for both teams there. So, yes, the Dolphins absolutely should want to play their toughest opponents at home as early in the season as possible.
From Eric Gafford (@gtgeric):
Last week it seemed likely we’d sign Cook. Seems much less likely today and with each passing day, even less likely. Do you agree, and where is the point of no return?
Hey Eric, it may have “seemed” likely to fans or media members just because of the logical connection, but it never was likely if Cook was looking for a hefty contract. I’ve written all along that the Dolphins would not trade for him (they didn’t) and would consider signing him only at the right price. The big question, of course, is what is that right price. Given that training camp doesn’t start for another five or six weeks, there is no urgency to get it anything done and the point of no return will be when he signs with another team.
From Robert Papadéborde ((rPapabeborde):
Hi Alain, MMcD says during offseason he will call more run. Are we going to run, run, run or focus on speed?
Hey Robert, I don’t recall Mike McDaniel ever saying outright the Dolphins would run more, just that he wished he had stuck with the running game a bit more last season (maybe that’s the same thing). It’s a nice idea to run the ball more, particularly in short-yardage situations, but the strength of this offense was last year, will be this year and for the foreseeable future the speed outside and the problems that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle present because of that speed. If anything needs to be the focus of the offense, it’s maximizing what Hill and Waddle bring.
From Kevin Higgins (@wiggy1313):
Has Jackson’s offseason work shown he’ll be a capable right tackle this season?
Hey Kevin, I understand the question and the curiosity, but OTAs and minicamp practices are so far removed from what actually happens in the regular season that you can’t really base too much off of them. What I can tell you is that Jackson definitely looked leaner and stronger this spring, and that obviously is an encouraging sign.
From Sean Beachem (@beachbob1):
Thanks for your time Alain. Still very early, but what is your prediction for the AFC standings?
Hey Sean, yes, it is very early. Very, very early. Understanding that I reserve the right to change my prediction before the start of the regular season, I think I’d be inclined to lean toward the Jets at this moment because I absolutely think Aaron Rodgers will have a big season and their defense is really good. Actually, no, I think the Bills will do it again because they’re getting so many pieces back on defense. Wait, no, it’ll be the Dolphins because their defense will rise to the occasion more consistently in 2023 to help out the offense. But I also have a feeling the Patriots will shock everyone and make a big move because their offense won’t be so dysfunctional now that Bill O’Brien has replaced Matt Patricia as OC. How’s that for a definitive answer.
From David Hart (@DavidHartWVU):
What changes is McDaniel going to make to his play-calling to ensure that there is enough time for all the pre-snap motion? Constantly wasted timeouts and took pre-snap penalties because play call wasn’t in in enough time for all the shifting and motion before the snap.
Hey David, yeah, this is one area where McDaniel said he needed to improve in his second season as head coach and what he’ll do is learn to strike the balance between trying to create as much confusion for the defense with pre-snap motion while at the same time giving the offense some room to avoid the problems of 2022. There’s no great recipe here, though, beyond being very decisive quickly with the play call and maybe eliminating some motion at times.
From The Man The Myth (@TheManTheMyth45):
Explain how Fangio will not only help the defense but also help the offense figure out what to do when opposing defenses take away the middle of the field.
Well, we’ve already explained many times how Fangio figures to help the defense (and how quickly that figures to happen). I’m not sure I’d overstate what he can do to help the offense counteract what some defenses did against the Dolphins late last season, though there’s no question working against a high-end defense in practice always benefits the offense.
From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):
Hey, Alain. I see a lot of online chatter this week about DeAndre Hopkins. Let’s say the Patriots get DeAndre Hopkins to join JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki. How much of a challenge do you see this trio being for the Dolphins’ defense? Thanks!
Hey Chris, well, I’d suggest it certainly will be a bigger challenge than trying to contain the Patriots’ receiving corps of 2022, that’s for sure. The big question there is whether D-Hop can be close to prime D-Hop or whether he’s lost a few steps. If it’s the former, then the Patriots passing game could be a factor next season and make the New England offense a lot more difficult to defend.
From Michael Hicks (@WrongHoleHicks):
Since you guys aren't super impressed with backup QBs, what are your thoughts on signing Cook as a "back QB" in the sense that Tua goes down, we use Cook as the bell cow to carry us in those games?
Hey Michael, you’re correct, neither Omar nor I were overly impressed with Mike White in the open practices, though word is he’s a much better game-day performer than practice player and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait until game day to make a definitive judgment. Having said that, I understand your point, but then the offense gets away from its strength, which is the speed at wide receiver. I’d much prefer having the backup QB be able to operate the offense and we saw that at times last year with Teddy Bridgewater (despite what some fans want to believe), except that he just couldn’t stay healthy.
From Pete’s take’s (@XLifeisagambleX):
Do you think it’s possible Miami could make the playoffs with a lesser rushing yards than last year?
Yessir, as much as some folks like to focus on running the ball, it’s really wasn’t often a determining factor in wins or losses for the Dolphins last year. As proof, the Dolphins outgained their opponent in rushing yards in six of their eight losses last season. You want the real key? It’s turnover ratio. The Dolphins were minus-2 or worse in six of those eight losses, the only exceptions coming against the Chargers and the Bills.
From Robby Redford (@RobbyRedo52925):
Will Tua have the best stats of all AFC east QBs for the regular season. If not, who in your opinion?
Hey Robby, interesting fact here is that the AFC East now has the passer rating leader from the past three seasons with Tua doing it last year and Aaron Rodgers the previous two seasons. I’ve been steady in my opinion that I think Rodgers still has at least one more big seasons in him and he’ll be the one with the best passing stats (across the board) in the AFC East.
From Prince-Bishop Militantly Aardvark (@MIltantlyA):
How likely do you think it is that Williams moves back to guard and we open the season with a new guy at center?
Hey PBMA, I’m going to go with not likely at all. The Dolphins went through the trouble of moving Williams from guard to center last year and the results overall were pretty good, so why move him again? The only reason I could see this is if the Dolphins decide that Liam Eichenberg could become something special at center and he absolutely has to start at that spot.
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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL. Feel free to submit questions every week for the All Dolphins mailbag via Twitter or via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.
