Dolphins Mailbag: Big Tua Questions, the O-line, Holland and More

Answering Miami Dolphins fans questions on Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle and Jevon Holland, among other topics

From Rémi “Coach Ray” Lesot (@LeCoachRay):

After the first days of OTAs, how do you feel about the O-line? Many changes?

Well, let me first begin by saying that the Dolphins' media policy prevents us from telling you who was working at what spot, so when it comes to changes, can't say anything. Besides, based on recent history, it's entirely likely that different linemen will be working at different spots until the Dolphins settle on a starting five. I asked new O-line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre in a Zoom media session last week what makes Robert Hunt appealing at guard and his response was that it hasn't been determined where he'll line up. In regards to how I feel about the line, it's a group with an awful lot of young players and I think we have to say that the jury is still out on just how good a unit it can be. As a former NFL head coach (can't remember exactly who it was) used to say, potential means you haven't done it yet.

From Steven Wilson-Maggard (@stevenjwilson11):

How much slower is Waddle now compared to his pre-injury status? I know it can’t be a scientific answer, but is it highly noticeable?

Well, here's the thing: The media has been allowed to watch one practice so far this offseason and nothing was done at full speed at that OTA (Wednesday). So it's impossible for me to tell you where Waddle is compared to before his injury, but I certainly wouldn't be worried about it in late May.

From Mark Ricci (@mdricci):

Is @HollywoodVon the movable chess piece Coach Flo thought that Minkah could be, or is he simply our single-high FS? I’m hoping the former!

While Jevon Holland has to prove he can do it, I absolutely would expect Brian Flores to see if he can do what he had in mind for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Holland has experience as a deep center fielder, a slot corner and playing closer to the line of scrimmage, and his versatility no doubt is a big reason Flores liked him so much coming out of Oregon.

From rob hellebrand (@dolfanrbo1):

A certain Omar recently asserted that Tua’s arm is still not strong and that Solomon Kindley is eating his way out of the NFL. Any comment on that?

I'm not exactly sure why the first part is even a topic because anyone who can look at things realistically could see that arm strength is not what made Tua special at Alabama and it's not what will make him become elite in the NFL if he reaches that status. Sure, Tua can get the ball downfield if he has a clean pocket and plenty of time to set his feet (like his deep pass to Jakeem Grant against Cincinnati last year), but he simply doesn't have the kind of arm that allows a QB to make ridiculous throws on the run or off balance, a la Josh Allen, for example. Bottom line, I'm not sure we'll ever say Tua has a 'strong arm." As for Kindley, not sure about "eating his way out of the NFL," but it's not farfetched to suggest he carries too much weight.

From Dwayne C. (@DwayneChurchSD):

I've heard that a sports writer (not you) is concerned about Tua's arm strength after seeing him in practice. How does Tua compare to other QBs when it comes to arm strength? Should we be worried?

Again, we're referring here to Omar Kelly's observations. I'll speak strictly for myself here and say I'm not concerned about Tua's arm strength because I never felt it was going to be what would carry him to success in the NFL. I have maintained from the start — and I'm certainly not the only one who has written that — that if everything pans out, Tua's ceiling as an NFL quarterback is to become a lefty Drew Brees. Well, would anybody ever say that Brees had a great arm? No. Brees was very accurate and knew where to go with the ball. If you want me to compare Tua's arm strength to other QBs around the NFL, I'd say he's pretty clearly in the bottom half. Off the top of my head, I'd say QBs with a better arm would include Allen, Zach Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Burrow, Tannehill, Lawrence, Wentz, Herbert, Lock, Carr, Mahomes, Prescott, Fitzpatrick, Cousins, Rodgers, Darnold, Winston, Brady, Murray, Stafford, Wilson. Again, that doesn't mean he can't succeed in the NFL, but if he does, he won't because of his arm strength. 

From ALCanes (@al_canes1973):

Why has Tua's first year been received so negatively by media members (especially local)? His 1st year was better than R. Tannehill and a fair number of other QBs, yet it's as if he crapped the bed last year. I don't remember Tannehill getting dogged like that after year one.

Couple of things here: Not sure comparing Tua to Tannehill is fair because Tannehill came to Miami with a lot of question marks about him as a quarterback, whereas Tua brought huge expectations because of what he did at Alabama. Secondly, has Tua really been dogged by the local media? Really? Seems to me my colleagues on the Dolphins beat have gone out of their way to point out all the obstacles he faced last year that contributed to his uneven performance. I've also seen mentioned very often his 6-3 record as validation for his rookie season when, if we're being honest, he was more game manager than anything else in 2020. I think I might have been the local writer with the least glowing reviews of Tua's rookie season, and I've never written anything more critical than observing that the Dolphins offense functioned better with Ryan Fitzpatrick last year — and that's pretty obvious unless you see things through Tua-colored glasses — and suggesting he still has to prove he can become an elite quarterback where others have written it as if it's a done deal. I'm not quite sure where this sense of persecution from Tua fans comes from, but outside of a couple of national talk show hosts (Colin Cowherd sure comes to mind), I don't think there's been anything overly harsh said or written about Tua. Last point on this, it probably didn't help that Justin Herbert lit it up for the Chargers as a rookie — and pointing out that the Dolphins defense shut him down and that Tua won that head-to-head matchup is ignoring the reality that there's practically no question after one year that Herbert is a bona fide franchise quarterback and Tua still has to prove it.