Friday Dolphins Mailbag: Big-Name Free Agents, Trading Down, Projecting the 2022 Sack Leader, and More

Tackling various issues on the minds of Miami Dolphins fans, from the lack of big-name free agent pick-ups, to the tackle position, to expectations for the second wave of free agency

Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Joe Kirkland (@KirklandJoe):

With the recent signings on offense, do you still see the Phins going for WR or RB in the first two rounds of the draft?

Hey Joe, to be honest, I always viewed those two positions as long shots for the first two rounds, particularly running back, because it’s just not the way the Dolphins have operated or even the 49ers when Mike McDaniel was there. I thought a wide receiver was a possibility, but that’s certainly lessened now with the signings of Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Trent Sherfield, and I also don’t see an O-lineman being picked early. My thought always has been to look for a defensive player with that 29th pick, even though it also wouldn’t surprise me to see the Dolphins trade down.

From Matt L (@cogator06):

Alain, have the Dolphins changed their strategy of how they attack free agency? Seems like they are less likely to get into the bidding wars they once did.

Hey Matt, the Dolphins absolutely (for the most part) have stayed away from chasing the big prize in free agency after getting burned, to some degree, by Mike Wallace (not totally his fault) and Ndamukong Suh (overpaid for him). They did sign Byron Jones to a huge contract in 2020, but it’s been mostly been complementary-type players in recent years or under-the-radar free agents like Emmanuel Ogbah, which turned out to be a great move.

From Jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, do you think that with all the LB the Dolphins have re-signed they will still go after a LB in free agency?

Hey Jorge, I wouldn’t totally close the door on the idea (because you never say never), but it certainly seems like they’re cool with the thought of running it back with the same crew.

From Eric Collings (@kahunacoug);

With this being such a deep draft for wide receivers, with very little drop-off from the end of the first round to 2nd round, do you think there is a strong likelihood the Dolphins will trade down and pick up extra picks? I'm a strong advocate for it.

Hey Eric, first off, the idea of trading down always sounds appealing but it takes a team wanting to move up to make it happen. And it’s a lot easier to get that done picking 15th, for example, than picking 29th. Having said all that, I absolutely could see the Dolphins looking to make that kind of move, and not necessarily with only the intent of grabbing a wide receiver but possibly players at other positions.

From AliDaPersian (@alifarbakhsh):

What types of players do you think Miami could bring in on the next wave of free agency?

Hey Ali, traditionally, the big-name — or more familiar names, I should say — free agents are the ones that go in the first wave. The next wave usually involves depth players, special teams guys and occasionally the big-name free agent who didn’t get the kind of contract he thought he deserved, usually because of injury concerns.

From Curt Rosenstein (@phinman13):

Estimated win total this year 5 or 6?

Hey Curt, man, somebody is pessimistic right now! Let’s look at it like this, the Dolphins are going to have a very similar roster to the one that produced 10 and nine wins the past two seasons, so do we really think the bottom is going to fall out like that?

From Jeremy Klump (@NUTTYxPROFESSOR):

Who has more sacks in 2022: Emmanuel Ogbah or Jaelan Phillips?

Hey Jeremy, that’s a great question, and the reflex is to go with Phillips because of his late-season surge, and that plus the natural expectation that he’ll take a big step in his second year would lean me toward him. But I certainly wouldn’t count out Ogbah because he’s a very good pass rusher.

From Phinfanalyst (@Phinfanalyst):

How much do you expect the defense to change schematically under (just) Boyer. More or less 3-4?

Howdy, I would expect the defense to change very little — and I mean VERY LITTLE. The reason Mike McDaniel brought back Boyer and the team is re-signing players to that defense is to continue what they did the past two years, not overhaul anything for whatever reason.

From J Trey (@JTrey65):

With sites like PFF, are agents utilizing this data in their free agency negotiations?

Hey J, you better believe that agents will use any site or analytics group if it puts their client in a better light to justify contract demands. And they will ignore or set aside anything that reflects negatively. And you really can’t blame them for that.

From EVERYTHING305 (@EverythingCANE):

Why did Grier forego getting a top-tier T to start FA period?

Howdy, there could be a variety of reasons the Dolphins have not signed a top-tier tackle, which is not the same as saying they didn’t go after a top-tier tackle. It could simply be a matter of waiting to see how things play out with guys like Terron Armstead and La’el Collins. It could be an issue of not wanting to overpay for players who bring some concerns (Armstead’s age and recent injuries, Collins’ injury and off-the-field issues). It also could be as simple as the Dolphins maybe thinking their need for a tackle isn’t as great as the fans believe, especially if they ponder the idea of, say, moving Robert Hunt back to right tackle. So … any of those factors could be at play here.