Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Thomas, Third Receiver, and More

Where does Miami stand in the AFC pecking order? Which free agent might represent an upgrade at defensive tackle? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins questions

Odell Beckham Jr. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Part 1 of a Miami Dolphins mailbag saying goodbye to March and welcoming April:

From Dave (@angryvet59):

Recently saw a pic of Tua of him thinner but not as thin as when at 'Bama. With more mobility & a QB trainer first time ever, do we see some more things added to offense that we haven't seen yet? Not talking about Jackson/Allen scrambles.

Hey Dave, the playbook always will evolve every year, but I wouldn’t expect the Dolphins to add anything related to Tua running beyond maybe a few bootlegs because that’s just not what he does best and it also exposes him than straight pocket passing (and, yes, that will remain a consideration).

From Jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, besides Odell, which other WR free agent could the Dolphins acquire at a good price to be their 3rd WR?

Hey Jorge, the big question here is what’s a “good price”? If you mean somebody who won’t be too expensive, in terms of simply ability, my two favorites remain Hunter Renfrow and Tyler Boyd, but they might be too expensive. At a smaller price, I might look at Laviska Shenault. And then maybe I’d look into the idea of adding Michael Thomas, but only at the right price.

EARLY DOLPHINS FORECAST FOR 2024

From Yogi Danza (@YogiDanza):

Rank the Dolphins pre-draft with today’s roster within the AFC. I'd put them behind only Baltimore, K.C. What do you think is holding us back from that next level of competition and contention?

Hey Yogi, I would put the Dolphins in a group of several teams behind the top tier of KC, Baltimore, Buffalo and Cincinnati, though I suspect the Ravens might take a step backward in 2024. In the Dolphins’ group I would include Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland and the New York Jets. What’s keeping Miami from the next level of contention is the inability shown over the past two seasons to bring their game up in the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.

From Shaun Braley (@shaunbraley):

Did we keep Austin Jackson at the cost of Robert Hunt, and do you think it was the right choice? Love the great content!

Hey Shaun, first off, thanks. I don’t really believe it was an either/or situation with Jackson and Hunt, though both did get offers last season. The difference is that Jackson accepted his offer and Hunt didn’t, and it worked out really well for him in the final analysis.

From Rico’s RoughNecks (@TheFin22):

Vegas Odds for Miami O/U is 10.5 wins. If you’re a betting man, which side are you choosing?

Hey Rico, I’m not a betting man, but I’ll answer your question anyway. I’d be inclined at this point to have a slight lean toward the under because of too many uncertainties on defense, but that also could change.

From Tommy in Hialeah (@Dolphinsfan201):

If Brian Thomas Jr from LSU is on the board when we pick, do they snatch him?

Hey Tommy, can’t answer that without knowing who else would be available, but I can say they most definitely would consider him. That move would make sense both in the short term and in the long term.

DOLPHINS DRAFT STRATEGY

From Ed Helinski (@MrEd315):

In your opinion, will the Dolphins draft strategy be selecting the best available player or a player based on position/roster need? Or could it be a combination of the strategies?

Hey Ed, GM Chris Grier will always say they’re going for best player available, but not sure I buy that after the selection of Austin Jackson at number 18 in the 2020 draft. The reality is it’s always a combination of the two philosophies. The ideal scenario, of course, is the best player available at the time of the pick plays a position of need.

From Dakota Haberland (@HaberlandDakota):

Pick 21: B. Murphy, J. Newton, J. Powers-Johnson and G. Barton are on the board. Who you picking?

Hey Dakota, at this time, I would be inclined to go with Byron Murphy II, whose upside as a penetrating defensive tackle really is intruiging.

From Ben Reiss (@BenReiss1):

If we don’t address defensive tackle in first two rounds of draft, are there still upgrade options still available to pair with Sieler as starters when Benito Jones is not on field as nose?

Hey Ben, the reality is that are not a ton of appealing options remaining on the market, but I do like Calais Campbell as a veteran option and other intriguing names to me would be Teair Tart, formerly of the Tennessee Titans, and former Dolphins second-round pick Jordan Phillips.