Tuesday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Edmonds, Punt Return, Trading for Quinn or Hunt, and More

Was Tua Tagovailoa rusty against the Steelers? Why has the offense been inconsistent? Why not take the field goal Sunday night? Those and other questions from Miami Dolphins fans

From Earl Gottfried:

Hello Alain, you may find me bugging you regularly after your blog posted your email point of contact. Anyway, what is wrong with the defense's tackling? How do you fix it during the season? Tua looked great on the first drive, then out of sync most of the rest of the way. Was it Steelers adjustments or lack of real practice time with his receivers? Or did his early scramble knock some sense out of him? The relative urgency to make any play seemed to return quickly.

Thanks Earl, and I gave out the email address specifically so folks could reach out. The issues with tackling aren’t limited to the Dolphins, and they stem largely from the lack of contact at practice, and I’m not sure how you fix those in the middle of the season. Yes, Tua seemed off for most of the game against the Steelers, and even on the first drive his throws weren’t totally on target but the receivers did a good job of adjusting. And then props to the Steelers for adjusting on defense and taking away the middle of the field. I would buy the "out of sync" idea for Tua’s off night a lot more than the early scramble, though that play wasn’t very smart on his part. Maybe he just wasn’t as sharp because of the inactivity for a couple of weeks.

From Michael McDonald:

Hi Alain, isn't it time we see either Gaskin or Ahmed instead of Edmonds when Mostert needs a breather? For a third-down back, his hands have been really poor and his rushes have been nothing special (except for the run at the end of the Baltimore game)?

Hey Michael, it’s hard to argue with what you’re saying there. It looks right now like Edmonds really is fighting the ball when it’s thrown in his direction, which obviously is a major problem. I do think Edmonds has a long leash, but I could see Ahmed (I think he's ahead of Gaskin) getting some playing time sooner rather than later if this continues.

From Dug-E-Fresssh (@fluflu3):

Our special teams play has been exceptionally "Meh" this year, especially when it comes to our return yardage. What gives, Alain, why are we so average (at best)?

From Luke Fader (@lukefader):

Hi Alain, who is most to blame for the poor performance in the Special Teams return game?

Hey Dug and Luke, I totally get the question because the Dolphins’ punt return numbers are really ugly, but I honestly haven’t seen many instances where there’s been an opportunity for a big return. It seems like there’s an opponent pretty much on top of the returner as soon as he fields the punt. And the same for kickoff returns, where you know that Raheem Mostert has great speed but just hasn’t had a chance to break one.

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From O’shay Morris (@oshaym21):

Should Miami be concerned with Tua's inability to put up points now that he has weapons & time to throw? … Should Miami trade for Quinn? His $ would be pro-rated.

Hey O’Shay, yeah, I do think there’s cause for concern with the offense in general because for all the praise Tua has been getting nationally, the reality is that outside of that crazy Baltimore game, the Dolphins scored 20, 21 and 16 points in the other three games that Tua has started and finished. Now, that’s not all on Tua, but it is a concern that this offense isn’t generating more points on a consistent basis. As for Quinn, the Dolphins already have Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips, Melvin Ingram and Andrew Van Ginkel as edge defenders, and I’d personally like to see AVG get more snaps, so I’m not sure exactly how Quinn would fit in there.

From Jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, Tua was somewhat off in the game against the Steelers. Do you think it was rust or is it something else?

Hey Jorge, Tua definitely was off against the Steelers, and there could be something to the idea that he hadn’t played in more than three weeks, think Pittsburgh deserves credit as well for what it did on defense after the first two drives.

From Ken Dorsey’s iPad (@Plopez11598):

Great work putting out so much Dolphins news. You've become one of my go-tos for daily news. Any explanation on why they seemed to go away from the outside zone against the Steelers? It was damn near unstoppable, then went inside with Edmonds, the fourth-down call was frustrating.

Hey there, love the Twitter name (big Ken Dorsey fan) and thanks. No clear explanation about going away from the outside zone, which I didn’t really notice, to be honest, but there’s always adjustments being made throughout a game on both sides of the ball. I also didn’t like the fourth-down call, starting with going for it, then deciding to go with a running play, and then Edmonds going inside when replays showed had he cut left outside of Connor Williams, he probably would have gotten the first down.

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

With us getting shorthanded in the defensive backfield, do you see help on the way via practice squad, FA or trade? The special teams guys that played, played well but just not sustainable. We need another veteran safety and at least 1 more corner, preferably a slot.

Hey Reza, first off, the practice squad defensive backs are safety Verone McKinley III and cornerbacks Kalin Barnes and Tino Ellis, and the most recent addition, Jamal Perry. The problem with losing Brandon Jones is he was the one pure strong safety, whereas Jevon Holland and Eric Rowe, as well as McKinley, as more free safety types. The Dolphins already have elevated McKinley twice from the practice squad and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him eventually signed to the 53-man roster. At cornerback, the Dolphins seem satisfied with what they have and Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen will be back at some point, with Byron Jones always lurking in the background. So, yes, I could see a trade for a cornerback, but I just as easily could see the Dolphins maintaining the status quo.

From Paul Bryan Schneider (@schnizz99):

Why don't we trade one of our RBs who can start on most teams for a good CB?? Missed McDaniel’s postgame conference; what was his rationale on going for 4th down and 3 instead of kicking a FG and going up by 2 scores in the 2nd half? Analytics said to go for FG.

Hey Paul, first off, I’m sorry, but I’m not agreeing with you that the Dolphins have a running back other than Raheem Mostert who could start on most teams, and certainly not anybody for whom a team would give up a good cornerback. As for the fourth-and-3, McDaniel explained it as a gut feeling. And I personally don’t care what analytics said, I say it was a bad move because, regardless of analytics, there was no reason to turn down an easy chance to go up two scores against a team that’s not very good offensively. That made zero sense to me.

From mikethewreck (@mgcroteau):

With their previous experience together at Oregon, why not run McKinley and Holland as the back end? I know Fejedelem has more experience but maybe college buds can get their mojo going.

Hey Mike, my expectation is that Eric Rowe will be starting at safety with Holland with Brandon Jones going on IR. And Fejedelem was used there against Pittsburgh because of circumstances; I actually do believe that of the two scenarios there, the Dolphins would go with Holland/McKinley before Holland/Fejedelem.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, the Dolphins seem to clean up their penalty problem. Five penalties for 30 yards is a pretty clean game. Especially for a team that has been struggling in that area. What should we expect in the future from these Dolphins in this arena?

Hey Dana, that’s always difficult to predict, but it was absolutely a major positive to see the Dolphins stop their two-game run of bad penalty issues.

From sweetpou812 (@pfs0u812):

What’s the biggest reason in your eyes why this offense can’t score touchdowns consistently?

Hey there, yeah, that’s a very good question because, for all the talk about this new offense, the reality is the team hasn’t topped 21 points once other than the Baltimore game. And if we look at the how the drives have ended, there’s not really a common theme. What I can tell you is that the problem isn't not finishing drives because the Dolphins are fifth in the NFL in red zone percentage and third in goal-to-go situations.

From Fins Up! (@VaralloTony):

Can the Dolphins still compete with the Bills and Chiefs with so many injuries to the DB room?

Hey Tony, it depends what you mean by “compete.” Let me define it this way: The Dolphins are a clear level below the Bills and Chiefs at this time, just like every other team in the AFC. Yes, the Dolphins defeated the Bills, but it took a perfect storm of opportune plays at key moments and mistakes by the Bills for that to happen and the point spread if the teams met on a neutral field would reflect the reality there. And the same with the Chiefs. And it’s not just about DB injuries. The Bills and Chiefs offenses are just way more consistent than the Dolphins', which is why they’re averaging around 30 points a game and Miami is at 21 points.

From Bebbers (@BebbLawrence):

Do you see us being buyers or sellers as the trade deadline approaches? And who/what positions do you foresee us targeting?

Hey there, given that the Dolphins currently hold a playoff position, there’s no way they’re sellers. Having said that, anybody can be traded if someone is willing to offer over-the-top value for him. But overall the Dolphins clearly are buyers here and the target position certainly would seem to be the secondary given all the injuries there.

From Phinfanalyst (@Phinfanalyst):

With Ross losing Miami's first-rounder, I feel like this team is now firmly in win-now mode, and therefore more likely to make a big trade. Which position are they most likely to address before the deadline?

Hey there, the Tyreek Hill trade and Terron Armstead signing should have told you this team was in win-now mode. As mentioned before, the glaring area of need right now is the secondary.

From Coach Kenny Simpson (@fbcoachsimpson):

How do you make the offense more consistent and not reliant on big plays?

Hey Kenny — or do you get the Deion Sanders treatment and I have to call you “Coach Kenny”? — that’s a very good question and it’s a very good point you bring up that this offense has been too big-play-reliant. One clear way would be to turn the focus to the running game and really stick with it, but then the two best playmakers on offense are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and would it make seem to not feature them as much as possible? So how about maybe incorporating more jet sweeps and double reverses into the game plan, which takes care of both issues.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Who's left in the defensive backfield? I'm serious.

Hey James, on the active roster, not counting IR-bound Brandon Jones, the defensive backs are Justin Bethel, Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, Kader Kohou, Elijah Campbell Keion Crossen, Clayton Fejedelem, Jevon Holland and Eric Rowe. The practice squad includes safety Verone McKinley III, and cornerbacks Kalin Barnes and Tino Ellis along with the most recent addition, Jamal Perry.

From Navyninja99 (@navyninja99):

Do you think Brandon Shell could replace AJ at RT. If he can, should the Dolphins consider moving AJ to LG over Liam?

Hey there, absolutely Brandon Shell could replace Austin Jackson at right tackle. In fact, I’d be surprised to see Shell removed from the starting lineup at this point after two good performances as a starter. As for the other thought, I get that Eichenberg has had issues in pass protection (picking up twists, for one thing and false starts), but he had a good run blocking against the Steelers. So not sure about that one.

From Mark Rodriguez (@MarkRodSTL):

Is the "dropsies" a new thing for Chase Edmonds? Did he have this problem before? If not, could it be the rotation of a left-handed thrower?

Hey Mark, looking at Edmonds’ advanced stats through Pro Football Reference, he had 10 drops in his first four seasons before joining the Dolphins, but five of them came in the 2019 season. And just like this year, he had four that season in a four-game span. So maybe he just goes through spurts where he’s fighting the ball a little bit. I think I’d buy that more than adjusting to a lefty passer.

From Dixon Tam (@DixonTam):

Who's been the biggest free-agent signing bust so far -- Cedrick Wilson or Chase Edmonds? How would they rank w/ previous signings? Bonus question: Will there be a Congressional hearing into what kind of witchcraft was used to remove Edmonds' ability to catch a football?

From Adnas (@Anase815):

Who has been a bigger disappointment as a free agent signing Chase Edmonds or Cedrick Wilson? I had high hopes for them.

Hey Dixon, ha! Funny one. Yeah, Edmonds no doubt is fighting the ball right now. And for both Dixon and Adnas, I’d say Edmonds has been a bigger disappointment because his production just hasn’t been very impressive in many opportunities, whereas Wilson just hasn’t had many chances — though the fact that Trent Sherfield clearly has passed him in the pecking order is disappointing in itself. But neither come close to being the most disappointing free agent signings. Off the top of my head, the two who really stand out in a bad way are tight end Eric Green in 1995 and wide receiver Ernest Wilford (can’t remember the year).

From Jim Kellys Burner (@Honus_Swagner):

Am I wrong to say Mostert + Kareem Hunt would be a hard-hitting combo? Is Edmonds worth anything?

Hey Honus Swagner (love that!), yes, Edmonds is worth something. Come on, man. He’s going through a rough patch right now, but he’s always been a good complementary back and that hasn’t changed. As for Hunt, hmm, don’t know about that. Is he really that much of an upgrade? This is a guy who never has come close to matching his great rookie season in KC and certainly has some baggage. So, like I said, don’t know about that one.

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