Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Brooks, O-line, Fangio, and More

Could Kendall Lamm become an option at right tackle? Will Denver copy what New England did defensively? Tackling those and other questions from Miami Dolphins fans

Part 2 of the pre-Denver game Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Bean (@Bean_0104):

Do we see a sample size of Chris Brooks in short yardage?

Hey Bean, I like Chris Brooks as much as the next guy, but I’d be inclined to think we’re not at the point yet where Brooks is going to get much work, if any, on offense. He has yet to get a snap on offense so far in his rookie season, and I don’t see any reason to think that’s changing against Denver in Week 3.

From AB (@Brtlnx):

It looks like T-Stead will be returning soon after a knee injury scare. Why don’t teams make it mandatory for all offensive linemen to wear knee braces to cut down on injuries? While a brace may limit speed (not crucial for O-line), it can help prevent a significant injury.

Hey AB, your point certainly has merit and I’m not exactly sure what the answer is, other than maybe it does limit mobility (more than speed) and it also puts a negative thought in a player’s head. That’s the best reason I can come up with.

From Tony Giles (@Tgiles1968):

Would you get rid of the kickoff altogether and have the other team just start at the 25, or would you move the kicker back to the 25? Maybe another option? Worst play in the game currently.

Hey Tony, I’m completely with you right there, though I’d put the “tush push” in contention for most boring players to watch. I can’t see any scenario where the NFL backtracks and moves the kickoff point back to the 25 because the goal is to cut down on big collisions on kickoff returns. There’s somebody to be said for the XFL rule (or was it the USFL?) when every player is only 10 yards away from each other downfield and only the kicker is back. It certainly beats the current kickoff. And, yes, I would much rather at this time they just put the ball on the 25 for the team receiving the kickoff instead of going through the motions of the touchback.

From Crash Jensen (@Sngly):

Do you think the Broncos will try to replicate the Patriots’ strategy for slowing Miami’s offense?

Hey Crash, I think the better question might be, why wouldn’t they? Yeah, playing deep on defense led to Raheem Mostert rushing for 121 yards, but 43 of those came on one play and that was the only score the Patriots allowed in the second half. Ultimately, it’s more about execution than game plan when it comes to offense and defense production.

From Hulafins83 (@JoeFins83):

When Armstead comes back, do you see any possibility of Lamm being shifted to RT or is A.J. playing well enough to keep his starting spot?

Hey Joe, Jackson is playing more than well enough right now to keep the job (even if I think Mike McDaniel’s “awesome” statement was going a bit too far for me. And given the time they’ve invested in Jackson, he’s going to be given every opportunity and then some to show he can handle the role and it would take a few bad performances in a row to change that.

From Brett Campbell (@newbreed_1990):

The coaching matchup between Payton & Fangio is quite interesting w/ how everything this offseason transpired. Neither will admit, but it has to be a little personal. Payton is 3-2 against Fangio as HC& DC. I know you despise predictions, but does Fangio even the score on Sun?!

Hey Brett, not sure what you’re referring to as far as what “transpired” in the offseason when the reality is that Fangio very well might have joined Payton in Denver if not for the fact his head-coaching stint there ended not that long ago and they would have worked together had Payton gone to another team. So I don’t see as any kind of grudge match whatsoever.

From mr. mojo risin’ (@dennisgriffin7):

With Armstead's $20M cap # next year and Lamm more than holding his own, do you think Armstead will be here next year? And I'm sure Ogbah with his $17M+ # will be released after season, yes?

Hey Dennis, the issue when it comes to contracts always is the guaranteed money. Ogbah has a fully guaranteed $15 million salary in 2023, but his salary isn’t guaranteed next year and the Dolphins can save $13.8 million of cap space by releasing him. Given his role on the defense right now, it’s difficult to envision him being on the team in 2024. As for Armstead, the Dolphins would save $9.25 million with a post-June 1 designation but. He’s got $5 million in guaranteed salary, so I’m thinking it's a lot less likely the Dolphins will move on from him than Ogbah.

From Tom (@TomS3151994):

How much of the crowd do you think will be Broncos fans for the Dolphins home opener?

Hey Tom, it’s been six years since the Broncos played in Miami and I frankly don’t remember how well they travel, but I think the Dolphins’ 2-0 start has the fan base really excited, so I think it would be a very small portion of the crowd being Broncos fans.

From Jimmy B (via email):

Hey Alain. What's the over/under on the bad snaps from under center this game? 1? 2?...Hopefully zero...

Hey Jimmy, hopefully zero is the correct answer, but the weather forecast is not great when it comes to clean ball handling. So let’s put the over/under at 1 and hope it produces an “under.”

From Brian Z (via email):

It seems more is less so far with the offensive line. They are without Terron Armstead and have a few newer players, but seem to be doing better than last season. How much of this, in your opinion, is due to the new offensive line coach Butch Barry? Speaking of coaches, Vic Fangio coached the Broncos. Is there any chance he pulls a play out that, similar to Belichick last Sunday, exploits a "tell" that one of his former players shows?

Hey Brian, good questions, I think it’s pretty obvious that Butch Barry has done a good job so far, but I’m always hesitant to blame position coaches when a unit doesn’t perform because it’s always more on the players to me. Let’s also not diminish the importance of Tua getting rid of the ball quickly when it comes to pass protection. As for Fangio, the fact that there are new offensive coaches and a new quarterback probably would limit the amount of knowledge he could exploit in this game.