Wednesday Dolphins Mailbag: Chubb, Wynn, Walker and More

Tackling more Miami Dolphins issues ahead of their Thanksgiving night game against Green Bay

Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) looks during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Part 2 of the pre-Packers game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Joe Barrett:

Hi Alain, were you surprised that the Dolphins released Lester Cotton? Wasn’t he the first lineman off the bench earlier in the year?

Hey Joe, yeah, he was the top backup among interior offensive linemen, but the Dolphins weren’t going to cut rookie free agent Andrew Meyer since they’ve kept him all year because they clearly see potential in him for the future. It was a matter of keeping it oranges to oranges in terms of the roster move once they activated Isaiah Wynn. Luckily for Cotton, it didn't take him long to find another team.

From Justin:

How comfortable would you feel with Phillips and Chop being our starting edge rushers next season with the likely possibility of Chubb being cut for cap space?

Hey Justin, the Dolphins would save more than $20 million of cap space by making Chubb a post-June 1 cut (though they couldn’t use that cap space until that date) and it’s why it wouldn’t be a shock if he were let go next offseason. I’m fine with Phillips and Chop, though we’ll have to see how Phillips can bounce back from a second major injury in two years.

From Chris Bustin:

Hey, Alain. We’re playing a crucial prime-time road game in crappy weather, and against a winning team. Isn’t this is all a recipe for the players to soil themselves like they always do? Is there any reason at all for optimism? If so, why? Thanks!

Hey Chris, do we think that just because they’ve struggled in those circumstances in recent years means it’s never going to change or get better? I also address the whole Tua/cold-weather narrative in a column and why it’s bogus. Besides, I think this Dolphins team is better equipped to deal with stiffer competition because of better balance on offense and a defense that’s been really good this year overall.

From Max Lopez No DM please:

Would think Jones starts over Wynn?

Hey Max, in the short term, without question. And I think it’ll stay that way until there’s slippage in Jones’ performance to where the Dolphins feel Wynn becomes a major upgrade. And that might not even happen if Jones continues to perform well.

From mgfern:

What is the biggest reason for Hill's struggles this year? Injury, lost a step, defensive scheme? Thanks, Poup.

The answer is yes. But the “lost a step” is tied to injury to me, specifically his offseason knee surgery. Mind you, Hill is still fast, I’m just not sure I’ve seen the stupid speed we saw the past two years. But probably the biggest issue is the way defenses are protecting against the deep ball.

From samjose:

How concerning is the loss of Anthony Walker for our defense?

Walker was doing a really good job for the Dolphins, but I’m not sure there’s going to be a massive drop-off in the lineup with Tyrel Dodson taking his place because he’s a solid player with starting experience. I’m not exactly sure what happened with Dodson in Seattle, but he’s a quality replacement for however long Walker has to be out.

From jacmer:

Do you believe that the Packers’ injuries to Alexander (CB) and Doubs (WR) will improve Dolphins chances or GB has the depth to cover those injuries?

Hey Jacques, the Packers have a lot of wide receivers, so I don’t think the Doubs injury is a big deal for them. Not the same with Alexander because he’s really, really good and his absence absolutely could have an impact on this game.

From yolli:

Have there been any talks on bring up Nik Needham from the PS?

Nope, this is a popular topic among fans, but the reality is that Needham is far behind on the depth chart at safety, and that was proven again when rookie Patrick McMorris was activated off IR while Needham stays on the practice squad. And for anyone who thinks this is some sort of personal thing against Needham, understand that any team around the NFL could have signed him to their 53 this season and nobody has.

From Daniel Kucera:

Is Bradley Chubb not in the picture for 2024? Imagine a healthy Chubb, Jalen Phillips and a young guy named Chop Robinson (he was impressive against the Pats)? That would be fun to watch.

Hey Daniel, Mike McDaniel keeps saying that Chubb is making progress and should be back at some point this season, so I’ll go with that. I also would caution against expecting too much too soon from him once he does return. And if Chubb and Phillips can get back to form in 2025, the Dolphins indeed could have a really good trio with those three players.