Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Jonah, JES, Proctor, and More

From Dan Ford:

Am I crazy to think that having a healthy, mobile, and accurate deep passer and improved OL somewhat offsets losing Minkah, Chubb, Rasul Douglas, and Waddle? A better run game would minimize three-and-outs and take pressure off a depleted edge and secondary room.

Hey Dan, you’re not crazy to hope that it turns out that way, but even if the offense and the passing game improve, you just mentioned three key veterans no longer on the defense and it logically is going to take a big step back. So the question becomes what could an improved offense — if it materializes — do with a defense that figures to maybe struggle at times.

From Andrew:

Is the draft/personnel philosophy of this new regime another overcorrection for this organization? Or do you believe they are finally building the roster the right way?

Hey Andrew, I will go with the second answer here because overcorrection or not, looking for physicality on offense and versatility on defense can lead to more sustained success if you select the right players as opposed to the track-meet offense the Dolphins had under Mike McDaniel.

From Jayco:

Am I the only one who is impressed with how well Hadley and JES handle media interviews? They speak with confidence and clarity. Nice change around here.

You most definitely are not the only one because I’ve said this more than once since the two were hired. The way they communicate their plans is very impressive because of their conviction and how they get straight to the point. As a starting point, it does provide confidence the Dolphins nailed it with those two hires.

From Jack Dixon:

We heard about WR blocking in last system, not so much this year. Will they be running routes more to influence defenses vs. blocking?

Hey Jack, every single solitary coach in the history of football — with very few exceptions — wants his wide receivers to block for the running game because those blocks certainly make a difference. Also don’t overlook the fact the Dolphins have added a lot of size at wide receiver and it’s not just to win 50-50 balls down the field.

From Dave Campbell:

Greetings Alain! Missed last week but, as you say, life happens. Hopefully when Proctor shows up for rookie minicamp they give him a playback (tablet) & introduce him to the team nutritionist & STRONGLY urge him to move to South Florida to acclimate to all that lovely heat & humidity we all love here & begin training in it as well. With the initial plan with him playing LG, will that make him & Paul biggest guard/tackle tandem in team history? Also is there hope of Savaiinaea going back to his college RG position & and school of hard knocks rookie season some sort of improvement? Draft & post Draft coverage on both All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective podcasts and all the written content on Miami Dolphins on SI.Com have been great and looking forward to more excellent stuff.

Thanks as always, Dave. Off the top of my head, no, I can’t remember a bigger left tandem than Patrick Paul and Kadyn Proctor. And, yes, don’t worry, the Dolphins undoubtedly already have hooked up Proctor with their nutritionist. As for Savaiinaea, I’m thinking this move was more about opening the left guard spot for Proctor than trying to jump-start Savaiinaea because his most recent experience is at left guard and he hasn’t played right guard in 2023.

From Ed Helinski:

In your opinion, who (from the draft class) has a real legitimate shot at being a key contributor right away for the Dolphins?

Hey Ed, I would think the answer here would include Kadyn Proctor, Chris Johnson and Jacob Rodriguez, with Kyle Louis and Will Kacmarek also having roles in specific packages.

From Harry:

Now that draft is over, weakest position on Roster?? Safety or WR IMO....

Hey Harry, yeah, did a ranking of the Dolphins by position strength this week and I indeed had safety at dead last. But I did not have wide receiver as next-to-last.

From Seth Cohen:

What are the expectations for Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright this year? Do either of them have any trade value?

Hey Seth, the easier question here is the second one and sadly the answer is no. They simply haven’t done enough yet in the NFL that any team would give up a draft pick instead of signing an available free agent. As for expectations for 2026, I’d say it would be more hope and that’s that either or both of us can show some consistency and do more than flash.

From Rute:

Who would have been Grier’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd picks of this draft had he been GM?

It’s a cute question, I get it, but I’m not sure I’m going to go there beyond pointing out the fact that Grier always did have an affinity for Alabama players, so he probably liked the selection of Kadyn Proctor.

From Luis Rodriguez:

Hi Alain. Under Ross, Fins coaches last about 3.5 yrs. It takes the average draft class 2-3 years to fully develop or flop. So is it fair to assume this class will make or break Haff’s coaching career?

Hey Luis, I get the question, but I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that because the Dolphins are going to need more beyond this draft class to become successful in, say, 2027 or 2028. Looking back, it wasn’t the 2019 draft class or the 2022 draft class that defined the tenures of Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel.

From JLF:

Safety is really only room now that needs a real push! I can see team being above average with rookies they brought in and improved second-year players. Need Jonah and Kenneth Grant to step up, Chop needs to play as a third-year starter make and impact. O-line will be good.

Can’t disagree with anything your wrote except for safety being the only room that needs a real push. I’d argue that cornerback, edge and wide receiver also need more help.

From Darrill Batte:

Edge rusher is my biggest concern heading into the season. Is there anybody who the Dolphins could sign after June 1 who could be productive?

Hey Darrill, the edge rushers still on the market include Bryce Huff, Haason Reddick, Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Denico Autry, Von Miller, Cameron Jordan, A.J. Epenesa, Kyle Van Noy, Emmanuel Ogbah, Marcus Davenport and Clelin Ferrell. There’s an awful lot of age there. The two youngest ones on the list would be Ferrell and Epenesa, and the latter already visited the Dolphins after having a deal with the Cleveland Browns nullified because of a failed physical.

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