Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, Skylar Thompson, more

Part 1 of a Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag before New England:

From Reza Hariri (@therealrezpect1):

I have to admit I was wrong when I thought that on paper we were better than last year. Big mistakes were made letting young players like B Jones walk and signing older players with a higher risk of injury. We don't value trenches or keeping our own, we prefer older players on the slopes.

Hey Reza, I'm not sure what the question is, but I'm not sure if you're completely wrong about where you're going. In the example of Brandon Jones, one could certainly question not re-signing him even though he got a pretty good contract from the Denver Broncos relative to what he accomplished in his career.

From Kelli Xylon (@KelliXylon):

What is the likelihood that McDaniel actually restructures the offense to be more conservative, marching down the field and throwing more short passes to the middle of the field in hopes of YAC?

Hey Kelli, there's a problem with your question because that's how the Dolphins have been all season. In the expanded stat category of intended air yards per attempt, Tua Tagovailoa actually ranks last among all quarterbacks this season. The two long passes to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the opening play skewed things a bit, but this has been a very short offensive attack all season.

From Jason Kirkland (@1bigdad424):

Hello Alain, in my opinion the offensive battles start with the O-line, especially with IOL. At this point, no one is coming to save the day. I think Miami is struggling to win six games. If that's the case, would it be better to let Tua sit out the season?

Hey Jason, there's no reason to sit Tua if he's free and wants to play until the team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Beyond that, what's the point? They compete.

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

Given the number of injuries on NE's offensive line, is there a chance that Anthony Weaver will often outrun Fuller and Ramsey at 1-1 and send more blitzes than usual to give the offense short fields to work with?

Hey Chris, it's not just New England's bad offensive line, they don't have any really scary receivers. Additionally, Jacoby Brissett is not mobile. But New England won't hurt Miami by throwing the ball in this game. It's about stopping the running game of the Dolphins defense.

From EJ Barro (@ernestbarro):

Ça va, Poupe, Is it somewhat realistic that McDaniel would be able to reduce his offense to Dirty Dozen levels?

Hey EJ, I have to bow my head in shame here and say that I don't understand the reference.

From another Tweeter user (@gefer69):

Alain, what are the chances of this team having a respectable season if Tua and others gradually come back from injury? Is there still a way to get a wildcard spot? I know this is wishful thinking, but stranger things have happened…

Hey ATU, we're not even a quarter of the way through the season yet, so I find the idea of ​​it being a lost season a little ridiculous. The first order of business before we start thinking about playoffs, however, is getting the offense at least functional.

From Common Reader (@SnackService1):

Worst financial maneuver: Tua's extension, T. Hill's extension, Ramsey's extension or the out-of-market flipper who spent four bills on Sunday Ticket?

Hi CR, First let me point out that Hill's contract was a restructuring, not an extension, although I understand your point. I just want to say that the fins fan may have made the wisest financial decision given the circumstances.

From Jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, do you think the QB situation will change in just a week?

Hey Jorge, if by “change” you mean Huntley will play better, yes, I would think that would happen, although I wouldn't expect a 300-yard effort.

From Mark Lever (@MarkFinsfan):

When is Tua coming back?

Hey Mark, no one knows and that might even include Tua. All we know is that at this point all signs appear to be positive and he will be eligible to play again in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. Beyond that, it's pure speculation and I don't want or need to go into it. What we do know is that the NFL will not interfere in the decision.

From BarkingDog (@BarkingDoge):

Alain, thanks for the mailbag on the SI site. My question is about Skylar Thompson. I don't think he was treated fairly by the fans. If he hadn't played on the road against the Seahawks, would he have gotten more opportunities as the starting quarterback with Tua on IR?

I think he would have been given another chance because giving him just one game would be an admission that they completely squandered the QB spot in the offseason by not bringing in a better player (and after the game in Seattle certainly looked that way). And they kept him as their No. 2 QB for good reason, too.

From Spooky Seany (@FloridaFloGrown):

Has it hurt them that the Dolphins front office has made a point of being *small* since Tony Sparano was fired?

This particular decision group is not about being “small,” but rather about being “fast.” That's not the same. But it's certainly a fact that you need a certain level of physicality and the Dolphins often fall short – pun intended – in that department.

From Roger Dodger (@RogerDolfan):

What's your best reason to keep Chris Grier or kick him to the curb?

Hey Roger, it's not my decision, but the fact that the Dolphins didn't win a playoff game during his tenure as GM is not good and the fact that he missed the playoffs this year – four years after he was in the Had five picks in the first two rounds, followed by four the next year – wouldn't be good either.

From Brian Z (via email):

I had thought this would have to be our year to compete for a Super Bowl. Aging veterans. Injury-prone players. Free agents leave. Salary cap issues next year. Tua (was) in his fifth year at the time. A lot of air has now escaped from the balloon. However, not all the air is gone yet. There are many teams that were considered strong but didn't perform well. The bills were overturned. The Pats have shown that they can't keep up. The Jets have shown cracks. Therefore, the Dolphins still have a slim chance. The AFC East title is still within reach. In my opinion, they need a new QB today (not necessarily a replacement for Tua, but a bridge QB who can run this offense) to make this happen or even compete for a wild card spot. If you were Phins GM starting today, would you agree? If you agree, which QB would you put in to save the season? I would at least go to Jimmy G/Rams, Russell/Steelers, Bryce/Panthers. Even Ryan Tannehill. Even Fitzmagic. Or even the much-hated Tom Brady. His drive to play for another chance at a Super Bowl might be stronger than we know, and even though he does 50 million broadcast rounds, the drive to play again might be stronger.

Hey Brian, I don't necessarily disagree with everything you said, including the idea of ​​calling up a quarterback more suited to running this offense than the current backups. But there's only one name on your list that would do that for me, and that's Jimmy G. The question then would be whether the Rams would be willing to trade him and what the cost would be.

From Luis Angulo (via email):

Alain, great work as always, I like your objective journalism and podcasts, thank you for giving the fans a voice. Still I feel like our “genius” coach has finally been exposed, it was a lot of nonsense, all smoke and mirrors and not much substance. Our “franchise” quarterback is made of glass and let’s not forget that he threw three interceptions before leaving the game against the Bills. So it's not like he hit the jackpot out there. In the last 8 games Tua has played, the Dolphins have been mediocre at best. We struggled to get draft picks and once we did, Grier decided not to re-sign them and trade for expensive players and pay them instead of the homegrown talent. I know you don't shy away from tough questions, so here goes: If you were given the reins of the Dolphins, you would A) fire Grier at the end of the season after seeing how poorly constructed this roster is, B) draft a QB with your top 5 picks and C) fire M&M (He doesn't make adjustments in the game, the play calling is terrible, the team is undisciplined and the team looks drained; that's thanks to Camp Mike) and maybe an experienced coach like to get him Mike Vrabel, who clearly overtook M&M last year. Thank you again and I look forward to your thoughts.

Hey Luis, no, I don't usually shy away from tough questions, but I'm not necessarily a big fan of calling for jobs either. What I'm saying is that the Dolphins definitely need to find a quarterback next year who can do the job, even though he's not necessarily a top-five pick (because I'm not sure the Dolphins will be drafted that high). ), but a good, solid veteran quarterback. I don't like everything McDaniel does, but let's see how the rest of the season plays out before we judge him too harshly, although I think Mike Vrabel is a great coach. However, the core the Dolphins have built on offense doesn't match his physical penchant for play-action. As for Grier, if the Dolphins crash and burn, it might be fair to question his job security, but that's not my team.