Just in: Recently traded Miami Dolphins Player Reportedly Commits Suicide…

Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, McDaniel, Draft, and More
Are the Dolphins ready to shed the finesse label? What should be Tua’s ideal playing weight? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Hi Alain, what do you think about Hunter Renfrow as the Dolphins’ third receiver? Do you think he can do better in this system than in the Raiders system? What are your expectations if signed, 30 catches 350 yards or something like that?

Hey Jorge, I happen to like Renfrow a lot and I do think he could succeed as the slot receiver in the Dolphins offense. I’d hesitate to project numbers because it always depends on how he would be used, but I think he easily could do more than 30-350.

Why do you think teams seem to struggle against specific QBs? For example, since 2020, Pats/Jets are 0-11 against Tua-led Fins and 3-2 against non-Tua-led Fins. Is it really because of the QB? Seems like every team has that one QB that always kills them.

Hey Luis, first off, the record is 3-3 against non-Tua-led Fins. One way of looking at it is that the Dolphins had a clear advantage at quarterback for most of those games because Tua was going against QBs like Mac Jones, Tim Boyle and Zach Wilson. Another is that in two of the Dolphins’ non-Tua losses against the Jets and Patriots, both in 2022, they had an in-game QB change necessitated by an injury and don’t dismiss that as a factor. In the only 2022 game non-Tua game vs. the Jets or Pats without a QB change, the Dolphins won (yes, it was ugly, but the Dolphins also had ugly wins with Tua at QB). This also is another shortcoming of assigning wins and losses to the quarterback because if you look at all those games against NE and NYJ, you’ll realize that the defense was the biggest factor many times and then there were a couple of games where the running game was the difference. If we’re going to be honest about it — and this is going to ruffle feathers — the Jets and Patriots don’t have as big a Tua problem as the Dolphins currently have a Josh Allen problem, but Tua’s record (for those who place a ton of importance and validity on it) against those two teams indeed is pretty impressive.

Think a 5th round LB like Bryan Cox could be there this year? One of my favorite players of all time. Also if you could put a target weight on Tua, what would it be? I say 220.

Hey Dave, I’d have to defer to a draft expert to dig up another potential Bryan Cox. What I will say is that what made him different coming out as an unknown from Western Illinois was just how intense and driven he was. As for a target weight for Tua, it’s a fine balance because he want him a bit thicker to absorb hits but also a bit lighter so he can be as mobile as possible. If we’re going to err on one side, I think ideally you’d sacrifice the mobility. But 220 does sound reasonable.

Do you think the Dolphins beefed up the team enough to lose the finesse title? If not, what else needs to be addressed in FA or the draft? Much obliged.

Hey Georges, like it or not, the offense as presently constructed is built on speed, deception and timing and I don’t see that changing anytime soon (or as long as the nucleus is the same). And if you look at the two biggest acquisitions of the offseason on offense, Aaron Brewer and Jonnu Smith, they’re two players whose biggest asset for their position is their mobility and athleticism.

Mike McDaniel has dealt with off field adversity for his team for his first year. The second year it was a coaching power struggle with Fangio. This year all the pieces should come together for a stable Dolphins season. What is the biggest obstacle for McDaniel this season?

Coaching power struggle with Fangio? Really? McDaniel handled the offense, Fangio handled the defense. McDaniel was the big boss. No power struggle there. The biggest obstacle this year is clear: Helping his team finish games against playoff-type opponents in the final weeks of the regular season.

In honor of WrestleMania 40, which Dolphins and coaches would make either good heel or babyface pro wrestling characters? Who do you got?

Hey Ed, you’ll have to forgiven my ignorance when it comes to wrestling, but I have no idea what a “babyface” character is. As for heels, you have to look at the guys who can talk trash very well, and Christian Wilkins would have been great at that except now he’s gone. In days past, Bryan Cox could have been a great heel (and he was to Buffalo Bills fans. LOL).

Which position do you think they target with first pick…?

Hey Jesse, wrote about this very topic this week where I put percentages on the most likely positions and to me it’s still IOL and edge defender, with defensive tackle dropping a bit after the signing of Teair Tart.

History lesson question: Which former Dolphin do you feel would have done best under the kickoff rule?

Hey Craig, so with the new kickoff rule, you’re looking at somebody with not only deep speed but also short-area quickness, so you’re looking at guys who were good at punt and kickoff returns. And the two guys who clearly stand out there would be Ted Ginn Jr. and Jakeem Grant.

Do you think, the Dolphins will eliminate any of their roster needs pre-Draft and are there rumors you heard which positions or players (beside Boyd) could be involved? Or are they fine with the players they currently have heading to Detroit?

Hey Tobias, first, technically, the Dolphins brass will not be going to Detroit for the draft. They’re doing all their work from their facility and having a representative hand in their pick after they call it in. That out of the way, no, I don’t think any position will be eliminated from consideration based on what the Dolphins might do in the next two-plus weeks.

Tua is praised as one of the most accurate QBs in the NFL. His 14 INTs had him tied for the fourth most. Are his INTs more associated with decision-making than accuracy?

Hey Rico, it’s one thing to be accurate when you have time to throw, it’s another to be accurate under pressure. Going off the top of my head, I’m remembering that more of Tua’s picks came as a result of bad decisions (receiver not really open) as opposed to throwing under pressure, though there were a couple of those as well.