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Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Hill-Waddle vs. Duper-Clayton, Thompson, and More

What is the team's Achilles' heel? How do Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle compare to the Marks Brothers? Those and more questions from Miami Dolphins fans

Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag following the joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

From Jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, who do you think won the joint practices between the Dolphins and the Bucs?

Hey Jorge, this obviously is very subjective because they don’t keep score (although each team did a two-minute drill Wednesday and only Tampa Bay was able to get a field goal), but I think from what I was able to observe that the Dolphins were able to hold their own and might even have had the advantage. The Dolphins offense had a more productive day than the Bucs offense Thursday for sure, but Tom Brady not being there obviously had a little something to do with it.

From Steven (@SteveA305):

After a few training camp practices & two days of joint practices with the Buccaneers, what has been the most pleasant surprise?

Hey Steven, I’m not sure if anything has been a major surprise to me, but if I have to mention something (or someone), I think I might go with Trill Williams, who just looks like the real deal as an NFL cornerback. I also have been impressed, maybe more than I expected, by some of the throws that Skylar Thompson has made.

From Brian Knipp (@knipp_brian):

Can Mike McDaniel make the playoffs and still get fired for Sean Payton next season?

Hey Brian, that’s an interesting question because Stephen Ross always has been known to like the big splashy move and getting Payton clearly would fit that category. Having said that, I just don’t know how you could move on from a coach who helps get you to the playoffs in his first season. I just have a hard time seeing that.

From Larry Bury (@LarryburyBury):

Which unit is this team's Achilles heel that may ultimately prevent a playoff berth?

Hey Larry, would offensive line be too obvious an answer? I think that’s a good place to start, but also don’t think it’s as simple as offensive line and that’s it. I think there are legitimate question marks on defense, including stopping the run and what happens at cornerback if Byron Jones has to miss some time and also how things work out with Brian Flores no longer around. But there also are a lot of reasons for optimism everywhere, including that defense, which returns every starter from a group that had some really good moments last season.

From MermAndy (@iamMermandy):

Hey Alain, does Skylar have a real chance to push for QB2?

Hey Andy, I understand the question based on some of the impressive work Thompson has done at camp, but training camp practices and the NFL regular season are two entirely different ballgames and trusting a rookie seventh-round pick as the backup to a quarterback whose durability is a big question mark isn’t the way teams usually operate. Bottom line: I hear where you’re coming from, but I just don’t see it.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Is there any hope for Williams and Bowden, Jr. to make this roster?

Hey James, that’s a logical question in light of the report that both are being shopped around the league and the truth is I don’t see any avenue for either making the roster barring an injury. I think the top five at wide receiver is pretty set with Hill, Waddle, Wilson, Ezukanma and Sherfield, and if the Dolphins do end up keeping six on the 53-man roster, I’m thinking River Cracraft is the guy right now. Williams and Bowden have both been very quiet in camp practices, especially Bowden, and I just have a hard time seeing either having anything resembling a legitimate chance to stick.

From Dixon Tam (@DixonTam):

Is it too early to start making comparisons of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to former #Dolphins greats Mark Duper and Mark Clayton? Duper was a burner but not sure he's as shifty as Hill, and I don't think Clayton is as fast as Waddle but both are small, fearless WRs. Supplemental question: #Dolphins are likely to turn over its WR room in one off-season. How much credit does Wes Welker get in helping scout and develop players like Eric Ezukanma and Braylon Sanders in such a short period of time? Bowden & Williams are now seemingly expendable.

Hey Dixon, here’s what I would say about the WR comp: Yes, it’s too early in terms of production because Duper and Clayton both put up big numbers, but let’s not forget they benefited from playing in a wide-open passing offense with the ultimate thrower getting them the ball. From a talent standpoint, I’d actually put Hill and Waddle ahead of Duper and Clayton and the draft would back me up on this because Waddle was the sixth overall pick and Hill was a fifth-round pick who would have been a first-rounder if not for off-the-field issues, whereas Duper (based on speed alone since he was a track guy in college) was a second-round pick and Clayton went in the eighth round. And in terms of size, neither Duper nor Clayton were big receivers either, so there’s no difference there. In fact, I’d say Hill is the most physical of the four. As for Welker and his impact on scouting and developing Ezukanma and Sanders, I’m sure he played a big role in landing EE since both are Texas Tech alums. But let’s not go overboard and anoint Ezukanma and Sanders too quickly in terms of their development while we’re still in training camp.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain. Sorry for this Football 101 question, but I sincerely don’t know what an offensive coordinator does in a system where the head coach calls the plays. With Mike McDaniel calling the plays, what will OC Frank Smith’s main job responsibilities be for the team? Thanks!

Hey Chris, to coordinate? Sorry, couldn’t resist. The responsibilities for Smith will be the same as any OC with an offensive-minded head coach in terms of collaborating and helping put together the game plan and directing things at practice in conjunction with McDaniel. He’s also still in charge of the offense with McDaniel as the overseer (with final say on play calls during games).

From Carl Cassidy (@CarlCassidy11):

If Dolphins start season 0-5, is it time to panic?

Hey Carl, uh, yeah! Unless I’m wrong, no team has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-5 (though the 17-game season started only last year), so that would be a major problem indeed. It would be time to panic not only for the 2022 season but in a big-picture way as well because this team was put together to make a run at and into the playoffs, and 0-5 is kind of the antithesis of that.