Friday Dolphins Mailbag: Rookies, Tua's Deep Passes, Ross and the Sanctions, and More
In this story:
From Ken Dasher (@kdash65):
Hey Alain, thanks for doing this. I appreciate the time you put into responding to the fans. Early reports seem to indicate that both Ezukanma and Tindall can be contributors this year. Do you have any thoughts on them and/or Goode from your eyes?
Hey Ken, thanks for the kind words. The way I see it, if fans are going to invest the time to read my stories/columns (which is very much appreciated) and then reach out with a question or comment, the least I can do is respond. As for your questions, Ezukanma most definitely has flashes, but it’s a lot easier for a wide receiver to get himself noticed in practice than a linebacker. That said, I haven’t noticed Tindall at all while watching practice, and I haven’t noticed Goode except for a would-be sack he had the other day. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re not handling their assignments, they just haven’t stood out. Truth be told, I’m not expecting much impact from either of the rookie defenders, but Ezukanma has a chance at a role if he keeps it up.
From David Dwork (@DavidDwork):
Any idea the vibe among league owners after what Ross did?
Hey David, haven’t heard any owner reaction, and I’m thinking they absolutely want to lay low here. I certainly would imagine that neither Robert Kraft nor Joel Glazer are very happy with Ross (Bruce Beal) for talking to Brady while he was under contract with their team. As for everybody else, there’s probably a “better him than me” vibe going around.
From jorge Boyd (@raga1922):
Hi Alain, how many receivers will make the team? Who will they be? Will Preston Williams make it? If they trade Preston, what could they get for him?
Hey Jorge, I think it’s pretty clear cut all the way around here. They will keep five or six wide receivers. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma and Trent Sherfield will make the team, and the battle for the sixth spot (if there is one) will be between Braylon Sanders, River Cracraft and Mohamed Sanu, in my estimation. Preston Williams will not make the team and if they try to trade him, they won’t get much more than a late-round pick — and maybe a conditional pick at that.
From Miguel Gonzalez (@MigzSwervin):
How much stock, if any, do you put in detractors saying that Tua’s completed deep passes have been against single high safety defensive looks?
Hey Miguel, the Tua deep passes is a topic I frankly find sadly overblown. And, yes, there was no deep safety help on his bomb to Tyreek Hill in the practice last Saturday and that’s not going to happen very often during the season, I would say. It doesn’t change the fact that Tua identified the coverage on Hill, let ‘er rip and perfectly led Hill for the long touchdown. Now, I wouldn’t go expecting that kind of completion every game, but there should be some opportunities during the season for Tua to take some deep shots and he’s more than capable of hitting those.
From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):
Hi, Butler injury, you know the details? It’s a loss, he helped out with the pass rush and getting others free. Surely we will add depth on the defensive line now? Also I’ve been told by others at camp Kindley has lost weight. Do you think he survives cuts? Also any reserve O-lineman stand out?
Hey Steve, multiple questions, so rapid-fire answers: I do not know the details of the Butler injury, though Mike McDaniel indicated Friday that CBA rules led to him being released with the failed physical designation. McDaniel said he was happy with the depth on the defensive line, though I’m not so sure I’m on board with that. I’d definitely be on the lookout for a veteran addition. Don’t know who your source is on Kindley, but might be time for an eye exam. He looks heavier to me, if anything. And I’d say it’s less than 50-50 he makes the roster. I’ve seen some good things from Greg Little so far in camp.
From Cliffy Mac (@mclifford36):
Does the outcome of the tampering investigation surprise you, and do you think the punishments are fair?
Hey Cliffy, no, the outcome didn’t totally surprise me because, as others have suggested, the NFL wasn’t going to nail Stephen Ross on the tanking allegations but it also wasn’t going to let him off the hook entirely — even though tampering goes around the NFL all the time. The Dolphins were just sloppy in leaving behind too much evidence. The punishment certainly seems a bit harsh when it comes to the draft pick forfeitures, but then again they didn’t exactly hurt Ross in the pocket book because, let’s face it, $1.5 million for him is chump change for regular folks.
From spaceship mirror (@funtimehaver13):
in your estimation, what’re the biggest factors that are keeping Dolphins fans from calling for Ross’ head? Seems like there’s a decent amount of fans who know those picks were insurance to replace Tua … and are oddly unbothered (even *satisfied*) that the picks are gone.
Hey there, hmm, from what I’ve seen on social media, there are a lot of Dolphins fans who are calling for his head. But if the Dolphins have a great season and Tyreek Hill is a big reason, I think fans quickly will forget about this and be happy that he opened his checkbook wide to give Hill the huge contract to get him to Miami. In the end, that’s all fans care about — having an owner who spends — and Ross has shown time and again he’s willing to do that. Where he’s come up short is the decision-making process, and maybe this is where he should stay out of the football operations. As for the notion that the Dolphins have lost the opportunity to go get a new quarterback if they need to, yes, losing the second first-round pick hurts, but there’s always a way to make it happen if you want it bad enough (see, Miami Dolphins and Tyreek Hill).
