Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Making a Move for Lamar, Tua and the Long Term, and More

Why was Mike Gesicki tagged last year? What defensive player might not fit the new scheme? Those and other questions from Miami Dolphins fans

Part 2 of the first post-Super Bowl SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From FinsUpMass (@paulbdotcom):

Which defensive players no longer fit in the scheme due to the change on defense? Is Wilkins a lock at DE?

Hey Paul, first off, yes, Wilkins is a lock at DE … or at least should be. The Dolphins played mostly with a three-man front with Josh Boyer as DC, and that’s what Vic Fangio uses. The differences come in the way the linebackers are deployed and it’s where maybe Jerome Baker isn’t quite as physical enough as a 3-4 ILB to be a great fit. He’s the one guy who really comes to mind. I should add Brandon Jones, who was a great fit for the blitz-heavy scheme the Dolphins used because he's so good at it. That's his best fit, though his tackling ability still should come in handy in any scheme.

From JJ Defensive Tackle (@jotanietonahm):

Do you think Tua is the answer at QB long term?

That is the $64,000 question, isn’t it? The question, of course, is what constitutes your definition of “answer.” I have said and written before that Tua can succeed if everything is going well around him (and on schedule) and we saw that for most of the 2022 season. The problem is the AFC is loaded with young stud QBs who just might be a tad better than Tua and those guys aren’t going away. And then there’s obviously the durability concern. So it’s a really tough question to answer and I certainly wouldn’t advocate giving Tua a pricey long-term extension this offseason because the Dolphins have some time to make that decision with the possibility of the fifth-year option for 2024 and/or the franchise tag if Tua balls out.

From Jason Mitchell (@Mr_Ivorian):

Hi Alain, I’ve seen a few rumors doing the rounds about Lamar Jackson to the Dolphins. If for some reason the Ravens apply the non-exclusive tag, do you think Miami will make a move?

Hey Jason, the Dolphins always are hard to predict, so I never would shut the door on this possibility. But here are some problems with that idea. First, the Ravens are going to demand a heavy return for Jackson. Second is the issue of giving Jackson the contract he wants. Third is the fact that Jackson has missed five games each of the past two seasons, so why would the Dolphins move on from Tua because of durability concerns to get a quarterback with durability concerns? And then there’s the issue of who’s the better quarterback, and is Jackson really better for the type of offense the Dolphins ran last season? Not sure. So putting all those factors together, I don’t get the logic of the Dolphins acquiring Jackson if he becomes available, though I would never put anything past them.

From Al Hertz (@AlHertzb):

Great job with the mailbag and another spelling for Alan. Who do you see the Dolphins targeting to strengthen the OL and running game? Love the Prog rock references — big Fan of Genesis, Marillion, Yes, Blue October, ELP, etc. Who else should I check out that is not an obvious name?

Hey Al, blame my French-Canadian background for the spelling of my name. I’m not totally convinced the Dolphins will make many moves with the OL because I think they might want to give another shot to guys like Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson, though 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey seems like a logical free agent to pursue given his ties to Mike McDaniel (and his ability obviously). As for a prog rock band to check out, Supertramp might be too obvious, so I’ll throw out Strawbs.

From It’s me m@@@@@@@rio (@mariiiotb):

What’s needed to fix the OL?

Hey Mariiio, it could be as simple as getting clear improvement from Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson, a full year from Terron Armstead, and more steady play from Robert Hunt and Connor Williams. I don’t think there’s a magic formula here.

From Lou @Lou305Comedy):

Hey Poup, tough season, but I like our outlook. I believe Dolphins will move Tua. My question is, what are the plans for the OL??? We are going best man available in the draft. I believe we are in win-now mode, based on the investments we made last offseason.

Hey Lou, first off, the Dolphins moving Tua would contradict Chris Grier’s very clear statement about him being “our starter for next season.” I’d certainly keep an eye on Mike McGlinchey as a free agent OL the Dolphins could pursue, but I actually think they want to give Eichenberg and Austin Jackson another shot.

From dolphdad (@WilliamCebula):

What coaches, if any, does Fangio bring in to help implement his defense?

Hey Williams, I’ve actually written about this and looking at his previous connections, the names to watch here are Ed Donatell, John Pagano and Reggie Herring.

From Chris Bustin @ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain. I wanted to revisit your friend Captain Obvious telling you that another Ryan Tannehill situation wouldn't be good. I’m concerned because people discuss picking up Tua’s fifth-year option and then using the franchise tag. Wouldn't six years of Tua be Ryan 2.0? Thanks!

Hey Chris, yeah, I do NOT want another Tannehill situation. But here’s the thing, the Dolphins would not use — at least I hope they wouldn’t — the franchise tag on him unless he had a really good season the year before. If he’s just meh, then move on because meh isn’t going to cut it in the AFC with guys like Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Herbert and Lawrence around. I also don’t think using the fifth-year option is a slam dunk because it would be painful to guarantee $23 million for 2024 only to watch Tua have more injury issues. So maybe the way to go is to sit tight, see what kind of year Tua can have and then proceed from there. Tannehill got a long-term contract from the Dolphins despite not having done enough to deserve it, and that’s a mistake the team can’t repeat.

From Michael Jordan (@michael69950892):

If Miami does not look into trading for Lamar Jackson, it would be organizational malpractice. You have a chance to upgrade, you do it despite Tuanon but the Dolphins are like the movie “Dumb and Dumber.”

Hey Michael, cool movie reference, but is Jackson really that much of a slam dunk? Mind you, this is a guy I wanted the Dolphins to draft in 2018 because I loved his game, but do we really want to give him a boat load of guaranteed money with his playing style along with giving Baltimore major draft pick compensation? I’m just not sure it’s really that smart a move.

From Miami Grime (@MiamiGrime):

Was it really just the lack of blocking skill that kept Gesicki in the doghouse all year? Felt like he just had such low usage, but is that just scheme? If that’s the case, why did we even tag him?

Hey MG, the other important factor to remember is that Gesicki was tagged and signed that tag before the Dolphins knew that Tyreek Hill would become available and they would be able to land him. Getting Hill changed everything for the Dolphins, including Gesicki’s role in the passing game, and the fact he’s not a good blocker didn’t help. Bottom line is it’s hard to believe the Dolphins would have tagged Gesicki had they known they were getting Hill. And once Gesicki signed the tag, the Dolphins couldn’t rescind it.

From Scott F Kenward (@ScottFKenward):

What can we expect from Channing Tindall in '23? Does he just need a little more time, or do we have a problem here?

Hey Scott, I’m not about to give up on a player after just one year, but I’m now in show-me mode with Tindall. There’s obvious physical ability there but I need to see some instincts take over in his second season.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.