Dolphins Wednesday Mailbag: Coaching Move, Tua, Watson, X, and Much More
In this story:
From El_Dro (@El_Dro320):
Can you please tell us your thoughts on Brian Flores and any potential new coaches? Thanks in advance.
Hey Dro, my thoughts is that Brian Flores is a very good coach, can scheme up a defense like nobody’s business but the fact there was so much turnover on the coaching staff and as a result there was so much inexperience on the staff in 2021, and that was a major red flag. It’s pretty clear he wasn’t the easiest guy to get along with, but to me it’s the staff issue that was most problematic. As for potential new coaches, we ran a story Tuesday laying out the odds for several candidates.
From Atom Ant (@Atomas72):
Hi @PoupartNFL , are weather and taxation factors for Head Coaches to choose Miami (and Florida in general)?
Hey Atom, I think taxation would be a lot more of a factor for players than coaches and I think weather is barely a factor at all. For coaches, the priorities always are the amount of control they can get, the organization, and what kind of situation they’re walking into.
From Joe Kirkland (@KirklandJoe):
Chances that the Dolphins could entice A. Rodgers (3-5yrs) with Daboll, cap space/draft capital and playoff-caliber defense? A man can dream.
Hey Joe, that is a very nice dream. I think that could be an intriguing scenario for Rodgers, but understand the Dolphins are definitely not going to be alone in that pursuit if Rodgers becomes available.
From Moesticky (@Moesticky):
Do you think this franchise regresses after this shoot-from-the-hip coaching search concludes?
Hey Moe, I think it all depends on who the next head coach will be and how the offseason goes. But I think at this exact moment it’s hard to say the Dolphins are better off than they were Sunday.
From fins maniac (@finsmaniac1551):
Are there any glaring holes on the defense that you think need to be addressed this offseason?
Hey maniac, hmm, interesting question because I do think the Dolphins are pretty solid top to bottom on defense, though some of that has to be attributed to the scheme they ran with Flores. In terms of personnel, I do think maybe they could use a big-time run stuffer in the middle of the line and a playmaking inside linebacker.
From Mr RickyNelson Jr. (@JrRickynelson):
Why make this move? We were so close.
Hey Ricky, first off, I don’t really think the Dolphins were that close because the offense needs to make a major jump. As for why make the move, owner Stephen Ross laid it out pretty clearly that it came down to personality clashes and Flores’ issues with “collaborating” and “communicating.”
From Adnas (@Anase815)
Howard requesting a trade? Anything to his Twitter post?
Well, he requested a trade last summer when he was unhappy with his contract, and part of the restructured deal was an agreement to revisit it this offseason. I don’t believe Howard will request a trade just for the sake of getting away from Miami if he gets a deal he likes, and that will be the trick and the decision facing the Dolphins. As for the tweet, I took it more as waving goodbye to the 2021 season and saluting the fans.
From ChrisDavis (@KyLouFinFan):
So have the events of the last 36 hours made Watson to Miami more or less likely or no impact?
Hey Chris, that’s a very good question, especially if you try to answer it by analyzing Stephen Ross’ answer to the QB question at his press conference Monday. He danced around the topic like nobody’s business, saying he had confidence in Tua but that things were dependent on the next coach. Really? That’s what we’re supposed to believe? My best read on the situation is the Dolphins at this point are more likely to want to move forward with Tua at quarterback and find a coach who can maximize his potential.
From Alex Szabo (@AlexSzabo23):
What is Grier’s first order of business? Can he lock down Ogbah and X?
Hey Alex, well, the first order of business is hiring a new head coach and then evaluating which players need to be brought back and which the team can afford to let go The three biggest question marks right now would be Ogbah, X and Mike Gesicki, and I think solving the X issue just might be the most pressing because it might have a domino effect on what else the Dolphins need to do in the offseason.
From Dixon Tam (@DixonTam):
How do they fix the Jason Sanders situation in the offseason? Do they need to bring in a new punter so he's got a better holder? How much of a factor was Palardy in Sanders' disappointing season? #Dolphins
Hey Dixon, long time no hear, I’m not too sure I buy the notion of Palardy playing a role in Sanders’ struggles in 2021. The truth is that kickers often go up and down from year to year, except for the truly elite guys like Justin Tucker. Sanders’ pattern actually has seen him go up and down and up and down. So maybe it’s a pure matter of coincidence that Sanders is good in even-numbered years and not so good in odd-numbered years. I know it’s silly, but I don’t have a great explanation for Sanders’ struggles this season.
