Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Phillips Projection, Pro Bowl Candidates, Underrated Players, and More
Part 2 of this week's SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:
From Brian Dougherty (@BrianBoru619):
What is the over/under on sacks for Jaelan Phillips this year? Will Preston Williams make the 53-man roster? Give me the name of a Dolphins player who has never made the Pro Bowl but should make it this year.
Hey Brian, as always with multiple questions, answers coming rapid-fire style: Over/under for Phillips will be nine, though there’s reason to predict more considering how he finished in 2021. I would be inclined to believe that Preston Williams will not make the 53-man roster. I hate using the term “should” when it comes to making the Pro Bowl, but to answer the question the two names that stand out here are Emmanuel Ogbah and Jevon Holland.
From jp (@azisawesome):
Who will be returning kickoffs and punts for the Fins this year?
Hey JP, kind of early in the process, but at this point I would guess Noah Igbinoghene will be the kickoff returner (for those 10 percent that are not touchbacks) and I’d predict at this time that maybe Cedrick Wilson Jr. will handle punt returns.
From dolphinsgm2021 (@dolphinsgm2019):
Tretter @ right price?
Howdy, I absolutely could see the Dolphins making that move of signing J.C. Tretter if they have come to the conclusion that Connor Williams needs to stay at guard.
From Bob Curvelo (@curvelo13):
Name a player that you think will be traded this season that'll surprise a lot of fans.
Hey Bob, that’s kind of an impossible question because there are so few in-season trades to begin with. Logic says you look at positions where contract or depth could be factors and the two names that seem to jump out to me would be Myles Gaskin and Eric Rowe.
From Ricardo Hernandez (@Ricardo96451182):
Which Dolphins players heading into the season might be considered to be legitimate Pro Bowl candidates?
Hey Ricardo, we obviously can start with players who have been to the Pro Bowl before, and here that would be Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill and Terron Armstead. Beyond those three, I think we could add Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki, Emmanuel Ogbah and Jevon Holland as players who have put their name on the map already when it comes to the Pro Bowl, and the final name I’d add is Jason Sanders, who was the best kicker in the NFL in 2020 before he took a step back last season.
From Derek klootwyk (@Cardz_4_Kidz):
What are your season projections for Tua, Waddle, Hill, and Wilson? TDs and Yards.
Hey Derek, I’ve actually done this before for Waddle and Hill, so nobody come at me if the numbers aren’t the same because I’m not going back to see what I projected several weeks back. For now, I’ll say Hill gets 1,176 yards and six receiving touchdowns; Waddle gets 1,038 yards and four TDs; Wilson gets 631 yards and three TDs; and Tua throws for 3,247 yards and 23 TDs.
From Poly_king305 (@june_kaho):
Most underrated player at each position on the team. BOOM article ready locked and loaded.
Hey King, here you go: Skylar Thompson at quarterback, Gerrid Doaks at running back, Lynn Bowden Jr. at wide receiver, Durham Smythe at tight end, Michael Deiter on the offensive line, Zach Sieler on the defensive line, Andrew Van Ginkel at linebacker and Eric Rowe in the secondary.
From Kyle Edward (@KyleEdw84380051):
Which player on the active roster (excluding Tua) would have the biggest effect on team game play if they were inactive?
Hey Kyle, given the current make-up of the roster, I’d be inclined to make it a tie between Terron Armstead and Xavien Howard. Armstead is the glue to the offensive line, period, and Howard is vital for the Dolphins’ defensive scheme to be at its most effective.
From Dustin Lawson (@TheDustinLawson):
Why do I always read your name as poptart? I’m certain it’s the fatness, but maybe not.
Hey Dustin, have to be honest, your question made me laugh. And here’s a fun story: My wife is an ER nurse and more than one of her patients has called her “Nurse Poptart.” I actually should think about changing the pronunciation because “Poptart” is a lot easier for folks to remember than “Pooh-par.”
From Dave (@angryvet59):
My most interesting camp battle will be RB (no surprise, right?). Any particular one stand out for you? Keep up your fantastic work & ignore the trolls.
Hey Dave, appreciate the comments. The RB battle no doubt will be interesting, but the position that is most intriguing to me is the offensive line. Part of that is that no matter how the situation plays out at running back, Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel all figure to get their share of carries, whereas the starting offensive linemen will get all the snaps barring injuries (or lineup changes) and that makes it more significant in my eyes.
