Mailbag: Dolphins Defense, Backup QB, Howard Situation, and More
Welcome to the first of what we hope are many mailbags with your questions about Miami Dolphins-related topics and my answers.
So here we go.
From yolli71:
All the talk's about the O so far, but how much do you think Miami will address the D this offseason? A natural pass rusher and a good 3 down LB are sorely needed (& maybe another DT run stuffer and nickel CB).
I absolutely agree with the overall premise of the question in the sense that it's not just the offense that needs to be addressed. In my mind, there's no question they could use another natural pass rusher (as you put it) to complement Emmanuel Ogbah, who kind of faded down the stretch last year. I'm also with you on the need for another linebacker to team up inside with Jerome Baker and additional run-stopping help up front. Instead of a nickel corner, though, I might adjust that to a boundary corner as insurance in case Noah Igbinoghene doesn't develop as hoped and in case the Xavien Howard situation goes sideways (more on that later).
From Michael Holland (@msg_holland):
What do you think of trading back from number 3 to 7 or 8 + picks and grabbing Kyle Pitts? I know there are some good receivers, even some coming later, but with his size, speed, hops and catch radius he is a GENERATIONAL talent. Oh, and he can play TE, WR, slot and H-back too.
I totally love the idea of trading to get more picks because if the Dolphins remain in the top 10, they definitely should get an impact player. Pitts clearly is very intriguing because he's such a unique athlete. He's almost more like a wide receiver than a tight end, though, but there's no doubt he'll help any offense he joins. That certainly includes the Dolphins.
RELATED: Examining the Dolphins' Many Options with the Third Overall Pick
From Brian Johanson (@conch4life)
Do you think Fitz will stay in Miami ? If not, what are your thoughts on Bridgewater being our backup QB?
Unfortunately, I don't believe Fitz will stay in Miami. He's just been so clear in all his interviews that he wants to play (as opposed to merely being in the NFL) and he knows he's not going to get the chance in Miami, whereas I do believe there'll be a handful of teams that will give him a legitimate opportunity to compete. I very much like the idea of Bridgewater as the backup, but I believe he also has his sights set on remaining a starter, so it's difficult to see him wanting to come to Miami when it's clearly going to be Tua at quarterback (unless there's a Deshaun Watson trade obviously).
From Mark Ricci (@mdricci):
Do you think the Dolphins value a quick twitch, slot receiver that can hold on to the ball? I think that’s a vital addition.
Every team values a good slot receiver and I think the Dolphins have some intriguing candidates there with the continued development of Lynn Bowden Jr., who I believe could become a really good NFL player, and the return of Albert Wilson. So I wouldn't think it's necessarily a vital addition at this point.
RELATED: How Big of a Need Do the Dolphins Have at Wide Receiver?
From VAFinsRepresentA...#FinsUp (@Da_Brown_Bomber):
Do you see Ted Karras returning. If he does not, who would you like to replace him at center Dieter, FA, or a draft pick?
I'd love to see Corey Linsley be the Dolphins' starting center in 2021, but I'm not sure how feasible that is. My best guess at this point is that the Dolphins will explore the free agent market and ultimately come back to Karras and re-sign him. Regardless of whether he returns, I easily could see the Dolphins taking an interior offensive lineman in the draft.
From Cliffy Mac (@mclifford36):
Who do you see as being a surprise cut?
That's a very interesting question. The first place to look always is at the salary cap and which player's contract would create the most space if released. Based on that, I think the two names that stand out are Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe. The Dolphins would save in excess of $5 million against the cap by cutting either of them and Brandon Jones showed promise as a rookie in 2020. If I had to pick one, I'd go with McCain. If you want a bigger surprise, then maybe we look at DeVante Parker as a post-June 1 cut because that would save $9.4 million of cap space and maybe the Dolphins (depending on what they did in the offseason) will decide his injury history has made it the right time to cut loose.
From Helicopter Dad (@LiranF):
Lots of time is spent talking about how the Dolphins will use their two 1's. How about their two 2's??? I think that's where they add a guard, TE, DE, or safety.
For the second round, I'm thinking this might be where they pick up a running back (did anybody say Javonte Williams?) or a linebacker, though I like your suggestions as well except for tight end. I think unless they take Pitts in the first round, they'll bypass taking a tight end because they're in pretty good shape with Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen. Outside of Pitts, there's no tight end in this class who would represent a significant upgrade over what the Dolphins already have.
From E-Rod (@phinfan2003):
How do you see X’s situation playing out this offseason?
E-Rod, you get the prize for the best question for this mailbag! It's also the biggest question facing the team (outside of the Deshaun Watson possibility). It's such a tough situation because logic says that Howard (through his new agent) is going to want to renegotiate his contract after the Dolphins gave Byron Jones a bigger deal last offseason and the Dolphins aren't going to like redoing that contract after two years and with four more years left. This has the potential to get messy, particularly given the fact that Howard's new agent, David Canter, represented previous high-profile Dolphins defensive players (Paul Soliai, Olivier Vernon, to name two) who ended up leaving because of financial considerations. I think the Dolphins definitely would listen if another team willing to redo Howard's contract called with a trade offer. From the Dolphins standpoint, they can either play hardball and force Howard to stick to the contract or renegotiate or restructure the contract. Here's another factor to consider: Is it possible that the Dolphins selected Igbinoghene in the first round of the 2020 draft AFTER signing Jones in free agency to prepare for the time when they didn't have Howard at cornerback? I don't have a clear answer for you because I have a hard time seeing the Dolphins move on from Howard after the season he just had and I also don't see Howard being in a Dolphins uniform for very much longer.
From Jason Sarney (@OrangeAquaman):
If the Dolphins spend “big” on one position prior to draft, what would you think is likeliest? Running back? WR? Center? Other?
Another good question (but, to be fair, they all have been good). First off, I don't believe we'll see the Dolphins spending "big" in free agency because they just don't have the same kind of cap space they had last year and also because they're much further ahead in their rebuilding project. That said, if I had to pick one position, I think I'd go either wide receiver or pass rusher because those are the players who can impact the game the most. So if the Dolphins could get an Allen Robinson or Chris Godwin at wide receiver or a Shaq Barrett as a pass rusher, to name three examples, I could see them doing that way more easily than signing a big-name running back (and, yes, that includes Aaron Jones) or a center.
From Jake Dixon (@Jak3_Dixon):
How many restructures do you think we see during these next few months? Considering that's kind of how Miami got into “Cap Hell” a few years back, do you think there are any prime candidates?
The guys who always are good candidates for restructures are players with big cap numbers who figure to be around for a while. The one player who really jumps out as fitting into that category is linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who signed a four-year, $51 million contract last year and carries a $13.9 million cap number this year. I've seen Ereck Flowers' name mentioned as a possibility for a restructure as well, but the Dolphins can walk away from his contract after this year and save $9 million against the cap with only $1 million of dead money, so this is going to depend on how the team feels about him. As a general thought, though, I wouldn't expect a ton of restructures this offseason.
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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.
