Dolphins Mailbag: How the Team Compares to Last Year, What Would a Successful Season Look Like
From Joseph (@CrossingJoe):
Alain, the WR room is obviously crowded. Of the guys who have been contributors before and who could get cut, what skill/gameday impact that they bring to the table would me missed the most by the team (Grant, Wilson, Hurns, anyone else you think fits)?
That's an interesting question, but the simple answer is that what would be lost would be made up by the skill set of Jaylen Waddle, which is why his arrival means bad news for Grant (return ability) and Wilson (speed that can be used on jet sweeps and bubble screens, among other things). Hurns a solid veteran with a good all-around game, but I'm not sure he possesses a singular skill that would be missed. And those clearly are the three guys whose roster spots appear to be the most vulnerable.
From Nodnarb (@bperks13):
What kind of performance does this team need to achieve for it to be called a successful season?
Good question, and to me it comes down to one of two things: 1) The team takes the next step from last season and gets into the playoffs. After being in position to get in last year heading into the regular season finale, anything less would be disappointing from a team standpoint. 2) Tua takes step to show he definitely is a franchise quarterback. If that happens, I'd actually consider the season a success EVEN if the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs for other reasons, such as the defense taking a step back, a key injury on offense, etc. Some might disagree, but I absolutely would consider it a successful season if Tua showed he was a legit franchise quarterback even with no playoffs. But no playoffs and no signs from Tua that he's legit, then that absolutely would have to be considered a failure.
From Sean Snoozer (BingeSnoozer):
Were there any moves made this offseason that you think would not have been made if we won our final game of the season against the Bills?
Well, that season finale against the Bills certainly served as a wake-up call that the Dolphins still had work to do, but I really don't think I would appoint any offseason move to what happened that day at whatever the stadium is being called these days. If you look at the signature moves of the offseason, the Dolphins were going to need speed on offense regardless of what happened against Buffalo and getting Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland was about bulking up a defense that was great in some areas last year but still needed reinforcements.
From aquasandoranges (@aquasandoranges):
Could you see Jesse Davis getting a try at center? With the commitments the Phins have made to get young talent at tackle and guard, center is the biggest question mark (do the yips go away?).
First off, yes, yips can go away, plus it was pointed out to me that most of Matt Skura's snapping issues came in one game when it was really windy (not to make excuses, but it happens). As for Davis, center is the one spot in the lineup he hasn't played and while I've learned never to say never, I would be very surprised to see him ending up there.
From Mark Schoninger (@SchoningerMark):
Since you’ve been following the team, has there been a Dolphins player(s) who never was given a real opportunity to shine here or elsewhere, that you believe would have excelled under the right circumstances?
That is a fabulous question that is massively testing my memory. I've been following the team closely since the perfect season (lot of Dolphins games in Montreal in those days) through the time I moved to Miami and then since covering them on a daily basis since 1989. So, yeah, a long time. Here's the thing, I can't think of any that didn't get a fair shake, though some never got a shot because of injuries (Yatil Green being the classic case). I'll give you another one who I thought was headed for stardom until things went sideways (for different reasons) and that was Cecil Collins. To this day, I'm still not sure I've seen a smoother running back in a Dolphins uniform in terms of movement and vision -- outside of Ricky Williams. But obviously his personal demons took his career away.
From A-Rod the phinphan (@TheGreatPhinsby):
On paper, where do you rank Miami's defense today? And offense in comparison to last year?
I'd say, on paper, the Dolphins are clearly better on offense because of the additions of Fuller and Waddle. On defense, I think it's pretty similar, though Phillips has the physical attributes to be better than anybody the team had in the front seven last year.
