Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Long, White, Right Tackle, and More
In this story:
Part 2 of the free agency opening SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:
From TUAjit2QUIT! (@z14u2Nv):
Is Dalton Risner a fit 4 this offense and a possible grab?
First off, props on the Twitter handle (very clever!). Second, yes, Risner does have some experience in the outside zone scheme, but I’m having a hard time seeing the Dolphins making a big push for him for financial reasons, with his market value estimated by Spotrac at $9.5 million annually.
From Cliffy Mac (@mclifford36):
Favorite signing so far?
Hey Cliffy, so if we’re talking only “signings,” that eliminates Jalen Ramsey because that was a trade. And then are we talking all signings, including re-signings, or only new players? OK, that out of the way, my favorite signing (all included) would have to be Raheem Mostert, who I thought was really good last season. If it’s only new players, then I’d go with David Long Jr., who I think is a really good player, though he has battled hamstring injuries the past two seasons and, yes, that needs to be mentioned.
From Hebert Gutierrez Morales (via email):
Hi Alain, thank you very much for your work during these free agency days. I have a couple of questions, and I hope you can answer them. First, I know it’s not my money, I’m not the GM nor the HC, BUT I really don’t understand how the team pays 8 Millions per season for a Backup QB when better players like Minshew got 5.5M (as maximum) or Mayfield get 8.5M as Starter. I understand we need insurance for Tua, but there were better (and cheaper) options; what do you think? My second question, with the Berrios signing, I guess the days of Cedrick Wilson with the Dolphins are over; can we get a 7th from Dallas to send him back?
Hey Hebert, White’s actual contract calls for two years for $8 million with $4.5 million guaranteed and another $8 million possible through incentives. Dalton signed for two years with $8 million guaranteed, and Minshew signed a one-year deal with the Colts worth $3.5 million fully guaranteed, and Mayfield got $4 million guaranteed on a one-year deal with Tampa Bay. Well, first off, you can forget about Mayfield because he wouldn’t have come to Miami knowing he had zero shot at being a starter, which is not the case for him in Tampa Bay. This, to me, all along should have been a priority position for the Dolphins because they have a really good roster and they still could make a run even if something were to happen to Tua with quality backup QB play. The question then becomes, who would have been the best QB to do that, understanding that you couldn’t attract any QB with designs on starting? I’m not convinced that Mike White was the answer there, but we’ll have to let it play out and maybe the Dolphins won’t even need him to play. As for Cedrick Wilson, the issue with him is the $5 million guaranteed salary he has for 2023, not so much the draft pick consideration. Dallas gladly would take him, but not if it means paying $5 million after he caught 12 passes last season.
From Cubanater (@JohnSan61696128):
Hi Alain. So all these signings, yet Grier has ignored our need for a RT to protect Tua's blind side. WHY is he so stubborn? A.J. & Eichenberg are not the solution, yet he refuses to address it. Why? Thanks!
Hey John, first off, let me point out that we’re still in March, so we can’t definitively say they’re not adding a right tackle. I think the Dolphins indeed will have a right tackle to compete with Austin Jackson, whether it be re-signing Brandon Shell or bringing in former Seattle and Jets starter George Fant. I also would point out that I don’t remember that last time Tua took a blind-side shot while in the pocket since Buffalo’s A.J. Epenesa nailed him — and that was Week 2 in 2021.
From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):
The last two Dolphins seasons have been derailed by QB1 injuries. Our O-line has been subpar. We haven’t signed a single lineman who can be counted on as an upgrade. We picked up an injury-prone backup. Am I crazy or are we making the same decision hoping for a different result?
Hey Dana, first off, I’d take issue with your characterization of the 2021 season being derailed by QB1 injuries (Jacoby Brissett’s three losses came against playoff teams TB and LV, and against should-have-been playoff team IND). But I digress. If the biggest issue is making sure Tua stays healthy, no amount of investment in the O-line could offer a full-proof guarantee and I would challenge you to provide one example from last season where bad offensive line play directly resulted in Tua taking a big hit. The three times he suffered significant injuries (if you want to include the Buffalo hit) came on broken plays where he had the ball for a loooong time. But, yes, I get the concern and it would be awesome if the Dolphins could line up five All-Pros in front of Tua, but it’s not realistic and it still wouldn’t guarantee he’d never get injured.
From Mike Small (@realmikesmall):
Why is Cedrick Wilson still on the team? Love the new podcast!
Hey Mike, thanks for the podcast comment. New episode is dropping Sunday and another Monday, so look out for those. Cedrick Wilson Jr. is still on the roster because he’s in the second year of a three-year contract he signed last offseason that includes his $5 million of his $7 million salary for 2023 being guaranteed. Given that he caught only 12 passes in 2022, I do think the Dolphins would love to get his contract off their books, but I think it would be awfully difficult to find a trade partner at that price.
From Randy Millard (@dolphan013):
Why didn't the Phins re-sign Morstead? Does the Berrios signing mean not re-signing Sherfield? I thought Sherfield was good last year.
Hey Randy, I addressed the special teams in a story I published Friday and I have to believe it came down to what Jake Bailey did in 2020 and 2021 before he slipped last season when he spent time on IR because of back problems. There also could be something related to hang time with Morstead, who was very good in every department last year except net punting average. Bailey led the NFL in that category in 2020, so maybe the Dolphins were looking for an upgrade there in that department. But, yes, I would have had no issue with Morstead returning. As for Sherfield, no, I don’t believe Berrios being signed precludes him returning, but it makes it harder to justify giving him a big raise because the Dolphins do have five wide receivers back from last year already along with Berrios.
From Ed (@IsEdanyou):
What could possibly be the reasons for re-signing Gaskin, and even Ahmed, instead of using that money for an upgrade at RB? Those guys are no upside in my view.
Hey Ed, I’m not sure I’d agree with the idea of neither player has upside, particularly with Ahmed showing some glimpses of intriguing potential at times (2020 vs. NE, last year at Buffalo). Ahmed’s rushing average also was over 5 yards per carry last season, so that’s something. I do get those are not necessarily popular moves, but the Dolphins running game overall was effective last year and the biggest issue was that the focus was on the passing game (and rightfully so). And Mike McDaniel obviously is very comfortable with his running back corps, which is why not only were Ahmed and Gaskin re-signed but also Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. And that really wasn’t a big surprise.
From mandingolives (@drooglives):
Bobby Wagner & a RT should do it. All gravy after that. How we looking on those fronts?
I do expect a right tackle to be signed at some point, and I do expect it to be a veteran with some starting experience without necessarily it being a big-name addition. As for Wagner, I’m having a hard time seeing it and I’m still thinking he ends up signing with a West Coast team, maybe even returning to Seattle.
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