Dolphins Mailbag: Watson Trade Talk, Evaluating Flores and the Front Office, Much More
The latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag features a wider variety of topics than ever, from getting pressure on the quarterback, a suggestion for Noah Igbinoghene, the reason for drafting Hunter Long, confidence in Brian Flores, and many more.
Here's part 1:
From jorge boyd (@raga1922):
Hi Alain since the Dolphins haven't generated too much pressure on QB with their 3 or 4 man fronts it seems to me the last two games they have brought more people from time to time; is that a correct assessment and do you think they should do it more often?
Hey Jorge, I actually don't have the advanced stats where I could definitively tell you they've blitzed more the last two games, though my eyes tell me I think I would agree with you. And, yes, the Dolphins absolutely should do it more often because lack of pressure on the QB has been a big problem this season.
From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):
Curious as to your thoughts on Wilson. Had great camp, got injured and now rarely used. They played Ford over him Sunday. I think Byron Jones does a better job vs elite TE than Rowe.
Hey Reza, first off, let's say Wilson had a great START to camp because he did very little after he got injured. My concern all along with Wilson was that I thought he became a bit redundant after the Dolphins drafted Waddle and that's how it's played out. And I'm with you on Jones covering tight ends, though that becomes a problem if you face a team with two good wide receivers along with that elite tight end.
From Dan Giunta (@Dan_B_Phin_Phan):
Do you believe HC, Brian Flores is losing this Dolphins locker room?
Hey Dan, there are two ways I would like at this. On the one hand, the Dolphins are still playing hard and to the end and that doesn't always happen when a coach is losing the locker room. On the flip side, there have been a few reports out there suggested that the players aren't real thrilled with Flores, the latest coming from former NFL cornerback Darius Butler, who actually played for him in New England.
From Ricardo Hernandez (@Ricardo96451182):
Theoretically, say I used my miraculous X-men-like mental powers to control everyone involved and send Watson, all his problems, and questionable future to Carolina, keeping all of Miami’s picks here. Would I be a forever Dolphins hero or villain?
Hey Ricardo, unfortunately I don't have X-men-like mental powers and can't predict the future. I do believe you would be a hero in the short term because it seems the overwhelming majority of fans, per a poll by colleague and friend Omar Kelly, don't want a Watson trade. All I would say is it would be a damn shame if the Dolphins again passed up the chance to land a franchise quarterback, only to watch enjoy great success somewhere else.
From Hugo Castle (@CastleHugo):
Should the Dolphins blow everything again, including coaches and front office? That was at least more interesting and offered some hope ...
Hey Hugo, I think that's a better question for the end of the season. We've got the "blowing up" route several times already in the past 20 years and it's gotten us nowhere. I'd say let's play out the 2021 season and see what kind of signs there are for the future.
From Dan Fahringer (@cjfahringer):
Any thoughts on why we drafted Hunter Long since he apparently is buried 5th on the depth chart? I like him but has the makings of another Grier head scratcher.
Hey Dan, I was asking the same question at draft time. I never did understand the move and the only explanation I could come up with is that the Dolphins have been planning all along on moving on from Mike Gesicki and/or Durham Smythe when they become free agents next spring. Anything outside of that doesn't make sense.
From O’shay Morris (@oshaym21):
Hi Alain, why don’t they try Iggy at WR? Our WRs can’t stay healthy and he can’t play corner; maybe he can play WR as he did in college.
Hey O'shay, that is a very, very interesting suggestion you have there. And I would think it might come to that if the Dolphins give up on the idea of him becoming a serviceable cornerback, but I don't think they're there yet. And I would say against Jacksonville, his coverage actually was pretty good except he just didn't make plays on the ball. That's the next step. But it was a step in the right direction.
From jj (@860finatic):
Should Reiter remain the starting center and what's it going to take to get Jackson out of the lineup?
Hey JJ, I absolutely think Austin Reiter should remain in the starting lineup after what I saw against Atlanta, where I clearly could see more push up the middle in the running game and less pressure coming up the middle on pass plays. As for Jackson, it's going to take a lot, I would think, because if the Dolphins bench him it might be a point of no return and no team wants to give up on a recent first-round pick unless they absolutely have to.
From TimboSlicer (@SlicerTimbo):
Outside of QB play … your take on how the team performed? Did coaching improved? I think preparation was there but execution was lousy. Thank you.
Hey Timbo (or is it Slicer?), there was good and bad in my view in the performance against Atlanta and I didn't have any major issues with the coaching. In fact, I'd say the play-calling on offense was pretty good and the results show it. And I don't think we can say the execution was lousy when they lost by only two points; they just couldn't make key plays at key moments.
