Dolphins Friday Mailbag: How Much O-Line Shuffling Is Coming?

Part 1 of the pre-Madrid game Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Ed Helinski:

Does traveling to Spain damper some of the Dolphins momentum after the Buffalo win?

Hey Ed, it’s an interesting question, but I would think that Mike McDaniel actually might prefer the disruption in routine this particular week so his players don’t spend too much time basking in the Buffalo game. I also recall McDaniel saying he’s not a believer in week-to-week momentum because every game is its own entity.

From John Flora:

If Jackson can play, does Strange continue to start or does Borom shift over?

Hey John, this is a very good question and it applies to WHEN Jackson will play because I’d be shocked if he returned to the lineup this week. But when he does return, I do think the Dolphins have to consider moving Larry Borom to right guard to replace Cole Strange, though I’d still be inclined to believe they won’t want to disrupt two positions right away.

From Dan Ford:

Is Tom Garfinkel behind the recent executive management changes?

Hey Dan, I don’t know that I’d suggest that Garfinkel is behind the changes, though it’s probably fair to assume his input was solicited. It may just be that Stephen Ross wanted the “old guard” to be replaced so there could be a fresher set of eyes looking at the organization.

From Marco A. Briceño:

Hey Alain, I know you agree with trading Phillips. I don’t agree we should have. We should have signed him to a two-year deal with only the first guaranteed. Plus, playing time incentives. What do you think?

Hey Marco, here’s the problem with your premise: You’re assuming that Phillips would have been OK with that and that he couldn’t have found another team in free agency willing to give him in terms of guarantees. Phillips always was going to be a tricky negotiation because of his injury history, so, no, I don’t have a major issue with that trade regardless of how well he played in his Philly debut.

From Jeff:

Hey Alain, I know I've been trying to speak it to existence for a while, but I wanted to ask following the performance you see in this game regarding Mariota. Tua had Fitzpatrick early on and I think Mariota can be just as helpful mentoring Tua and his potential replacement. The new league year comes and decisions have to be made, would you put him in the Miami QB room for the next ~2 seasons? I would love to see Mariota and McDaniel working together in 2026. He's been there and seen everything. What other “Vet QBs” fit that role in 2026-27?

Hey Jeff, it’s an interesting idea you have there in terms of a backup, but I’m not on board with the idea of Mariota as a “potential replacement.” The AFC is loaded with elite QBs, so the Dolphins can’t be content with someone who can get the job done, which is probably Mariota’s ceiling right now. Truth is, there’s probably nobody around the league right now who could be available in 2026 who would fit that description.

From Bubba:

What went into Grier’s “parting ways”? I believe you and Omar were pretty adamant that he would be “re-assigned” within the organization. Could you go into details if you have any about that? Or maybe down the road there will be more about it. Appreciate the in-depth info.

Hey Bubba, while I don’t know this for a fact, it could be that Ross offered Grier that very option but Grier turned it down because he just wanted to step away from the organization and football for a while — remember, his father passed away not long ago. Again, this is not reporting, but rather an educated guess.

From Teej:

Great win against the Bills, though a bit frustrating we only get to see them play at a high level against a quality opponent when they have nothing to lose (<1% playoff chance). Do you think Grier’s head rolling & the Jaelan trade after the Ravens game was a motivator for the performance we saw?

Hey Teej, I do think the Dolphins had a massive emotional edge in that game and the Grier departure and the trade deadline absolutely played a part in it, in my opinion. And it wasn’t so much the Phillips trade, but those players who had been mentioned in trade speculation but weren’t dealt, like Waddle, Chubb, Minkah. You’ll notice they all had one of their best performances of the season.

From Mark Malbeck:

Good evening Alain, I enjoyed watching the Phins put it to the Bills, but after years of false hope I won’t be making too much out of it. Question is why can’t Miami do the same thing that Atlanta did with Cousins? Draft Tua replacement and keep Tua around for a year or more?

Hey Mark, yes, the Dolphins could go that route, though it’s never ideal because that $40 million cap hit the Falcons have on Cousins is money they could have spent elsewhere on the roster. And the amount is even higher for Tua. And you also have to hit on the QB because the jury is out right now on Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons are having a losing season.

From Colin Crabb:

Hi Alain, are we stuck in purgatory as it appears that we once again will beat the terrible teams Commanders, Jets, Saints and retain McDaniel and now Champ, draft in the teens and nothing will change. Groundhog day once again.

Hey Colin, yeah, I absolutely can understand that fear and I also think your scenario is pretty believable.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

Mike McDaniel’s reign as the Dolphins head coach seems to have a ton of procedural issues. Getting the players lined up correctly, getting the right personnel in the game and getting the play in in a timely manner, if at all, what do you think the core issue is? To a football dummy like me it seems like an easy fix, but he’s been here four years and the same problems persist.

Hey Dana, I don’t know that this is an issue that’s so strictly restricted to the Dolphins, though it might seem that way for you as a fan of the team. Clearly, the complexity of the offensive scheme and the play calls have been an issue at times, but I don’t know that the problem has been so dramatic this season with the exception of a game or two.

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