Dolphins Friday Mailbag: Tua, Wright, Eskridge, and More

Who has the inside track on the second starting safety spot? Who's been the biggest surprise of camp? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Miami Dolphins WR Dee Eskridge | Alain Poupart - Miami Dolphins On SI

Part 1 of a Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Mark Lever:

What’s your biggest takeaway from the practices with Detroit and Chicago? Anything we should be concerned about? Any positive surprises?

Hey Mark, my biggest takeaway after focusing on the Dolphins offense Wednesday and the Dolphins defense Thursday but getting sneak peaks at the other side from time to time as well as reports from colleagues, my biggest takeaway is the defense better get a big-time pass rush or it’s going to be a long season. I don’t have a major takeaway on offense because the performance was so different from one day to the next.

From Miami Sports Vibes:

Has Eskridge shown enough through this camp to be WR4 over T. Washington + Eazy E?

Assuming we have Malik Washington as the third wide receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, we have to figure out where to insert Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who also pretty much is a lock to make the roster. That said, Eskridge right now would be no worse than the fourth wide receiver based on training camp performance.

From Erick Gadala:

What has Cam Smith been doing since coming back from injury? Is he getting time at CB or just special teams? Do you anticipate he plays in pre-season game 2 as a CB?

Hey Erick, yes, I would anticipate Smith will play against the Lions and I, in fact, included him in my 10 players to watch for the game. And, yes, he got reps on defense in the joint practices against the Lions.

HELP COMING AT CORNERBACK?

From Bag of Donuts:

Will the Dolphins sign an experienced CB?

From Marlon Silvera:

What are the odds we pick up a veteran corner before the season?

Hey fellas, based on the signings the Dolphins are making in light of their injuries, I’m almost inclined to believe at this point they’ll be rolling with the players they have and hope a combination of Duck, Sheffield, Bonner, Jones, Marshall and Cam Smith gets the job done. Also understand that if they were to pick up a higher-priced veteran, that player’s contract becomes fully guaranteed for 2025 if he’s on the roster in Week 1.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

Excluding health, what needs to happen for the Dolphins to not only make it to the playoffs but end their playoff drought?

Hey Dana, would saying having a home playoff game be too simple an answer? More specifically, I think the offensive line needs to develop into a middle-of-the-pack group and the pass rush needs to be borderline dominant. Those would be my two biggest keys — beyond health.

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, which 2025 draft picks are outperforming the 2024 draft class?

Hey Jorge, that’s a tough question to answer because guys play different positions, so sometimes it’s an apples-to-oranges comparisons, but I would tell you I think 2025 pick Ollie Gordon II is outperforming 2024 pick Jaylen Wright at running back. That’s the one that jumps out.

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II (31) celebrates his touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field in the preseason opener. | David Banks-Imagn Images

From Tyler Grutbo:

You find the second-day response in the Detroit joint practice/preseason response in the Bears game progression or an indicator of inconsistent play?

Hey Tyler, can it be both? Let’s start by pointing out the second-day rebound was on offense, and this to me was about inconsistency more than progression because we need to point out the Dolphins didn’t have Hill, Jackson, Ingold or Achane in that second practice.

From Shane White:

Could the Dolphins ever win a Super Bowl with Tua?

Hey Shane, absolutely. But with the caveat that the Dolphins would need the right pieces around him. Bottom line is I don’t think Tua can carry a team to a Super Bowl title, but I also don’t think he would keep a great team from getting there and winning it. To that end, he reminds me of somebody like Jalen Hurts or Jared Goff.

From The_Finsider:

Who’s someone that’s been surprising in camp and who’s someone who has let you down during camp?

Off the top of my head, the two players who have surprised me have been Dee Eskridge on offense and Derrick McLendon on defense. As for players who have let me down, I’d say Jaylen Wright on so far because I had high hopes for him in his second season.

WHO'S STARTING NEXT TO MINKAH?

From Squeaks:

Starting safety opposite Minkah, who ya got? Also who would be the 3rd safety in 3 safety packages?

Hmm, if the season started tomorrow, I think I’d go with Ifeatu Melifonwu as the starter opposite Minkah and then maybe Elijah Campbell as the third safety. Ashtyn Davis will become a factor once he recovers from his injury.

Miami Dolphins DB Ifeatu Melifonwu talked about facing his former team after the joint practice in Detroit on Thursday | Alain Poupart - Miami Dolphins On SI

From Colin Crabb:

Hi Alain, I'm not surprised at how we performed against other teams. Should we be worried that this upcoming season is going to be a massive letdown? Thanks for all your work with both podcasts.

Hey Colin, it’s still too early to jump to any conclusions, so I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon of some national media outlets who are predicting doom and gloom. I’ve maintained all along and will continue to do so, that it’s a team with a lot of major question marks and their season will depend on the answers to those questions.

From SciGuy17:

Has Meyer had any OG training, in order to be more versatile? When they keep otherwise mediocre/poor players, for special teams, makes me wonder — is it that hard to coach up players for special teams duty?

Well, Meyer right now is not getting any training at all because he’s been sidelined by an injury and Mike McDaniel said last week he wasn’t returning “any time soon.” As for special teams, no, I don’t believe it’s that hard to coach up players, but it’s a job that requires a certain disregard for your well-being.

From Frankie Douglas:

What are some realistic statistical expectations for Jaylen Wright?

Hey Frankie, based on the Dolphins’ past few seasons where they’ve had one dominant ball carrier, Wright might not get enough touches to put up big numbers. I’d say right now getting 500 rushing yards from him would be a good season. But, as I indicated earlier in the mailbag, I haven’t been overly impressive with his work so far.

From Donnie Druin:

Give me your top two pizza toppings.

Interesting question from my colleague Donnie, the publisher of Arizona Cardinals On SI, whose work you should check out to keep up with what’s going on with former Dolphins DT Calais Campbell as well as rookie CB Will Johnson, who was somebody a lot of Dolphins fans were hoping the team would draft this year. As for the question, give me mushrooms and black olives (since I try to stay away from pepperoni nowadays).