Dolphins Friday Mailbag: Which Players Figure to Get an Extension Next Offseason?

Part 1 of a bye weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Reza Hariri:

Do the Dolphins re-sign Jack Jones & do they extend Brewer, Brooks & Achane? Do you draft with your first pick OL, CB, S , WR or BPA?

Hey Reza, understanding that any assumption is off the table if a new regime (GM/coach) takes over, I would imagine the Dolphins would re-sign Jones because that experiment has worked out pretty well, but I’m not so sure about extensions because even if Mike McDaniel does return, I can’t imagine there will be many long-term decisions made.

From Ricardo Cardona 2:

In a crazy world, what would happen if Tua decided to retire this offseason? How would that impact the cap and how do you think the Dolphins would move forward?

Hey Ricardo, it would be a really crazy world indeed, but playing along with this hypothetical, the Dolphins still would be the hook for the remaining prorated portion of his signing bonus, which is like $35 million, according to Over The Cap. But Tua’s has a $39 million base salary for 2026, so it’s just wild to think he’d walk away from that.

From Teej:

What's the deets with the all the players on IR with potential to return this season?

Hey Teej, here’s the deal: Austin Jackson already has been designated to return and practiced last week; Andrew Meyer, James Daniels, Jason Sanders and Darren Waller all are eligible to return now, and Mike McDaniel said there could be some returns when the team gets back to work next week. The others who have been placed on IR since the cuts to 53 were made basically are done for the season because of the severity of their injuries, and that includes Tyreek Hill, Storm Duck and JuJu Brents.

From Tim Gore:

Now that the Lphins are on a streak, should I start watching again, or continue with my relaxing, zero-stress Sundays of reading, gardening, and meal prep?

Hey Tim, you have plenty of time between January and September to enjoy relaxing, zero-stress Sundays of reading, gardening and meal prep (what are you making?). Isn’t the angst part of the fun of being a fan?

From Ed Helinski:

In the spirit of Thanksgiving in the air, what should the Dolphins be thankful for?

Hey Ed, that they only have six games left? Wait, did I just type that? Too soon? In all seriousness, the Dolphins should be thankful for their young players (Grant, Phillips, Biggers, Savaiinaea, etc.) showing clear progress in recent weeks.

From Toby Marmorino:

Hey Alain, why is it that when the Dolphins beat Buffalo last week everyone (including you) kind of said that the Bills were on a letdown because they beat the Chiefs the week prior and lost to us as a 9½ favorite. The same people are disappointed that Miami didn't blow out or handle Washington with ease, but why aren't they making the same excuse for us since we can be on a letdown from beating Buffalo the week before? At least we hung on and won the game, and we were only a 2½-point favorite. Seems like a double standard to me

Hey Toby, the difference there is that Buffalo also had defeated the Dolphins seven consecutive times, and more significantly the Dolphins entered the Washington game with a 3-7 record, not 6-2 like the Bills were coming to Hard Rock Stadium. It’s kinda like you’re not allowed to have a letdown with a 3-7 record. I see where you’re coming from, but I do think they’re slightly different circumstances.

From Curt Rosenstein:

If Austin Jackson returns against the Saints, does Borom slide inside to RG or does Strange keep that spot?

Hey Curt, given the way the Dolphins have operated the past few years, I’d be very surprised if the Dolphins made that move because then you’re talking about two changes to the offensive line as opposed to just one. Having said that, I think there’s merit to the idea because Larry Borom has been more consistent at right tackle than Cole Strange has been at right guard.

From John Flora:

Okay, Waller comes back. Dulcich back to PS or do they keep those two and Hill?

Hey John, I would be shocked if the Dolphins waived Dulcich, which would expose him to any other team claiming him. I easily could see the Dolphins keeping four tight ends on the 53, with Hayden Rucci as the fourth and create room with a move at another position. If the Dolphins don’t want to have more than three tight ends, I would think Rucci would be the one to go.

From vannapalooza:

Do the recent front office moves mean that the folks running the Dolphins now believe the issues are roster building and not coaching? GM and 2 senior personnel people are gone, and not a single coach? To me, if they thought it was both, a coach would be gone as well (Weaver).

There absolutely could be some of that, but it also could be that right now the decision was made that it was simpler to change the front office folks now and re-evaluate the coaching staff after the season.

From finsfan4life:

In your article about 5 Dolphins who need to step up, you mention Jaylen Wright as one of them. I agree he needs to be better, but with Ollie taking a lot of snaps, do we really need our best player Achane getting less carries?

The story you referenced was written by staff writer Jake Mendel, and there would be nothing wrong whatsoever with Wright stepping up to add just another option on offense. And it’s not about taking away Achane carries, it’s about maybe lightening his work load to get similar results if possible.

From John K:

This is premature since they haven’t hired a GM but should they primarily go after BPA in 2026 draft, or prioritize filling needs? And what about picking an in-line TE who’s a receiving threat, so you don’t telegraph a running play when they’re deployed?

Hey John, my philosophy always has been and always will be, just go for the best player available unless you’re one position away from real Super Bowl contention, there idea there being you can never have enough good players. Now, if you have an almost identical grade on two players, sure, go for the one who is most likely to play a big role immediately. But heading into 2026, it’s not like the Dolphins are totally set at any position that anything should be off the board, though maybe stay away from running back after taking one each of the last three drafts so we can give Wright and Gordon a full opportunity to develop.

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