Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Brewer, Ewers, Combine Chatter, and More

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

From Mark Lever:

With all this talk of quarterbacks, I just wanted to know who would be your choice to compete with Ewers this season?

Hey Mark, my choice would be bringing in a draft pick (maybe Garrett Nussmeier, maybe Drew Allar) and supplement that with a veteran free agent like Jimmy Garoppolo and the other option I’d throw out is trading for a physically gifted QB who hasn’t panned out yet, like Anthony Richardson, Will Levis or Joe Milton III (assuming the cost wasn’t very high).

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, thank you always for these opportunities, my question to you is what position would you prefer to draft in the first round and why?

Hey Jorge, with the Dolphins having so many needs, I think they can go in a lot of different directions, but if you’re asking me about positions, I’d always go for the premium spots like quarterback, defensive end or cornerback with tackle next. And the reason is those positions impact the game more than, say, an interior offensive lineman or a tight end.

From Mark:

What’s up, Alain, not necessarily Dolphins-related but every year less and less players participate in the NFL combine (63% participated in 2000, only 37% in 2026). Where do u think this leads to and what to expect?

Hey Mark, it’s a reflection of more and more power going to players, kind of like what we’re seeing with college players and NIL. The reality is if players are good enough, them not working out at the combine doesn’t affect their draft stock one bit. I can’t imagine the percentage of players working out is going to go back to what it once was.

From rjgrosso:

Continued appreciation for the podcasts. No drama or posing; Straight up analysis by knowledgeable, chill dudes. Thank you. Now, not draft-related, but AP you’ve expressed reservations about A. Brewer's lack of size while most others see him as a real standout. What’s your current thinking?

Hey Richard, expressing reservations about his lack of size doesn’t equate to lack of confidence in him or appreciation for his ability. It’s very obvious that Brewer had a great 2025 season and he’s perfect for the Dolphins scheme because of his agility and athleticism, but his lack of size absolutely comes into play (and not in a good way) when the Dolphins need to push the line in a short-yardage situation.

From Dave Campbell:

Greetings Alain ! I hope all is well with you. I was watching Omar on the Joe Rose show (YouTube replay) & got to say it was absolutely depressing about financial ramifications of a Tua cut/ trade ! To paraphrase "the cupboard would be bare of ANY talent.” Will it be drafted rookies not quite ready to start? Not counting the round 1 thru even 3 youngsters in that group. Free agents that are free agents for a reason? It's sounding like 2019 again. Thoughts? Also, just read Colts are granting Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade. What would that cost in your opinion? How about Tua with a sizable portion (25 to 30 million) of the of the contract and a 4th-round pick? Always appreciate your great written stuff on SI.Com (miamidolphinsonsi.com) and of course All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective podcasts.

Thanks as always, Dave, the Dolphins can have a quarterback room that will be something other than rookie free agents joining Quinn Ewers. But, yes, if the Dolphins do cut Tua, it’s going to hurt against the cap (either $99 million all at once or $67 million in 2026 and $32 million in 2027). I like the idea of trading for Anthony Richardson based on his high ceiling, but I don’t see any team trading for Tua. And also understand that whatever salary the Dolphins pay to facilitate a Tua trade is going to go on the Miami cap at one point or another.

From Colindolphin73:

Hi Alain, are most of the FA deals and trades done at the combine where everyone is gathering. Also, how high do you think the Dolphins are prepared to go to get Willis? Thanks for all your hard work.

Hey Colin, I don’t know what percentage of deals and trades actually get done at the combine, but there’s an awful lot of groundwork that happens between teams and agents or different teams. I honestly don’t know how high the Dolphins are willing to go to sign Malik Willis, but Jon-Eric Sullivan indicated they’ll be limited because they have very little cap space in 2026 and he doesn’t want to necessarily overburden future caps to make it happen. Not exactly how to answer the "how high will the Dolphins go?" question and there's also a way to structure a contract to make it easier on the cap in the first year, but that requires a bigger commitment down the road and this will all depend on how badly Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley want to land Willis.

From Mike:

Not combine-related, but will they pick at 11 or trade down?

Hey Mike, I think the Dolphins very much would like to trade down to accumulate more picks because they really need volume of young prospects, but the trick always is being able to find a trade partner. So I’ll say the desire will be very high, but the reality is it’s probably no better than 50-50 they’ll be able to pull it off.

From John Flora:

What is your favorite drill for a position group at the combine?

Hey John, I’m not sure any of them really do much for me because they don’t mean that much in the evaluation process from where I sit. But since I have to pick because you asked, I’ll go with QBs throwing (because maybe I’m deep down a ball watcher).

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hey Alain, if the Fins aren’t tanking, what’s a realistic goal for the new season? You could argue 6 or 7 wins hurts their draft position but selling fans on a 2-3 win season is tough.

Hey OGJ, first, I really don’t envision the Dolphins actively tanking, though maybe there will be an emphasis on using young players and that won’t help the win-loss record. Their over/under has been set at 4.5 wins, which is insanely low, and it’s difficult to envision them winning many more games than that.

From Ed Helinski:

On a scale from. 1-10 where 10 is total chaos, where are the Dolphins as a football team right now?

Hey Ed, this depends on your definition of chaos. My definition is a disorganized group with no plan of attack, and I think it’s just the opposite that’s happening and I’d put it at 1 or 2. If the definition is the uncertainty of the roster, then we’re looking at something like an 8 because there are so many question marks.