Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Does Scheme Matter with New Head Coach?

Part 2 of the divisional playoff weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hey Alain. Do you think Ross would buy into this not hiring a vet HC who’s won a SB already because no coach has won it with 2 different teams? In short, would he pursue Tomlin if available and why is Mike McCarthy or Doug Pederson not being mentioned?

Hey OGJ, I’d think there’s zero chance Ross would automatically eliminate a potential candidate because he won a Super Bowl and no coach has ever done it with two teams. On the contrary, that actually might be an incentive, you know, to be the owner that employs the first coach to do it. If Tomlin became available, the Dolphins would be crazy to not at least reach out, but all indications are he won’t coach in 2026. I’m very surprised the Dolphins haven’t reached out to McCarthy, but not Pederson.

From Tamer Fadaly:

Do you think Waddle will be traded for draft capital pre- or post-draft, if at all?

That is one of the most interesting questions of the offseason, no doubt. As always, this would come down to what kind of offer the Dolphins because it makes zero sense to trade Waddle for the sake of trading Waddle when the Dolphins aren’t exactly swimming in high-end wide receivers right now.

From Matthew:

Hey Alain. Simple question today. As things stand right now, who's your prediction to win the Super Bowl. Please take into account if you say the Bills, I'm unsubscribing from everything and unfollowing. Please don't say the Bills. Pretty please.

Hey Matthew, since you put it that way, I won’t say the Bills. I actually don’t think they can get it done anyway because there are some holes on that team that weren’t there a couple of years ago. I think the most complete team is the Rams and I’d go Seattle if it weren’t for my fear of Sam Darnold imploding at the wrong time. The other team that stands out to me is Houston, which has a pretty mid offense but a defense that might be the best in the NFL since the Ray Lewis/Ed Reed Baltimore Ravens.

From Ed Hafner:

Alain, any idea why they haven’t asked to meet with Mike McCarthy? I mean with the obvious connection I would think he would be included in this massive coaching search.

Hey Ed, that’s a very good question and it could be that the Dolphins did ask and McCarthy told them he’s not interested in that job (because he’s meeting with Tennessee this weekend) or it could be that the Dolphins just didn’t see him as a good fit for whatever reason they might have had.

From Bubba:

Draft: o-line/d-line focus or need base focus?

Hey Bubba, the best philosophy ALWAYS should be to simply accumulate good players regardless of position. The only exception might be if you have a Super Bowl-caliber team that’s got only one hole to fill and you can get an NFL-ready prospect. But you simply need to fill out a roster with good players (preferably cheap) and the Dolphins have a lot of work to do in that respect. So trenches is great, and maybe you go there if there are two equal prospects on the board, but the focus should be on best player.

From Prince-Bishop Militantly Aardvark:

Dear Alain, given that Grier tried to build a team for McDaniel's scheme, won't it be pretty difficult to remake the team into beef-and-brutality before the new regime loses the owner/son-in-law's goodwill and we get the usual unhappy ending? I fear the usual Ross cycle is just 3 years away.

Dear PBMA, I think the Dolphins can transition to a more physical style of offense quickly, though there are certain players like center Aaron Brewer clearly better suited for a scheme that emphasizes athleticism over physicality. What a new offensive coordinator or head coach is going to want to run as an offensive scheme clearly will be something to watch, but Jon-Eric Sullivan mentioned toughness in the video put out by the Dolphins, so maybe that’s a hint.

From CC_Hall13:

Hi Alain…is there such a thing as having too many coaching candidates? It almost feels like we’re throwing darts. I realize they will be narrowed down and there’s the Rooney Rule, but my fear is this extends too long and we miss out on our guy, whoever that is. Who is your pick?

I personally don’t think there’s such a thing as too many candidates at the beginning as long as the process to identify the serious candidates who deserve a second look doesn’t drag out. And the FOMO aspect, to me, applies only if a lot of teams start hiring coaches, but we hadn’t had even one opening officially filled as of early Saturday afternoon.

From Dave Campbell:

Greetings Alain ! Although it's probably a good thing, I can't remember Dolphins requesting/interviewing so many HC candidates! Majority seem to be defense guys with some offense sprinkled in. I know you have to be professional & unbiased but any personal favorites ? Any absolutely not ? Mine has to be Chris Shula. I think he'd be held to unrealistic standards because of name but to me pretty impressive resume based on how he worked his way up coaching positions & not falling back on name alone. Always appreciate your hard work on both All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective podcasts and written stuff on SI.Com (for free).

Hey Dave, yeah, the list of candidates definitely has a defensive flavor, but I’m not sure that makes a big difference. I’ll still say I think Robert Saleh would be a very good choice for the Dolphins, and among the first-timers I kind of like the idea of Anthony Campanile.

From Harry:

Who on roster could/should be traded for picks for upcoming draft? Chubb IMO.... Keeping Waddle and Achane unless GREAT offer comes..

Hey Harry, it’s easy to point out certain players and suggest they should be traded, but we always have to consider their trade value. Chubb is scheduled to make $19.4 million in base salary in 2026, per Over The Cap, with a cap number of $31 million and the Dolphins would save only $7 million with a trade, as opposed to saving $20 million by making him a post-June 1 cut. The question becomes, what could you get for Chubb? And who else on the team is a valuable trade asset who would be worth more in a trade than either cut or on the roster? The Dolphins would love to trade Tua, for example, but nobody is taking on that contract without added incentive. And, as you mentioned, the Dolphins should keep Achane and Waddle.

From williamgoesbywilliam:

I hope the Dolphins hire the best coach they can, but will they take into consideration scheme fit for the players? In other words, do you believe they will look at what offense/defense the new coach runs and make sure it’s compatible with who we already have on the roster?

Hey William, I get the question, but the Dolphins aren’t hiring a new head coach to make the current roster work, they’re hiring a head coach with the idea they’ll build a contender with him and he’ll be around for a long time, ideally longer than just about every player on the roster. So, no, I don’t think it’s good practice, nor do I expect the Dolphins to do it this way, to hire a head coach based on the roster. Now, it would be different if the Dolphins had a great roster, but they don’t.

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