Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Evaluating Tua, Willis, and More

Part 1 of a Super Bowl weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Jayco:

Is there a certain position group that you think will be targeted in the draft?

Hey Jayco, both Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley basically have said their philosophy is to build from the inside out, which means the trenches should be the priority. That said, the Dolphins are in major need for personnel upgrades at just about every spot on the roster except maybe running back, so I wouldn’t rule out any position being taken. But if all things are equal, bigger will be better when it comes to positional choices in the draft.

From Bob Curvelo:

Hi Alain, I enjoy reading this all every week. Do you think Miami will make an offer for Malik Willis or sign a vet to go with Ewers? Thanks

Hey Bob, it seems just too obvious that the Dolphins indeed will make a play for Malik Willis, but the big question is how far they’ll be willingly to go financially because I’d imagine there will be other bidders. But Sullivan and Hafley have stressed competition, so there will be somebody brought in at quarterback if the decision is made to move on from Tua Tagovailoa.

From Ignacio vidal:

You think signing Willis is a good idea?

Hey Ignacio, this question involves the wisdom of going after Willis and not just a prediction, and it’s a very interesting one. And it comes down to exactly what Willis’ ceiling might be as an NFL quarterback. The flashes during his starts at Green Bay really were impressive and let’s not forget he was a very good prospect coming out of Liberty. But there are durability concerns, and we all know how that can play out at quarterback. My final answer here is I wouldn’t break the bank for Willis, but I do think he’d make an intriguing addition.

From James:

I would keep Tua. He would be a fabulous backup and we don't know what Hill will do; he had a great relationship with him. Ewers is the future. What is your opinion, and do we get a lineman in the draft first round? Talk of a corner who was injured last year, McCoy, ACL? Your opinion?

Hey James, in terms of quality, yes, Tua would make a very good backup. But would he be totally cool with that after being an uncontested starter for most of his NFL career. And then don’t his red flags (durability, arm strength) as a starter still remain as a backup? There’s something to be said for a clean break when a relationship has run its course, and that might be the case here. I would pencil in any position for the first round because there are major needs everywhere, so it’s going to come down to what position the top prospect still available plays — assuming Miami doesn’t trade down. And I’d be very nervous about drafting a player coming off an ACL injury in the first round.

From Dan Ford:

Hey Alain! I would love to know Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley’s opinion on putting players on the field (Iffy, NWI) that impact compensatory picks once a team is out of contention. Seems egregious to me.

Hey Dan, you do know that NWI barely played after the Dolphins were eliminated from contention, right? But I do get the overall point. This is where Mike McDaniel’s uncertain status played a negative role for the Dolphins. If there had been no doubt he was coming back in 2026, my guess is Melifonwu wouldn’t have played down the stretch. As it was, McDaniel figured the performance of the team in the final weeks might save his job (in the end, obviously it didn’t).

From CC_Hall13:

Why did the NFL schedule a division game overseas? Rams-Niners…Could that happen to the Miami? I think that’s unfair to the home team to lose a home division game…what are your thoughts on this…go Seattle!

Hey CC, this DID happen to the Dolphins. They faced the New York Jets in London as the home team in 2015, and this became Joe Philbin’s last game as Dolphins head coach as he was fired after Miami returned home with a 27-14 loss that left the team at 1-3 on the season. Why the NFL does this, I’m not sure, but I’m with you in saying I don’t like it. Given tiebreaker possibilities, I don’t believe any division game should be taken away from the home stadiums.

From Mark Malbeck:

Hey Alain, why dump Tua? The draft and free agency are weak in options. Why not just keep him and bring in a vet to compete? Why eat $90 million by cutting him? To trade him it would cost us too. Let him compete, also if a team loses a QB in camp, we may get a better offer?

Hey Mark, I get what you’re saying, but where are the Dolphins going with Tua? How long do you figure he could be on the roster and be a contributor? This is a fresh start for the organization with Hafley and Sullivan, and Tua is part of the old group. I think trading him while paying some of his salary might make the most sense, provided the Dolphins don’t have to lose in draft pick compensation as well. But, as I said earlier, there’s something to be said for making a clean break and starting fresh. And all the tea leaves seem to suggest that’s what’s going to happen.

From Toby Marmorino:

Hi Alain, I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone insists on getting rid of Tua just for the sake of getting rid of him like if he's some type of bad seed or disruptive person in the locker room ala Jalen Ramsey. By all accounts he handled himself with dignity and is always a gentleman, especially considering the culture and background that he comes from which preaches respect and humility. And if he's legitimately the best quarterback on our roster come minicamp and OTAs, then why would any coach or GM want to get rid of that quarterback for one of a lesser degree? Not to mention it will be $11m cheaper to keep him. Makes no sense to me. Not that I'm petitioning for him or anything, just stating the obvious facts.

Hey Toby, the obvious fact that you omitted, though, is that the Dolphins have seen Tua for six years now and they should have a pretty good feel of his limitations and what that means for the overall health of the team and maybe it’s time to try something new. This is the same thing the Dolphins went through with Ryan Tannehill before they finally decided it was time to move on.

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