Dolphins Saturday Mailbag: Mo, Malik, Ramsey, and More

Part 1 of a Memorial Day weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Jason Kirkland:

Hi Alain, thanks, as always for your work. Out of 32 teams, how many do you think would still be employing CG after his performance these 10 years, if he did exactly that for them? I think the number is 1.

Hey Jason, the issue with everyone wanting Chris Grier — and that includes some in the media — is that the Dolphins have stressed collaboration at every turn in talking about their personnel decisions and Grier is somebody who has deferred time and time again, or at least acquiesced to his coaches’ wishes. For example, if it was Brian Flores who pushed for the selection of Noah Igbinoghene with the 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft and Grier deferred to his coaches, and Steve Ross liked that kind of teamwork, is that failed pick really on Grier? Now, if we want to discuss whether the Dolphins have had the proper hierarchy and decision-making setup, that’s an entirely different topic.

From Dunner:

Should the Fins O-Line come together and be a strength, do you think we will see a complete commitment to the run game? We've seen McD get away from a successful run game because he feels the need to pass (ie: Bills game)?

First off, let’s just say that everybody in South Florida would love to be faced with that dilemma because right now the O-line simply being adequate or solid seems like a reasonable goal. Regarding your hypothetical situation, I don’t know that the Dolphins ever would become a “running team” as long as Tua, Tyreek and Waddle are on the roster because those three clicking is what made the offense as effective as it was in 2022 and 2023. But it sure would be nice to have better balance.

From tttrickyyy:

What is the opinion of the coaches regarding the development of Mo Kamara and Patrick McMorris? Also, what have you seen regarding these 2?

Funny, you should ask because I asked OLB coach Ryan Crow this week about Kamara and somebody else asked DB coach Brian Duker about McMorris, and the coaches said exactly what you should expect coaches to say, particularly at this time of year: Both players are working hard and making progress. Having said that, I always suggest to fans to watch what the coaches do rather than say, meaning pay attention to playing time and not comments. I think it’s pretty clear that McMorris has a much better chance right now at significant playing time on defense than Kamara. The fact that Kamara barely played on defense last year despite all the injuries at outside linebacker was very telling. He had a long way to go. And then the fact the Dolphins brought McMorris back from IR late in the season when they easily could have just kept him on there the whole season tells you they wanted him back on the field.

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, do you think it is wise for the Dolphins to have three joint practices. I like to hear your perspective on this, including the possible health issues.

Hey Jorge, the Dolphins actually will have four joint practices, but they will come against three teams. We just don’t know yet against which team they’ll work twice. And I don’t know that there’s a much greater risk of injury in a joint practice as opposed to a regular practice because they stop plays in practice to avoid pile-ons and soft tissue injuries can occur with any kind of running and stopping. You see more and more coaches go to those joint practices because they truly are valuable.

From Ed Helinski:

As it stands right now, which Dolphins position groups gets you warm & fuzzy, and which groups give you agita?

Hey Ed, interesting question and choice of words with “warm & fuzzy” because I generally don’t get that with many things in football. The truth is there is at least significant question mark for the Dolphins at each position group. I’ll rephrase and say the position with which I’m most intrigued right now would be the defensive line because of the draft picks. The position that potentially could be special is edge defender, but that would require Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both getting back to pre-injury form. As to the position that would have made anxious, that’s easily the cornerback spot thanks in large part to the imminent departure of Jalen Ramsey.

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hey Alain, one of the things the Fins didn’t do last season in my opinion was use the slot receiver enough. Coming into this season we’ve heard positive things about Malik Washington and we know Achane isn’t an every-down back. Do you see these two players sharing reps at Slot WR?

Hey OGJ, the Dolphins have multiple options when it comes to the slot, as they did and used last year. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle sometimes line up in the slot, Jonnu Smith can line up in the slot, and then absolutely Malik Washington can line up there. Haven’t checked out the numbers, but Achane lined up outside when he wasn’t in the backfield and I’m not sure he’s ideally suited for the slot. But it will be a multitude of players lining up there.

From NYCFinFan4Life:

Hope you have an amazing weekend. Do you feel June will be the end of Ramsey and what might we get? Do you feel our defense can be disruptive enough to mask secondary issues? Is Cam a wash or is there reason for hope? Will McDaniel win a challenge?

All good questions and hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend yourself. Yes, I believe Ramsey will be moved in June and the compensation will depend on whether/how much the Dolphins are willing to absord of Ramsey’s 2025 salary. I can’t imagine anything better than a third-round pick coming back — and that would be only if the Dolphins eat some salary and at that it might be a third for Ramsey and, say, a fifth or sixth. The pass rush could have a major impact and be a big help to the secondary IF Chop builds on his rookie season and IF Chubb and Phillips are back to being Chubb and Phillips. Yes, there’s still hope for Cam Smith but it’s now or never. Mike McDaniel has won challenges, but his record is poor. Also understand he’s getting guidance of when/whether to challenge from somebody in the coaches’ booth upstairs, so it’s not on him — unless he keeps the same person to handle that role (and we don’t know who it is).

From Christian D.:

Hello Alain, thank you for all you do for us Dolphins fans. Question: If the Dolphins aren't your favorite team, what team is? You feel no emotion when watching a Dolphins game? You're not pulling for or rooting against them during a game? You don't care if they win or lose?

Hey Christian, I’ve been covering the Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 and after a while you reach a point when there’s no fandom involved, though as I’ve said many times it’s always better for me as publisher of Miami Dolphins On SI when they win. But that’s about business and not fandom. No, there aren’t a ton of emotions during a game and I’m constantly analyzing and thinking as I watch the game, not rooting.

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