Dolphins Sunday Mailbag: Jonah, Jeremiyah, Draft, and More

Part 2 of an NCAA Tournament weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Dave Campbell:

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Greetings Alain!! Not totally shocked by Waddle trade but disappointed. Don't believe he ever rose to WR1 status but if season started today starting lineup up is Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell & Malik Washington. Not exactly something that gives DCs nightmares. I also think Miami should still go Defense in Rounds 1 & 2. More holes there & some good (not great) WRs in later rounds especially with four picks in Round 3! Am I totally out to lunch on this? Always appreciate & look forward to both All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective podcasts and your great written work (for free!) on MiamiDolphinsonSI.Com.

Hey Dave, thanks as always and I don’t think you’re off base in the least with anything you said and I, in fact, wrote a column this week saying how much I would hate the idea of spending the 11th overall pick on a wide receiver because I just don’t like the positional value aspect of it.

From Brandon:

I have a question, and somewhat of a plea. First - how is it possible that we could land a 1st and 3rd for waddle, but Tyreek had to be cut? We couldn’t get a 7th-round pick for him? lol just wild to me. Second - can you please ask some leading questions to Dolphins brass leading up to the draft, strongly hinting that no Phins fans want to see a trade up? Last time we had all these picks, we traded up (for Waddle coincidentally). We saw what a mistake that was. Can we please stand pat and add as much talent as possible? Please? We all think we’re geniuses, but this is a crapshoot for the most part. Especially considering, in my opinion, the adjustment most young kids have to make to playing in Miami and not getting sucked into the nightlife. The more attempts at the crapshoot, the better… Thanks as always, you’re the man.

Thanks Brandon, but you’re the man. The answer to your first question is a very simple no. What kind of trade value do you think Tyreek Hill had coming off that devastating knee injury he sustained last September to go along with the external issues that come with Hill. The Dolphins actually couldn’t have given Hill away this offseason. As for your plea, I don’t think Dolphins officials really need the media to tell them what to do, nor would they listen, but I do share your hope that they don’t trade up in the first round or any round, for that matter.

From Thomas Hudson:

So, I saw this in the mailbag last week: "The Dolphins’ offensive line, while not elite by any means last season, was not the big issue with this team. Can we stop it with that? " Can we stop with that? Does that include SI.com? After all, you guys did give nice grades to Paul and Brewer, but you gave Jackson a C, Borom a C-, Strange a D, and Savaiinaea an F. And now you say it was not a big issue? I don't put a lot of stock in PFF, but they gave Savaiinaea a 28.4 grade for the season and a 14.1 for his pass blocking. Not sure I have ever seen a grade that low for a full season (though I don't spend a lot of time on PFF). The guards were among the worst in the NFL. And they did not have much talent at receiver. Willis is not going to fix that. I don't see how someone could look at the 2025 Dolphins and not think that the guard play was a huge problem. I get that there are other hatchets to bury, but let's not pretend the line was OK when 40% of it was atrocious.

Hey Thomas, you’re referring to Dante Collinelli’s player grades and you can’t judge an offensive line by evaluating every player individually. And the sum of the parts was fine last season, bad guard play notwithstanding. It wasn’t great by any means, but I think the offensive line overall performed well enough for the offense to have been much better and the bigger issues lied elsewhere.

From Dave:

What do you see the new coaching staff do with Jonah Savaiinaea? Do they keep him at left guard, try to move him back over to the right side where he typically played in college, or are they immediately looking for an upgrade?

Hey Dave, the last thing they will do is immediately look for an upgrade because, even though they weren’t the ones who drafted Savaiinaea, there is a financial commitment there with the signing bonus he got last year plus his rookie contract is fully guaranteed. Therefore, it behooves the Dolphins to give him every chance before they close the door on him. Having said all that, yes, a move to the right side could be in play, though I’d suspect they’ll start him off where he played last season, at left guard.

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hi Alain, if the Dolphins trade Achane for a 1st, do you think Jeremiyah Love comes into play for them?

Hey OGJ, I find both scenarios extremely unlikely. Not only do running backs almost never fetch first-round picks in return, Achane’s situation is compounded by the fact he’ll want a new contract. And the only way the Dolphins could get Love is by moving up in the first round and that would be a bad move on many levels from where I sit (positional value and giving up draft capital both not ideal).

From Common Reader:

In the 16-team AFC bracket, where would you seed the Dolphins and who would be their opponent? Any chance they would be your Cinderella pick?

Love that NCAA Tournament style question. As it stands right now, I’d have the Dolphins as the 14 seed, ahead of only the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. As for who they would play, I have them facing the third-seeded Buffalo Bills.

From Sandro Van Lizard:

We talk about team “culture” change all the time. Do Dolphins fans need to change their “culture” too? Is this regime’s (or any other’s) “new culture” supposed to permeate enough to the fans to make that possible?

Hey Sandro, I think I understand what you’re asking and from a fan standpoint, the culture that needs to change is always anticipating things going bad. Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley deserve the benefit of the doubt and not be saddled with “same old Dolphins” talk the second something goes wrong.

From FishyFootball:

Best case draft scenario for Fish? Both for pick at 11 and trade back.

This is a very difficult question to answer beyond the obvious of the best-case scenario is for a stud prospect to inexplicably fall on draft night, kind of like Laremy Tunsil did in 2016. In terms of a trade back, the best-case scenario is moving back only 4-5 spots and still landing an extra third-round pick or second-rounder in 2027.

From Jason Kirkland:

Hi Alain, based off production, not projection, I think the Dolphins have 5 players that are better than average: Paul, Brewer, Achane, Sieler and Brooks. Unless your number is drastically higher, this isn't close to a decent roster. Your thoughts? You are the GOAT.

Thanks Jason. Yeah, can’t think of anybody else who would qualify as this moment. And, yes, it’s a roster that’s kind of lacking at this point.

From CC_Hall13:

I know it’s an early observation but does this new GM/HC regime seem to be on top of everything so far? I mean, they seem to be very savvy and making moves that a veteran, already established regime would make. I’m crossing my fingers hoping that we hit on this! Your thoughts?

So far so good, from where I sit, more so with Jon-Eric Sullivan, but that’s because Jeff Hafley can’t really prove much until games begin, or at least practice. But I’ve liked the way they’ve both carried themselves and expressed their plan and I’ve liked just about every move they’ve made so far.

From Luis Rodriguez:

Hi Alain, would you take a flyer on Trevon Diggs? The Packers cut him, so I assume it’s not going to happen, but only 27 and probably better than what have at the moment.

Hey Luis, the truth is Diggs simply hasn’t been very good the past couple of years after racking up a lot of interceptions in 2021. I don’t see this happening.

From Matthew:

What's the chances the Dolphins don't draft any cornerbacks (based on the number in the building) or wide receivers (or only 1 maybe in the 3rd), and very much concentrate on trenches and making this a team that is hard to beat?

Hey Matthew, I absolutely could see the Dolphins focusing on the trenches, but they aren’t likely to completely ignore cornerback or wide receiver, either. This is where having 11 picks will come in handy.