Dolphins Sunday Mailbag: Tua's contract, Ewers's ascent, Achane's Status, and More

Third and final part of the pre-Bengals/post-QB switch Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Thomas Hudson:

Was reading the mailbag, and in response to a question about Zach Wilson you said he was not the kind of QB McDaniel seems to be looking for. So, that leads to this question (and understand that I do not think Zach Wilson is the answer to any question the Dolphins should be asking): Assuming the Dolphins are committed to sticking with this run-first offense, does that mean that the passing game in 2026 is likely to be very different from what we saw 2022-2024? And if that is different, might McDaniel be looking for a different type of QB (but still not Wilson)? Maybe the extremely quick decision-making and precise timing will not be so important. The passing offense really should be a lot more play action and hitting intermediate and deep throws and a lot less of the quick timing throws. I think Tua can run it well, if he can fix whatever is up with his footwork this season. Long term the question becomes if you really want to pay a premium for any QB if the running game drives the offense.

Hey Thomas, you nailed it there right at the end and, no, I don’t think the Dolphins are going to pay huge money for a quarterback after (hopefully) learning their lesson with Tua. And look at the 49ers and what they’ve gotten through the years from quarterbacks nobody ever would consider elite (like Garoppolo and Purdy). But the Dolphins were committed to Tua when McDaniel was hired and his task was to maximize Tua’s strengths, hence the timing-based passing game. I would think the scheme changes with a different QB.

From John Flora:

Are we letting Darrell Bevell off the hook for Tua’s decline? Shouldn’t the QB coach be helping correct footwork, etc.?

Hey John, Bevell was the QB coach when Tua was putting up big numbers in 2022 and 2023 and the footwork wasn’t an issue. We don’t really think he’s forgotten how to coach, do we? So, yes, I let him off the hook.

From Teej:

Hey Alain, what kind of play calling do you expect to see in this game considering Ewers start and the Bengals’ poor D?

Hey Teej, I see no reason the Dolphins deviate much from what worked during their winning streak, with a heavy focus on the running game so long as it’s working. In the passing game, the difference should be more shots downfield.

From Prince-Bishop Militantly Aardvark:

Hi, Alain. Hope you and your family enjoy a lovely holiday season and that the same is true for padawan Dante as you guide him (and us!) through the Dolphins' inferno. In retrospect, what were the best and worst years of Grier's tenure?

Hey PBMA, happy holidays to you as well (and to every reader of the website and every podcast listener and everybody else, really). For best years for a GM, I think we have to look at player acquisition as opposed to team record because that would be as simple as looking as the standings. For Grier, if we count his GM tenure as starting in 2016 (though his real power started in 2019), I’d say 2016 jumps out for the drafting of Laremy Tunsil and Xavien Howard in the first two rounds. As for the worst, the 2017 draft was absolutely brutal and then the 2024 offseason also was really bad for all the bad financial decisions the team made.

From Gaz Hay:

The obvious question(s): No one seems to think Tua does anything but sit and take the payday, but do you think he just accepts this is the end of his football career? Or does he want to play football and will try to find a job? Is he happy to sit as a backup forever more?

Well, unless the Dolphins made a move with him, it’s not up to Tua to dictate what he does because he’s under contract for a few more years. He doesn’t have to accept being a backup with the Dolphins, but that would mean retiring and I have a hard time seeing him walk away from all the guaranteed money he’s got coming his way. He could demand a trade, but finding a willing partner would be tricky.

From zerocooi:

Which QB do you want to see the Dolphins take a chance on in round 1 knowing that it is a draft full of QBs with low floors and high ceilings?

Can’t say that any QB really floors me at this time if Dante Moore winds up going back to Oregon. He’s the one who stands out to me, but I wouldn’t force a pick if there’s nobody with a high ceiling.

From Jeff:

Hello Alain, well, I had the feeling after the game and here we are with that question of *Is this Tua's last game in Miami?* We are also very sure that he's not the QB1 in 2027 and having him in the building in 2026 might be a net negative. Two-part question here: Is Tua valuable as a mentor for a new QB we draft or does he have too many bad habits? Secondly, how do we answer the question regarding McDaniel's scheme decisions setting up his offense to fail vs bad execution? Kurt Warner just released a video showing time and time again things he's shown earlier in the season repeated, poor scheme decisions and QB play. We aren't in the meetings and it's so difficult to know what should be happening on the field. Thank you as always for everything.

Hey Jeff, all good questions. As much respect as I have for Warner, he’s a big Tua fan, a big QB fan in general, so I might suggest a bit of bias there, and while not excusing everything McDaniel does, Tua’s arm limitations are very problematic for any offensive coach. That’s just a fact. And, no, I don’t see Tua as playing the role of mentor if he’s not the starter next year. If the Dolphins are done with him as a starter, they should move on from him.

From Richard Prieto:

What do you suppose happened between Zach Wilson and McDaniel? I understand giving Ewers a chance, but why not see if Zach can be our bridge QB next year?

Hey Richard, it’s pretty obvious that McDaniel has decided after working with Wilson for several months now, he’s got a better shot at getting done what he wants done at QB with Ewers than he does with Wilson. If he thought Wilson made sense as a bridge QB in 2026, then Wilson absolutely would be the one starting. Also understand that Ewers always was a better scheme fit, and maybe McDaniel has decided that, no, he can’t make it work with Wilson.

From Jayco:

Who is most responsible for that Tua contract?

Hey Jay, the answer is yes. Per Tua himself, Mike McDaniel went to bat for Tua to get him his extension, so that’s one. Chris Grier ultimately was the GM and had (or should have had) final say and I’m sure Brandon Shore had his input as well. Because the Dolphins organization doesn’t have a clear hierarchy, it’s difficult to know who was the final authority on making the call, so we’ll just call it an organizational failure.

From Robbie Wade:

What is the purpose of playing Achane in any game the rest of the year? In my opinion, they need to see what they have in Wright and Gordon. There is not a reason to risk a major injury to Achane in these games that could linger into the start of next season.

Hey Robbie, you’re leaving out the part of players being competitors and also wanting to put up the best possible stats possible. Achane also will be looking for a contract extension next offseason, so there’s no way he wants to sit. Now, if there’s an undue injury risk, sure, sit the player out (which is why I don’t expect to see Minkah Fitzpatrick again this season) but otherwise players are going to play.

From Mason:

Happy holidays to you and your family, Alain. With the Dolphins in cap hell due to Tua's contract, do you see a scenario where he could be traded to another team, with the Dolphins absorbing half of his contract? And does he have value on the open market?

Hey Mason, I believe Tua has zero to very little value on the open market because every other team has seen the regression the Dolphins have seen. There’s also no major reason to believe that Tua will get right. I think the only way the Dolphins would find a trade partner is by not only throwing in some money but also sweetening the deal by giving up more favorable draft picks.

From Olive Grove Jon:

Hey Alain. They say Miami is a distraction as a city for players. With NIL now prominent in college football, how imperative is it to scout for character as much as talent? Many of these college kids entering the NFL now are already millionaires. Does this make the GM job harder?

Hey OGJ, scouting for character always has been, continues to be and always will be an important part of the process. Without question. Does it make the GM’s job harder? It just adds another element to the process.

From Shane White:

Did Ewers go from running the scout team directly to starting? Or were they having him take the backup reps behind the scene?

Hey Shane, there aren’t a whole lot of reps for the backup during the regular season, so I’m not sure this makes a major difference here. But, as far as we can tell, Ewers indeed has gone from running the scout team to starting.

From Lloyd Heilbrunn:

If Quinn gives them the better chance to win, why the hell did they pay Wilson $6 million, which could have improved the team in other areas? Especially considering how cash-strapped they were?

Hey Lloyd, Mike McDaniel thought he could refine Wilson’s game and take advantage of his obvious physical traits, but it certainly isn’t a good look that he’s being bypassed by Ewers. But in the interest of fairness, the Dolphins structured Wilson’s contract in a way he counts only $2.2 million against the cap this year. The Dolphins will have to eat $3.8 million of cap space next year, though.

From Dunner:

Alain, with a week to prepare as Ewers your starter, do you think there will any planned QB runs? I do think Ewers will extend a few drives with creation from his scrambling ability. It will be a welcomed sight.

I’m not sure we’ll see very much of it because Ewers isn’t exactly what anyone would call a running quarterback. Where his mobility (not great but better than Tua’s) would come into play if he has to scramble, particularly in a third-down situation.

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