Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Tindall, Ezukanma, Draft Possibilities, and More

Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Josh (@Nublar7):

Do you believe the Dolphins will be happy to keep and use their four picks in the NFL Draft, or is it logical to think Grier will be actively looking to make at least one trade back to accumulate more picks?

Hey Josh, the answer here is B. The Dolphins did end up with only four selections last year (Channing Tindall, Erik Ezukanma, Cameron Goode and Skylar Thompson), but I don’t think it’s something they necessarily want to duplicate even though they’re in a win-now mode.

From Ken Dasher (@kdash65):

Hey Alain, if you had Darnell Washington, Jahmyr Gibbs and Matthew Bergeron available at 51, which one do you take?

Hey Ken, the answer is yes. JK. Interesting question. I believe Gibbs is the one who’ll have the most immediate impact, but the Dolphins already have their top two backs from last year re-signed and I think Washington would have more of a chance to contribute in 2023, even if it’s mostly in a blocking capacity.

From Ricky Schemeboat (@GilNYC17):

Would it be worth drafting a LT who can also play and compete at LG while learning from Armstead with 2nd round pick?

Hey Ricky, sure, that makes sense, but if I’m the Dolphins with a team that’s been built to compete now, I’d want my second-round pick (if it’s kept) to be somebody who can make an impact right away.

From Frank Reina (@FrankReina7):

Can we get La’el Collins to play right tackle?

Hey Frank, first, Collins is still under contract with the Bengals, though there’s been talk his standing with the team is shaky. More significantly, he’s coming off an ACL and MCL tears he sustained the day before Christmas, so who knows when he’ll be back at full form, if he ever regains that. So, no, I would not look for that possibility.

From Bob Curvelo (@curvelo13):

Hi Alain, do you think Miami makes the trade for D. Cook like the rumors are saying or do you see them sticking with the RBs they have now? Thank you!

Hey Bob, I think the Dolphins quickly re-signing Mostert, Wilson and Ahmed this offseason is an indication the team is happy with its running back situation, so, no, I don’t see the Dolphins making that move.

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From J-Boy D (@GetrealJboy305):

We gave Tannehill six years. How long are we giving Tua?

Given the fact the Dolphins already have exercised the fifth-year option tells you that Tua will be given at least five years to answer any and all questions (starting with durability) about him being the long-term solution at QB. The Dolphins actually could buy themselves yet another year at a relatively modest cost if they wanted to by applying the franchise tag in 2025. The way the roster is constructed, though, it looks like a two-year window to win big and also for Tua to cement his spot for the long term.

From Dave (@angryvet59):

Coach McDaniel signed all of his RBs back (tho surprised by Gaskin). You think they draft a 7th-round development player or find a UDFA like Mostert & Wilson? Thanks & Happy Easter Alain.

Thanks Dave, and happy Easter to you. The Dolphins definitely will add another running back or two at some point because you need more than four for training camp, but it’s very low on the priority list and remember that the Dolphins did this with Gerrid Doaks a couple of years ago and he didn’t pan out and then they signed a UDFA last year who many fans thought would make an impact and he didn’t make the roster or the practice squad. The point there is that limit your expectations for any running back brought in who’s a seventh-round pick or UDFA, even though, yes, there are players who pan out under those circumstances.

From Chris Roney (@ChrisRoney0):

Channing Tindall and Erik Ezukanma are both gifted athletes that could not make contributions in year 1. Will either play at least 30% of snaps this year or are these Chris Grier "athletes with upside guys" who never can adjust to the pro game and bust?

Hey Chris, clearly the jury is still out on both players who became forgotten men as rookies partly because they struggled with the intricacies of their position at the NFL level. At least Tindall was able to help out on special teams, though more is expected of him as a third-round pick. The bottom line for me is I’m not necessarily “counting” on either player making a big jump in 2023, but gladly would accept any contribution and step forward as a nice bonus.

From Chris Davis @KyLouFinFan):

Hey thanks as always. Various sites have the Fins roster ranked as high as tied for 1 down to 7. If AR is a Jet, where do you rank them in AFCE, AFCC & NFL? Bonus Q: How do they change if QB is excluded from all teams?

Hey Chris, man, that’s a tough question. Assuming Rodgers indeed joins the Jets, I’d be inclined to put the Dolphins behind the big three in the AFC — BUF-CIN-KC — in a cluster with the NYJ, JAX and LAC. And if we tack on the NFC, I think SF and PHI are the only two teams I’d rank definitively higher than the Dolphins. If we remove QBs from the equation, the big three in the AFC rejoin the pack and I think maybe JAX and LAC take a step back as well. QBs not included, I think maybe SF, PHI and the NYJ stand out to me. The Dolphins have some really high-end talent on their roster (Hill, Armstead, Howard, Ramsey, Waddle), but there also are spots with question marks, like O-line and tight end, for starters.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Last year’s draft in hindsight seems like a complete waste. The only player to contribute in any meaningful way was Thompson. I don’t expect any rookies from last year to contribute this year either. For my sanity, please convince me I’m wrong. What went right in last year’s draft?

Hey Dana, you’re wrong in giving up already on Tindall and Ezukanma being able to become productive NFL players. But you’re right in being worried because they were such non-factors last season. And I get that there’s a transition involved and a learning curve, but neither player being able to get on the field on offense or defense really was troubling.

From Darryl Hinton (@Hinton7Darryl):

Alain, if Bijan Robinson drops late in the first round. If I'm Chris Grier I would look at trading up to get him. Your thoughts?

Hey Darryl, yeah, I can get the argument for making that move, but here are my reasons why I don’t think it would happen (besides the fact that Robinson ain’t lasting until late in the first round). First, the offense has been built around what Hill and Waddle do with their speed outside and the focus will be on the passing game for a while longer at least. The Dolphins just don’t have draft capital to give to move up into the first round until you sacrifice the No. 1 pick for 2025 and I don’t particularly care for that because the way to build a sustainable team is by hitting and leaning on draft picks as the foundation. The whole “F them picks” is great and all, but there’s a price to pay for that at some point and the price gets bigger if you keep giving up high draft picks.

From Daniel Rivas (@daniel_rivas13):

Does a J. Gibbs & Sam LaPorta draft with another RT and DL signing put Miami in position to have an A+ offseason?

Hey Daniel, no, because A+ should not be handed out unless it’s almost history-making. But, yes, adding Gibbs, LaPorta, and a starting-caliber RT and DL would make the offseason grade an A.

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