Dolphins Tuesday Mailbag: Tua Topics, Positive Signs Looking Ahead, the Future of Flores and Grier, More

From Me (@3KidsareaBlessi):

If Grier and Flo picked Tua, then why should they get the right to pick his successor? They both should go.

Hi Me, under the assumption that Chris Grier and/or Brian Flores did make the call on taking Tua (particularly over Justin Herbert, you make an absolutely valid point if the idea if to go get a successor. However, if Stephen Ross had anything to do with the pick (directly or implicitly), as has been suggested many times by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, then we’re looking at an entirely different situation.

From RICHARD J. LEONARD (@SLICK6971):

Can you give this Dolphins fan of 50 years something positive to go into next year? This was supposed to be year 3 of the rebuild. We need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid. No more sunshine up the skirt. BTW, love you Alain.

Aaah, Richard! I’m all flustered now. I actually think there are a lot of reasons for optimism moving forward, starting obviously with the defense, which has a lot of good pieces, such as X, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Van Ginkel, Baker, Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Phillips, and then on offense Jaylen Waddle obviously is a player.

From Robert Mallory (@Rob_Mallory):

Will we finally draft a RB in the first or second round? Also, Can you ask Flores if I can get a refund for the Titans game?

Hey Robert, yeah, it would be time to take a running in the first or second round, though the real time was the 2000 draft when the Dolphins could have taken Jonathan Taylor instead of Noah Igbinoghene. Maybe Duke Johnson becoming the best back on the roster after being a midseason pick-up will convince the Dolphins their previous approach simply didn’t work and they’ll reverse course, but that’s still up in the air. On the second issue, I think Flores himself would like a redo.

From Dolphin D mon (@dana_buice):

Hiring more experienced coaches on offense would be in the Fins’ best interest. Do you think the front office will put pressure on Flores to do just that or do you think Flores’ fear of possibly hiring his replacement prevents him from doing what’s best for the Fins? We all know the offensive line has performed poorly all year but Tua has now performed poorly twice in the biggest game of the season. Last year at Buffalo and this season at the Titans. How concerned should the Dolphins be? Who are the best free agent offensive linemen this offseason and are any of them top 5 at their position currently?

Hey there, lots of questions again, so answers will be rapid-fire style: I don’t think for a second that Flores is shying from hiring somebody because he fears they might become his replacement. Tua’s performances at Buffalo last year and Tennessee this year should be extremely concerning for the Dolphins. Best free agent offensive linemen at this time would be Brandon Scherff, Terron Armstead and Trent Brown. Any of them top 5 at their position? Maybe Armstead, but I have a hard time seeing the Saints letting him get away.

From E-Rod (@phinfan2003):

In the 2 biggest games of his career in bad weather, Tua struggled mightily. Do you think if we had an elite OL and running game Tua would’ve played at an elite level in those games?

Hey E-Rod, if the Dolphins had an “elite” OL and running game, the coaches probably wouldn’t have asked Tua to do very much. I don’t know if that translates to elite, but the outcome would have been better for the offense.

From Dan Giunta (@Dan_B_Phin_Phan):

True or false: Miami will move on from Grier, Flores and Tua in the upcoming offseason?

Hey Dan, key word in your question is “and.” If the question is whether all three are gone or not, I’d tend to lean toward false.

From Robert Gutierrez (@rbbrsddw):

Over under 3.5 points for Miami’s offense?

Ha! Robert made a funny! Seriously, though, I wouldn’t expect the Dolphins to put up a lot of points against the Patriots.

From Dan Fahringer (@cjfahringer):

There seems to be a lot of chatter that either Grier, Flores or both need to go. Personally I’m not a fan of Grier’s body of work but think Flores has potential. If Ross brings in a new GM, don’t they generally like to handpick their own coach?

Hey Dan, I’m of the belief that Grier and Flores are a tandem, first of all, and that no personnel decision is made without Flores’ stamp of approval. It’s why I think they’re a package deal. As for GMs bringing in their own coach, it obviously depends on the power structure of the particular team because some coaches have more power (think Belichick, Sean McVay, Jon Gruden before he was fired, etc.)

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey Alain, I was wondering if you’d make an educated guess for me. Do you think that this Week 18 game against the Patriots will be Tua’s last as a starter for the Dolphins?

Hey Chris, wow, that’s a tough question because I do believe the Dolphins will explore veteran possibilities in the offseason but I also don’t think it’s a slam dunk they’ll be able to get something done. The reason for that is there will be a lot of teams in the market who might present better situations for veterans with some control over their destination (such as Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson). And, of course, there’s the uncertainty over Deshaun Watson’s status, which makes him a question mark. All that said, I’ll go ahead and put it at 51-49 that Tua will not be making his last start in Week 18.

From Tommy eh Canada (@TommyehCanada1):

What specifically is wrong with the Dolphins fan base? When did the #massformationpsychosis begin and how do you see it ending?

Hey Tommy, I’m not 100 percent sure about the exact nature of your question, though I may have some inkling of an idea. I’d say the Dolphins fan base is very passionate, like many around the NFL. The one thing that has surprised me is that it seems there is a certain group that appears more loyal to a player than to the team itself. I find that rather bizarre, but maybe that’s just me.