Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Holland, Howard and the INT Battle, Armstead, and More

Part 2 of our first SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag of training camp:

From Jeremy Klump (@NUTTYxPROFESSOR):

Who has more INTs this year: Xavien Howard or Jevon Holland?

Hey Jeremy (or Nutty), that’s a great question and I think it could be a really good race because Holland has really, really good ball skills and instincts and we all know what Howard can do. So this could go either way, but if you’re asking me for one or the other, I’m going to go ahead and pick Holland — even though the track record suggests it’s easier to go with X.

From Kyle Edward (@KyleEdw84380051):

Knock on wood. In the event that Armstead misses a game, who do you see filling in at LT? Is it a depth player or one of the starters shifting along the line?

Hey Kyle, that is a very good question. In a case like this, it’s always less disruptive to just replace the one guy who’s out as opposed to sliding a player over, which now creates two new starters in a sense. And also remember that since Tua is a lefty, right tackle might be just as important. All that said, I think we’d be looking at somebody like Greg Little or Larnel Coleman or maybe Robert Jones or maybe UDFA Kellen Diesch.

From J Soto (@dolphin_4life):

Hi Alain, who do you think will surprise us this season? I can see Jaelan Phillips taking that next step.

Hey J, I can’t use Phillips here myself because the guy did have 8.5 sacks as a rookie, so anything he does shouldn’t be a surprise. I’m going to go here instead with Noah Igbinoghene and Austin Jackson, who both look like different guys in the early part of training camp (even though Noah had a tough time with Tyreek Hill on Saturday).

From Jay Cutler Reincarnated (@bigbadsmokinj):

Any signs of life with Tua? Or same old Tua?

Hey JCR, man, that’s not going to be a popular question the way it’s phrased, as it was sent late in the week. It’s actually a bit over the top. But to answer the question, Tua looks pretty much the same as he did at this time last year, though he did have his best practice of camp by far Saturday. Let’s remember we’re only four practices in and the big changes would come once the running game gets going and makes things easier for the passing game. In other words, it’s probably way too early for that kind of question, though there are no visible signs of a major change at this point, though the strong practice Saturday was an encouraging sign.

From Sal (@TrendKillemAll):

I’m not that excited about any of the QBs in the ‘23 draft. Are there any intriguing veteran QBs that are likely to be available (trade, free agency) going into the offseason? Sure, it’s a little early for that, but I’m just being proactive.

Hey Sal, yes, it’s indeed early for that, and the thing about the current landscape is that there very possibly could be a veteran who becomes available next spring who’s currently not available. Of course, Lamar Jackson sticks out right now because his contract expires after this season, but I just have a hard time seeing the Ravens just letting him go. Oh, and Tom Brady is scheduled to be a free agent next spring as well. And just look for somebody to come out of the blue and become available as well.

From David Guilbert (@DavidGuilbert12):

Salut Alain! Question pour toi - même si ce n'est pas 100% Dolphins... Quelle est la clause la plus étrange que tu as vue dans un contrat de joueur de la NFL? Est-ce que celle de Kyler est déjà #1?!

Salut David, let’s translate. The question surrounds the strangest clause I’ve ever seen in an NFL contract and whether Kyler Murray already has the top spot with the “independent study” clause. Off the top of my head, I can’t recall anything that weird, and the Cardinals withdrawing the clause made it even weirder.

From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):

I’ve been told by Twitter GMs that the sole problem on the O-line was Jesse Davis. Please tell me these people are incorrect.

Hey Steve, not only are Twitter GMs who say that incorrect, it’s an absolutely ridiculous notion. The problems with the O-line in 2021 were all over the place, with more players than just Davis, who didn’t look right physically all year, and adding on top of it maybe coaching in terms of player development.

From FinsUpMass (@paulbdotcom):

Progress seems to be good, but what player injury could derail this entire season?

Hey Paul, I think that one actually is pretty easy to answer and there are two guys who jump out big time. The first is X because his man coverage ability allows the defense to do so many things, scheme-wise The second is Terron Armstead because he’s the anchor, the foundational piece of an offensive line that still remains a bit of a question mark after a tough (though not nearly as disastrous as it’s been portrayed).

From Jon Rambo (@thejonrambo80):

With the depth they have, where do you think the Dolphins defensive line ranks in the division?

Hey Jon, when I did my AFC East rankings of each position group, I gave the Dolphins the No. 1 spot and I don’t see that it’s changed at all. The gap is very small, though, with the Jets and Bills, while New England lags behind a bit, even after Bill Belichick called Davon Godchaux one of the best defensive linemen in the league.