Sunday Dolphins Mailbag: Waddle, Tindall, Fangio, and More

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

From Brice (@BricefromLA):

Most impressive of the first- and second-year players?

Hey Brice, my quick reflex answer here is clearly Cam Smith, the 2023 second-round pick from South Carolina, and I say that despite having a tough practice Thursday. I really like what I saw of him in the offseason and the other two practices of camp.

From Richoff Bitcoin (@RichoffBitcoin):

Do you see any difference in a bulkier Waddle?

At the risk of being a wise ass (“nah, not you!”), the difference is Waddle clearly looks bigger and stronger. Joking aside, in terms of differences in his game, I think it’s still too early to tell. He sure doesn’t look any slower that I’ve noticed and I still wish he was a bit more consistent with his pass catching — though his ridiculous speed is a good trade-off.

From Shaun Braley (@shaunbraley):

You and Omar have had some good discussion on Tua. I don’t recall y’all talking much about football IQ. How do y’all think Tua has progressed in this area, and primarily in his ability to read defenses?

Hey Shaun, like pretty much everything else with Tua’s game, it’s clearly better than it was when he first got to the NFL in 2020 and it’s part of his evolution as a quarterback at this level.

From Dredj (via email):

Hi Alain, love the mailbag. Way back in the day (I used to sell hot dogs at games in the Orange Bowl) we had the 3-headed monster at RB. Now it seems we have all Mercury Morris types. Maybe JWJ is more Kiick-like. We certainly don’t have a bruiser, let alone anything like Zonk. What is Mike McD’s plan for short yardage, goal line, running out the clock? It seemed like a lot of short-yardage passes last year.

Hey Dredj, you’re not wrong about a lot of short-yardage passes last year — there were way too many for my taste — and I would suspect that would change. And you’re right about there not being a bruiser-type back on the roster, but also keep in mind the Dolphins used fullback Alec Ingold in short-yardage situations at times last year and even Durham Smythe off direct snaps. My guess is we should expect McDaniel to do a lot of different things in those situations, maybe if no other reason than the Dolphins don’t have a back who might be like an automatic first-down getter.

From steve , (@jujusimba7777):

Has Channing Tindall showed up with anything worthy of note yet? Is his roster spot up for grabs? Which UDFA has shown some good stuff and will be on the roster? Hill, Miller, Smith, Thompson??

Hey Steve, I’ll start with Tindall, who is coming off two practices where he actually was noticeable, which is more than we can say for what happened at training camp last year. As for his roster spot, I would think it’s pretty secure as a second-year third-round pick. Among the four UDFAs you mentioned, Miller is the one who has been the most noticeable so far in camp and given the low numbers at linebacker, I think he just might have a legitimate shot at making the roster.

From iAmDFan (@iAmDFanTTV):

Would you agree that the best-case scenario with the Ramsey Injury would be for Cam Smith to win the starting spot opposite of X and hold it until Ramsey's return, thus keeping the rest of the defense intact at their strongest spots?

With the premise of keeping Kader Kohou and Nik Needham in the slot, which probably is their best spot, I absolutely agree with you that Cam Smith seizing that spots and getting the job done would be ideal. And yet another good scenario, maybe even better, would be for Noah Igbinoghene to emerge as a bona fide NFL cornerback and fill that spot until Ramsey returns. And I say that while pointing out that Igbinoghene is off to a good start at camp. And then of course there’s the possibility that it becomes new addition Eli Apple who starts at cornerback opposite X, which also would allow Kohou to remain in the slot.

From Jeff (via email):

Hello Alain, I will have to think on a name for the podcast for you two, but all I can think is how "OP" and wonderful those conversations have been. I love seeing that passion and being in the room for those discussions. Speaking of passion, heart, sportsmanship, and everything that comes with the game ... what are some of your favorite "speeches" or scenes from sports movies?

Hey Jeff, thanks on the podcast comment. Let me then say I’m not a huge fan of sports movies, particularly when they rely on a suspenseful finish that’s really not suspenseful at all. As for great speeches, Kevin Coster’s speech in “Bull Durham” on what he believes Is pretty cool, and others would be Woody Harrelson’s “I’m in the zone”; and “There’s no crying in baseball.” Not sure that’s a good answer, but that’s what I got.

From Addicus Spartacus (@AddicusSpartac1):

Alain, although these interwebs have evolved where fans have more shared space with writers/analysts like you and Omar et. al. - What do you hope will be the next evolution of us fans, followers, and readers as a result of such access?

My hope is pretty simple is that more and more folks can interact respectfully even if they don’t agree with an opinion and also not take every criticism (or even non-uncon ditional praise) of their favorite player so personally. I enjoy interacting with fans and have a good rapport with many with whom our first interaction was a disagreement about a player, position or play.

From Dan K. (via email):

I have seen great DC's like Bill Arnsparger and Buddy Ryan. I watched Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick give Dan Marino fits for years. They were difference makers for their teams. I just don't get that or see that from Vic Fangio. Should we have brought in a 30-year-old innovator? With a 60-year-old guy, don't we already know what we are going to get? Don't the other guys know it too?

Hey Dan, the Dolphins do know what they’re getting and that’s why they went after Fangio so hard. It’s also why so many teams around the NFL gladly would have hired him had he not come to Miami. I’ll buy the argument against a retread every time if that coach doesn’t have a history of success, but Fangio has been successful at every stop he’s made, so this hire made absolutely perfect sense.

From Crash Jensen (@Sngly):

Are Ogbah, Howard, and/or Chubb on the 2024 Dolphins if they have average or sub-par years?

Hey Crash, you’re correct in the case of Ogbah and Howard, where the Dolphins could save a lot of cap space by releasing them next offseason, but that doesn’t apply with Chubb. The Dolphins would incur more than $26 million of dead cap space (per overthecap.com and save less than $1 million even with a post-June 1 designation). So Chubb will be with the Dolphins in 2024 barring something drastic happening.

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