Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua, Tyreek, Raekwon, O-line, and More

Back from a family vacation in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, it's time to get busy again.

Here's Part 1 of the new SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain, it is difficult to post questions during this time of inactivity but here goes one for you: What are your thoughts of this year’s RB group?

Hi Jorge, what I would say about the RB group is that it’s got nice depth and balance with Mostert, Edmonds and Michel, but that’s assuming that Mostert will be the Mostert he was in SF after his nasty 2021 knee injury. Regardless, the group looks like a massive upgrade over what the Dolphins had last year.

From Miami Dolphins Québec (@Dolphins_Quebec):

Salut Alain! Which position battle interests you the most for training camp, and why?

Salut, if I’m being honest (and I always am), there aren’t a whole lot of great battles coming up because the lineup looks pretty set. So I’ll have to go with the usual, and that’s the offensive line.

From Phinaholic (@dana_buice):

Welcome back, my friend! Last year the first time I started hearing that the O-line was a serious concern was during joint practices. When did you first become concerned about the line last year, and is there anything the line could do during preseason to give you high confidence?

Hey Dana, as I think back quickly, yeah, I think the joint practices were a big cause for concern, though there never was a time where we (in the media) felt all that great about the group. As for this summer, the joint practices with the Bucs and Eagles no doubt will provide a good measuring stick, as will the preseason games.

From Mcdrip’s twin (@TheGreatPhinsby):

Alain, I've been incognito also. It's dead season lol. How do you feel about Tyreek putting Tua on his back and taking on the media?

Hey twin, yes, it is dead season (the only one really), but we’re about to ramp up big time. As for Tyreek pumping Tua’s tires, I’m OK with it as long as he doesn’t go overboard with the accolades (you know, since they haven’t had so much as one padded practice together). But throwing compliments your quarterback’s way certainly has its benefits in helping with confidence and building a rapport. And, let’s face it, Hill is going to be the guy that Tua is going to be looking for most often when he’s throwing the ball. All that said — and Hill himself admitted the purpose is to support his QB — fans should not necessarily latch on to everything Hill says about Tua … or anybody else on the team, for that matter.

From Chris Bustin @ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain. Your recent answer to Omar Kelly’s question has me wondering: How much of your 9-8 record prediction for the 2022 Dolphins is based on your skepticism of Tua? Thanks!

Hey Chris, my prediction of 9-8 is not all based on my doubts about Tua. I just don’t think it’s as simple as, “The Dolphins went 9-8 last year, they hired a new coach, they added Hill and Armstead and kept the defense intact, so they’ll win more games in 2022.” My hesitation in predicting anything better than 9-8 has to do with how the Dolphins looked against elite teams last year — losing by 28 against TB, by 35 and 15 against BUF, and by 31 against TEN. Too much of what the Dolphins accomplished in 2021, to my taste, was done against bad teams/quarterbacks that Brian Flores exploited with his defensive scheme. So until I see otherwise, I’m going to remain skeptical not only about Tua but about the whole team.

From SoCal (@DolfanShow):

What are your current thoughts on Tua?

Hey SoCal, my thoughts on Tua frankly haven’t changed much. I still see a limited quarterback with the ability to succeed if everything around him is ideal. I’ve written it before and I’ll write it again here, I expect Tua’s numbers to dramatically jump in 2022 because the Kyle Shanahan offense is QB-friendly (see what it did for Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo), but I’m not convinced that will mean that Tua has become an elite quarterback. Tua is accurate on short and medium-range passes, but he does lack arm strength — and, no, it doesn’t mean he can’t complete a deep pass — and is very average if the play breaks down, where arm strength absolutely comes into play. Having said all that, I’m not discounting the possibility he could take a major jump at some point, but I will remain skeptical until that happens.

From Bill Whitten (@BillWhitten13):

What are your thoughts about Charles Harris’ development with Detroit? Did Miami bungle his coaching or did he simply finally get the wake-up call?

Hey Bill, that is a very, very good question. I’m leaning toward the notion that the Lions did a phenomenal job of putting Harris in position to succeed because during all his time in Miami, I didn’t see anything about Harris that made me think he could become a successful pass rusher in the NFL. The question now is whether last year was an aberration or the start of a career revival.

From Mark Fischler (@FischlerMark):

Hello Alain, thank you as always for your thoughtful answers. I am wondering, are the Dolphins training their players differently in terms of their approach to weights, eating, rest, etc.? And what do you think that's different about Mike McDaniel from other coaches? Thank you!

Hey Mark, thanks for the kind words. I’m going to be honest about your first question and tell you I’m just not sure, but I would imagine training methods around the NFL probably would be very similar from team to team. As for McDaniel, what stands out about him clearly is his personality, the fact that he’s one of the guys and outgoing and he just simply does not look like a football coach. He’s also got his reputation as being a genius and creative, which we’ll find out more about once the season starts.

From John Fiorino (@jtwin17):

Do you think this defense is better if we get a pass rush from just our front 4 without having to 0 Blitz as much, or is it the crazy blitz packages that make us a better more opportunistic defense? Can you see a jump this year from Raekwon Davis?

Hey John, any defense is better off if it can get pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz and therefore sacrifice personnel in coverage. If the Dolphins could get consistent pressure with only four rushers, they wouldn’t use the blitz as often. Also don’t dismiss another big key to the scheme, and that’s giving the appearance of sending certain players, only to have them back off and drop into coverage at the last second. As for Raekwon Davis, I think what we saw toward the end of last season is what we should expect, though any kind of improvement obviously would be welcome.