Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Achane, Wilson, Defense, and More

Part 1 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Flipper13 (@Flipper13):

Your most impressive offensive and defensive newcomer you’ve seen in OTAs?

Hey Flipper, I have to preface the answer by pointing out the media has seen only three practices this offseason (with three more coming next week), so it’s limited viewing. Having said that, I think my choice on offense might be wide receiver Robbie Chosen, who looks to me like somebody who definitely will contribute to the passing game. On defense, the first one who comes to mind is rookie second-round pick Cam Smith, who had a couple of nice pass breakups.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, do you think our DTs responsibilities will change under Fangio? Raekwon seems to be asked to take on blockers and be that anchor in the middle. Where Wilkins and Zieler are asked to shed blocks. Do you see things different now, and do you see any roles changing?

Hey Dana, the scheme run by Fangio at his previous NFL spots allowed for his interior defensive linemen to be a big more aggressive than what the Dolphins have done in recent years when those guys were responsible for the two gaps on either side of the lineman opposite them. The Fangio scheme puts more of an emphasis on the guys up front getting push at the line as opposed to making sure that they don’t overrun any plays.

RELATED: Is Raekwon Davis the Dolphins' Most Irreplaceable D- Lineman?

From Jorge boyd (@raga192):

Hi Alain, when will be the earliest we will know how good the rookie RB is?

Hey Jorge, that’s a legitimate question about De’Von Achane, but the answer is that it’s going to take a while. It doesn’t matter how fast or explosive he looks in practice, it’s just not the same thing as game action. So we’ll get some kind of an idea in the preseason but a clearer picture in the regular season. For right now, we can see that Achane is fast, but we already knew that.

From David Roland (@DavidRo22864683):

Do you think the sign any free agents this weekend or sign extensions with DT CW or some of the Oline?

Hey David, I don’t think anything is going to happen necessarily that quickly because the Dolphins do have a lot of decisions to make, with Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, etc.

From rob hellebrand (@dolfanrob1):

Where is the best source to find out the backstory of the mediocre years of the Dolphins? I’d like to know more about Cam Cameron’s incompetence, the infighting between Philbin and Ireland, how well Nick Saban got along with everybody, etc. Any books/podcasts that hit that?

Hey Rob, those topics all have been addressed piecemeal from time to time on various podcasts (don't know about books), but don't know of an all-encompassing place for you to go to get all those stories.

From Matt Waldner (@MattWaldner):

Alan what's the chance Ced gets traded for Queen or other inside LB?

Hey Matt, I’d say the chances of a Wilson-for-Queen trade happening are 0.0001 percent. Wilson’s problematic contract aside ($5 million guaranteed), the Ravens already made moves in the offseason to bolster their WR corps and they don’t have a need for Wilson. The idea of trading Wilson anywhere is all great, but that $5 million is too much for somebody who may be a solid player but in reality has been a backup his five years in the NFL.

From Dion Gardiner (@dantegardiniore):

Any recommendations on resources to learn how to break down film/plays?

Hey Dion, the simple answer here is getting your hands on an All-22 view of games — NFL Plus has that — and then you can replay each play as often as you want to see what you’re looking for.

From golf Ziggler (@9iron):

Who do you think could eat the most wings on the team? (Position group breakdown if possible please)

Hey GZ, have to admit this might take the prize for the most original question I’ve gotten for the mailbag. My best guesses here: QB, Skylar Thompson; RB, Jeff Wilson Jr.; WR, Tyreek Hill (he wants to win at everything); TE, Durham Smythe; OL, Robert Hunt; DL, Christian Wilkins; LB, Andrew Van Ginkel maybe (don’t see any of them as big wing eaters); DB, X maybe.

From TrentC (@Tcreager24):

Do you think it's more likely we add a DT or LB with our cap space?

Hey Trent, great question. I think at this stage of the offseason, I’d be inclined to think that getting some depth at defensive tackle is a bigger priority, but I could see either happening.

From Armando (@Armando78304117):

Will Achane have any impact on special teams with this new rule change?

Hey Armando, based on the new rule calling for the ball to be placed at the 25 on any fair catch on kickoffs, I’d expect a whole lot of that happening in 2023. And that absolutely diminishes the value of a kickoff returner, which is where Achane could have helped the Dolphins on special teams. Could he get a return here and there? Sure, but expecting him to be able to make an impact in the kicking game probably isn’t realistic.

From TheChaosOfPurity (@GoldenBoy407305):

Is Achane simply a 3rd down scat back or does he have potential to touch the ball on 1st and 2nd down consistently?

I’ll never say never, but I don’t see Achane as a player who’s ever going to get a major work load as a runner because of his size, though it’s been done before. For example, Austin Ekeler doesn’t have a lot of size and is a full-time back, though he doesn’t get a ton of carries (averages like 13 a game). At the start of his NFL career, expect Achane to be a complementary player for the Dolphins offense.

From Crash Jensen (@Sngly):

Given the plethora of DBs & the paucity of ILBs, could Fangio’s new scheme be to play nickel/dime as his base package? Jones, Holland & Ramsey are hard hitters. Could a 5¢ package, w/DBs rotating into LB positions, be a possibility, hence the lack of acquiring more ILB help?

Hey Crash, it’s a very good point you raise and it’s also something that was done at times in recent years. And it always depends on the opponent. When the Dolphins open against the Chargers this season, for example, it would be surprising if they didn’t start off in a nickel package given that L.A.’s offense should be very pass-oriented. In fact, maybe it wouldn’t even be shocking if they opened in a dime (six DBs) alignment. That’s all based on the opponent more than anything.

From Dave (@angryvet59):

When, if ever, does the team release a player’s weight (other than website). I'm curious to know what Tua is coming in at. Plus Omar has been talking about tiny ILBs & wondering on those as well.

Hey Dave, how about never? I don’t ever recall teams volunteering a player’s weight beyond the official roster. If you were to tell me that Tua has added like 5 pounds since last season, I wouldn’t argue because his lower body does look a bit thicker, but it’s not like there’s a massive change there. As for the ILBs, yes, they all look on the small side outside of Duke Riley.

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @PoupartNFL. Feel free to submit questions every week for the All Dolphins mailbag via Twitter or via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.