Friday Dolphins Mailbag: Ogbah Forecast, Linebacker Options, O-line Adjustments, and More

INDIANAPOLIS — Doing the weekly SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag from the scouting combine, and here's part 1.

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

Would you address the line in FA or the draft ? Do you think Miami should use the draft to add playmakers at WR, RB & ILB and use FA to add WR2 , T , backup QB and depth on DL?

Hey Reza, first off, absolutely I think the Dolphins should address the offensive line in free agency and not the draft, and I’ve written about it. And it’s not just me, both Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel have suggested improvement from the line will come in part from the improvement of the current young guys on the roster. I think all options are on the table for the draft except for quarterback and tight end and all options are on the table for free agency.

From O’shay Morris (@oshaym21):

Hey Alain, why wouldn't the Dolphins try Iggy at WR, since he isn't showing much promise as a corner? WRs can't stay healthy. Give him a shot.

Hey O’Shay, your suggestion certainly has merit, especially considering Iggy started his career at Auburn as a wide receiver. That said, I think the Dolphins are going to give him a longer look at cornerback now that they’ve added Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain to the coaching staff. I think there’s still hope for him as a cornerback before they’re ready to turn that page, and also understand there’s no guarantee he’d be a success at wide receiver.

From Phinaholic (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, not sure how you feel about the middle linebacker position, but I feel it’s a position we need to upgrade at. If you were Chris Grier, how would you upgrade the position? Through the draft or through free agency? It would be awesome to give us a few names as well.

Hey Dana, yeah, I would love for the Dolphins to add a playmaking linebacker, but I’m not sure you could get an instant-impact guy at that position picking 29th in the first round because Devin Lloyd and Nakobe Dean both will be long gone by then. So I’m thinking it would have to happen through free agency, and the best of the bunch will be Green Bay’s De'Vondre Campbell, who had a breakout year in 2021 and will be looking to cash in. The other names that intrigue (health permitting) are Anthony Barr of the Vikings, Dont’a Hightower of the Patriots and Kwon Alexander, who played for the 49ers during Mike McDaniel’s time there.

From jorge boyd (@raga1922):

Hi Alain it is well known that we need a lb is there any LB in free agency or the draft that you think the Dolphins can get?

Hi Jorge, this is very similar to the question Dana asked, so my answer would be the same. I would add that if the Dolphins want to wait until the second round for an inside linebacker, two names I’d keep an eye on are Christian Harris from Alabama and Quay Walker from Georgia.

From John Kerns (@yitwail)

One player I’m keen on is Chad Muma. Can they draft him in the second round and still get a quality RB & WR? Like Wan'Dale Robinson or James Cook, for example?

Hey John, based on the draft rankings, it does appear the second round is where Muma, the linebacker from Wyoming figures to get drafted. And, yes, there’s a chance to get a quality WR and RB even while picking Muma in the second round if that’s the direction they choose, but getting Wan’Dale Robinson might be tough in that scenario because his projection is higher than the end of the third round (where the Dolphins pick) and lower than the end of the first round. Cook is being pegged around the third round, so there is a chance he could be available at 101, but there’s certainly no guarantee of that.

From Ken Dasher (@kdash65):

Hey Alain! There are some members of Dolphins media that seem to feel that losing Ogbah is a foregone conclusion. How do you view the situation?

Hey Ken, what, no prog rock question this week? (Sad face). Joking aside, you’ll have to point to me the Dolphins media members saying that losing Ogbah is a foregone conclusion because I haven’t seen it and I also don’t believe it. I also think it would be a major mistake to let Ogbah go considering how important he is to the defense and the fact he’s clearly the second-best player on that unit behind Xavien Howard.

From JPB230659 (@jpb230659):

Salut Alain! Do you expect some changes in draft strategy from Grier now that McD is head coach? Thanks!

Salut, no, I don’t necessarily think the draft strategy will change, but the way Mike McDaniel views prospects certainly could be different than how Brian Flores viewed them. The Dolphins actually have kind of done a hodge-podge of going for need (Austin Jackson jumps out here) and going for BPA (Igbinoghene, Long) the last few years — the ideal, of course, is going for BPA and need at the same time — though I would expect them to go for the best player available in this draft.

From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):

How do you feel about the chances of guys on the offense line in new system/and coaches, like Robert Jones, Greg Little, and do /can Kindley, Eichenberg, adapt to scheme change when they seem more road graders type??

Hey Steve, very good questions. I definitely would keep an eye on Robert Jones because I do believe there’s some potential there. As for Greg Little, I found it very troubling that he never saw the field in a season when the offensive line really struggled, this after Carolina gave up on him two years after making him a second-round pick. Of Kindley and Eichenberg, I do think the term road-graders applies more to Kindley, whose lack of mobility could be an issue in a zone-blocking scheme. Eichenberg is more of a technician and I do believe he’ll be able to move well enough to work in the new offensive scheme.