Saturday Dolphins Mailbag: Tua and 2020, the Return Options, And More

Part 2 of the latest SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag following the roster cuts to 53 and heading into the regular season opener:

From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):

How much influence do you think the returning special teams coach was on Eguavoen, Fejedelem still on the roster? IMO, they do not merit on their play on defense alone! Better options were there. Goode, McKinley, to name two. With Byron Jones out the first four weeks, will the defense have to change its trait and have to play more zone and less blitzing?

Hey Steve, that is a very good question you pose there regarding Eguavoen and Fejedelem (which was asked before Fejedelem landed on IR obviously). I do think there’s some merit to your suggestion that Danny Crossman had some influence on the decision. I actually had Goode making the team ahead of Eguavoen. As for the question about the defense in Jones’ absence, I absolutely would expect the Dolphins to maybe not blitz quite as much as they did the past two seasons simply because they won’t have the luxury of having two great man cover cornerbacks on the back end.

From Luke Fader (@lukefader):

The Dolphins cut the players who were fielding kickoffs and punts in the preseason; who do you think will take over these duties Week 1 against the Patriots?

From Gary surrency (@Gsurrency13):

Who do you see being the punt/kick off returner?

Hey Luke and Gary, that is an excellent question. Going by the preseason depth chart, Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Waddle were the top two names for kickoff returns, and Tyreek Hill and Waddle for punt returns. My expectation is that Mostert and/or Noah Igbinoghene will be returning kickoffs, and the punt returns could end up being split between Hill, Waddle and Jevon Holland. My preference, though, would be to avoid using any of those three for returns because they’re too valuable on offense and defense.

From Lloyd Heilbrunn (@LloydHeilbrunn):

So, was McDaniel lying about Byron Jones' recovery, or has he just not been here long enough to know we can't have nice things?

Hey Lloyd, ha, funny way to ask! Only McDaniel knows whether he was lying, and GM Chris Grier didn’t exactly address the question head on as to what happened with Jones when he joined McDaniel for a press conference Tuesday. And we’ll put it this way: McDaniel wouldn’t be the first coach to have fibbed with the media or been less than forthcoming in discussing a player’s progress from an injury.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain. In Week 1, do you have any thoughts on how the Dolphins might handle missing Byron Jones? Which player do you think will join Xavien Howard and Nik Needham in the secondary, and how might the trio handle coverage? Thanks!

Hey Chris, that is the big question at this time, isn't it? McDaniel was asked that very question Thursday and he declined to disclose what the pecking order was at this time. There are a lot of options, such as Eric Rowe, Noah Igbinoghene, Keion Crossen and rookie free agent Kader Kohou, and if I had to guess right now, I’d say it’s going to be Igbinoghene who lines up as the boundary cornerback opposite Xavien Howard in Week 1, with Needham staying in the slot. As to what coverage the Dolphins will use, I would think they would provide safety help for Igbinoghene on a semi-regular basis instead of continuing with the large amount of man-to-man coverage on both sides.

From Ted D’Alessio (@TeddyD13):

How do you think the safety pairing is going to play out? Is Brandon Jones going to play majority snaps or will Eric Rowe get some work and split time? (So excited to watch Holland this season!)

Hey Ted, I’m with you on Holland to start with. That dude is going to be a star! As for the other spot, I think the Dolphins are going to want to use Rowe a bit more than they did last year because he’s very good in coverage, whereas Jones is very good against the run and a very good blitzer. In any event, the Dolphins have some nice depth with their top three.

From James Sonny Burnett (@JamesBurnett11):

Do you think that the Dolphins will pull the trigger on a F/A offensive lineman soon? Eight OL seems too low a number.

Hey James, eight is a low number, but it’s actually not that unusual for a team to keep that number. So I don’t think the Dolphins need to rush to add a ninth offensive lineman to their 53-man roster unless the right guy becomes available. Also remember that the Dolphins always can elevate somebody from the practice squad in the event of a minor injury that could keep somebody out of action for one or two games.

From Eugenio Tallone (@Ertallone):

Hi Alain, if you had to describe the biggest difference between this offense and last year's just before the season started, what would it be? Thanks.

Hey Eugenio, the biggest difference, for everything we could say, absolutely is the presence of Tyreek Hill because of the big-play element he brings and how much attention opposing defenses have to give him. That would be first, second and third in my eyes. But then you could add the presence of Terron Armstead on the offensive line and certainly the arrival of what’s largely known as one of the most creative running game schemes around.

From Dave (@angryvet59):

The dreaded hypothetical question: IF Tua had "red shirted" his rookie year & healed more from hip injury/learned from Fitz, etc., would that have hurt/help in his development?

Hey Dave, I actually like hypothetical questions and I would start this answer by saying that Tua absolutely, positively should have been redshirted in that 2020 season or at the very least not inserted into the lineup when he was, but that was because the Dolphins were succeeding with Fitzpatrick at quarterback and Tua was not as good as him at that point. As to whether playing a rookie hurt or helped Tua’s development, I’m usually of the opinion that any playing experience like that is more beneficial than detrimental. There are things that a quarterback can only learn from experience, so playing early usually helps more than it hurts.

From Jason Mitchell (@Mr_Ivorian):

Hey Alain, so Week 1 against the Pats what are you most looking forward to seeing from the Dolphins, and what is the biggest worry you have? Many thanks.

Hey Jason, my biggest curiosity with the Dolphins is going to be for a while the quarterback position and whether Tua can make that jump in Year 3. That is far and away the most important topic regarding the Dolphins in 2022. As for my biggest worry, l think the defense ranks right up there with Brian Flores no longer around and with Byron Jones sidelined for the first four weeks.

From IslandTime (@SDislandtime):

Given your insiderness, what percentage do you put all these skill positions from last year not being roster worthy in the NFL on Grier vs Flo? Flo have complete final roster control at the end?

Hey IT, the question of roster control always is difficult to answer, in part because most of those calls are made in agreement. The question of who makes the final call in case of a disagreement is tricky and it’s rare when an organization will volunteer that information. Having said all that, I would say Flores absolutely had input in roster decisions, though not sure whether he was the final decision-maker.