Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, trade deadline and more

Part 2 of the Miami Dolphins Pre-Buffalo Game On SI Mailbag:

From John Flora (@Capt_Cavephin):

Why haven't we seen more short-yardage 6-O-line sets? Given the RB speed Miami has, this seems to open up multiple opportunities in short situations.

Hey John, I completely agree with you because I've often wondered myself when the Dolphins won't just sign Kendall Lamm or Patrick Paul as an additional lineman at, say, third or fourth. 1. And I'm not saying do it every time, but why not give it a try?

From Rico's RoughNecks (@TheFin22):

Who do you think has been the better Dolphin so far? Jarvis Landry (4 Szns) 400 receptions 4,038 yards 23 TDs or Waddle (3.5 Szns) 277 receptions 3,699 Yds 18 TDs?

Hi Rico, that's a tough question because they are so different in style and also one is a slot receiver (Landry) while the other plays outside more often. Still, I think Landry might be the better receiver, while Waddle is the more impactful due to his far greater speed. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but that's my opinion.

From Brent George (@BrentGe76230118):

Buyer? Salesperson? Run with the lineup we have?

Hi Brent, I can't imagine a scenario where the Dolphins would be buyers given their balance sheet or the financial commitments they already have for 2025. I could see them trading some assets if they lose at Buffalo and fall to 2-6.

From Jorge Boyd (@raga1922):

Hello Alain, what is the best way to neutralize Josh Allen? What do the Dolphins need to do to make this happen?

Hey Jorge, this is not an easy task. The best way to neutralize a quarterback is to apply pressure without having to blitz, but that's not exactly something the Dolphins are doing well this season. So this is more about coverage and hoping Allen's accuracy is off – and if the Dolphins have a chance at a pick, they absolutely have to convert.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hello, Alain. As a chip eater sitting on the couch, I have two observations: 1. I don't make $50 million a year. 2. I still have the same number of playoff wins as Tua. Your thoughts? Thanks!

Hello Chris, I think you spoke for all the fans who didn't like Tua's comments. And I can't say I blame you.

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Does this season's success impact Tua more than any other player-coach or staff member?
With every game they lose, the Dolphins gain more spots in the draft, giving them a better spot to draft his replacement. It also adds more fuel to the fire to move away from Tua. I'm not saying they would cut Tua outright, but with a high draft pick, spending a high draft pick on a QB and letting him sit for a year wouldn't be out of the question. If Tua were to hit the open market, I'm not sure how much interest he would draw as a free agent starter. Is it urgent for him to turn things around this season?

Hey Dana, no, I don't think Tua has a bigger influence than anyone else. The Dolphins have made a financial commitment with their contract that pretty much guarantees he will be their QB for the next three seasons (including 2024), health permitting. I also really don't see a scenario where the Dolphins would take a quarterback in the first round in 2025 if Tua stays healthy for the rest of this season. That's just not how Miami works. From a team perspective, it's absolutely important for him to turn things around this season, but I'm not sure that has a big impact on his status for 2025 or even 2026.

From Brandon Quinn (via email):

Pathetic. We need to be in a complete rebuild mode. I can only name a few people I would even want to keep – Jackson, Achane, Wright, Waddle, Sieler, Brooks and maybe Phillips. And I don't consider any of these guys to be cornerstones. I don't want to pay Holland what he charges and Phillips is unreliable. My question is: Where do we go from here? For me, firing Grier, McDaniel and Crossman is non-negotiable. But what can we do beyond that? We have to trade any asset worth even mid-round, right? I honestly believe that trading Hill and Ramsey, maybe Armstead too, cap hits be damned, will be addition by subtraction. Side note: Have the Dolphins ever called an audible under McDaniel? Is it his offense or the QBs not understanding the defense? It's just so strange. The only team I haven't heard “Kill/Kill” or anything like that about in years. Can you please do us fans a favor? Can you tell Tua at the next press conference that we chip eaters don't get paid $212 MILLION for catching shotgun snaps, so we don't care how easy or hard it may be for him? All we care about is that he does. Maybe there's also the fact that he's sitting at home without us, watching Billy Graham and playing the ukulele.

Man, Brandon, I'm frustrated and there's a lot to unpack here. I would tell you that I wouldn't expect a fire sale or a home clearance after the season. And you are believed to be the latest fan unhappy about Tua's comments.

From Jeff (via email):

Hello Alain, I read it Dante's wonderful article on orienteering performance, Listen to the discussion in the podcast and I had a thought about how crowded the offense seems to be at certain positions. If I were a GM I would actually consider trading Achane, but I'm honestly not sure the RB has the value he once had. Would he get a first-round pick somewhere? What do you think if Miami's RB room in 2025 included: Wright, Wilson and Chris Brooks? I'm going back in time a bit here, but I just think we can afford to lose 2-3 RBs and we need picks in rounds 1-3 in 2025-26.

Hey Jeff, two problems with your suggestion. The first is that Achane would not receive a first-round pick in a trade. That just doesn’t happen with running backs. Second, Chris Brooks is now on the Green Bay Packers' active roster and is therefore no longer available.

From Craig M (@Dolfan2334):

Hello Alain. What exactly will it take for Stephen Ross to wake up and fire Chris Grier? The gap between the Dolphins and Bills has grown larger (as we'll see on Sunday). Shouldn't that be a big enough indictment to see that Grier didn't deliver and that the reconstruction failed?

Hey Craig, from where I stand it would take a massive and sustained collapse to make a move. But it's certainly closer than it was at the start of the season.

From Ed Hafner (@RHcoach):

Hi Alain, I love your writing and podcasts – enough about my kisses – do you think Tua's return helps cover up some of McDaniel's poor play? With all the talent on this team, I don't think our coaching is up to par.

Hey Ed, please please don't stop the compliments on my account, LOL. Secondly: No, I don't think Tua is hiding any shortcomings in terms of play. Whatever the issues are, with or without Tua in the lineup, it's just that the execution with the backup QBs is really poor. But I understand what you're saying. Finally, I'm not sure the Dolphins are quite as talented as they are portrayed to be.