UPDATE :Dolphins Friday Mailbag: Draft Trades, Dart, Jeanty, and More…….Read more

 

 

How likely is Jaylen Wright to break out in his second season? What factors led to Calais Campbell leaving after one season? Tackling those and other Miami Dolphins issues

Part 1 of a weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Dillon Medina:

With Paul seemingly the starting LT, how likely do u believe it is that we go guard in the first and basically have 2 rookies on the left side of the line?

Hey Dillon, no, I’m not of the belief that the Dolphins would want that scenario, which they can avoid either by using James Daniels at left guard or simply by going with a veteran at that spot. Regardless, I think there are more significant needs to fill, with prospects likely available, on the defensive side of the ball.

From Mark Lever:

If Jaxson Dart falls to the second round, would you take him?

Hey Mark, I’ll start by saying that I don’t believe for a second — OK, maybe two seconds — that Dart won’t go in the first round. The rule with quarterbacks is there’s any question, they usually do go in the first round. Having said that, what I’ve seen of him doesn’t scream franchise quarterback, so I’d be inclined to pass on that idea.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

Last year Jaylen Wright didn’t exactly light it up, but to be fair none of the Dolphins RBs had the success running the ball that I expected. Chris Perkins is probably rolling his eyes for what I’m about to say but, the guard play might have had a lot to do with that. The running back position is a position where many players come in in their first year and have a lot of success. How confident are you that this year will be a much more productive season than last year for one Mr. Wright? Have you looked at at Ashton Jeanty? If so, what’s your evaluation on him?

Hey Dana, I would not pure all the blame on the running game issues last year on the guards because I didn’t see the running backs make guys miss or break tackles very often and the numbers back me up on this. I do believe Wright has a strong chance of breaking out in his second season because they physical attributes clearly are there. As for Jeanty, he certainly was a complete stud at Boise State and has everything you want in a back (vision, speed, good hands). He’s certainly the definition of a franchise back.

From Glenn Austin:

I’ve seen/heard you’re adamant about a CB in 1st/2nd. I agree if Johnson at 13 or Amos at 48, otherwise the rest carry too much additional risk imo. I’m open to a R. Douglas type signing if needed after the draft. CB2 a position not to risk (again). Are there others you like?

Hey Glenn, I’m with you on Rasul Douglas, who I think would be a great short-term answer at cornerback. As for the draft, I’d be cool with Johnson or Jahdae Barron in Round 1, and second-round options for me would include Thomas from Florida State and Revel from East Carolina.

From Noel B one:

How complete do you expect this roster to be before June 1. Hitting post-June 1 with a big shopping list makes me nervous. Should I be?

Hey Noel, you wouldn’t be a Dolphins fan if you weren’t nervous, now, would you? Yes, I do think the roster will be a lot more complete before June 1 without the glaring starting question marks we have right now.

From Jason:

IYO, should the Dolphins attempt to trade for more picks to address all the needs in the draft? Or do you think they have enough picks to fill all these holes?

Hey Jason, the first thing here is you have to find a trade partner to move down and give you additional picks. Assuming that can be done, the Dolphins can’t just worry about volume here, they have to get good players. So, sure, let’s do some trade downs, but not at the cost of a major downgrade in prospects.

From NYCFinFan4Life:

Are there any current players you think we could trade for and for what? And speaking of trades do you see us trading back for ammo. As always appreciate all you do

See the previous answer for the idea of trading down. As for current players who could be traded, the names you hear include obvious ones such as Kirk Cousins or guys looking for new contracts like Brandon Aiyuk or maybe even Micah Parsons or maybe even Brock Purdy and we can add Jaire Alexander and Raiders tight end Michael Mayer. Of those, Parsons should be the only one of interest to the Dolphins, but the price tag might be too much.

From Beach-waves78:

With the comments Campbell made about how different the Fins training camp was and the hoopla always around Tyreek… And players late, etc. … do you think he ever really considered coming back to the Fins…seems like he and Armstead are old school.

Yeah, I do believe Campbell would have had an interest in returning to the Dolphins, though I don’t know that for a fact. Campbell hasn’t spoken publicly about why he chose to go back to Arizona beyond his Instagram message about wanting to end his career where it began. It has been suggested that the Dolphins had the third-best financial offer for Campbell’s 2025 contract and that may have (likely did) played a role in his decision.

From Olive Grove Jon:

With the perceived unwillingness to spend in FA and the many holes left to fill in the draft, how much falls on McDaniel to coach his butt off and get this team to the playoffs?

Hey OGJ, the Dolphins did spend in free agency, they just went with volume instead of that one or two splash signing. For the Dolphins to make the playoffs, it’s absolutely on McDaniel to do a great coaching job, but it’s also on the front-line players and high-salaried players to play up to that level — and we all know who those guys are.