Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, James Daniels, More
Third and final part of the preseason finale weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:
From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:
You said on your All Dolphins Podcast on YouTube something to the effect that Chubb has not had a great camp. I’m paraphrasing. Not quoting. Can you expand on the reasons why? Is he slow? Small? Or just not making a ton of plays and can you compare his previous camps to this one to give us some idea as to what his previous practices looked like compared to this year’s?
Hey Dana, the first thing I noticed about Chubb heading into camp was that he looked significantly leaner to me, but I also didn’t see the kind of burst I’ve seen from Chop Robinson or Jaelan Phillips at different times during camp. It’s that simple. What I will tell you is that Chubb is very smart and rarely gets fooled or overruns plays. I just didn’t see a lot of explosiveness in his game. And I can’t compare it to last year because he was on PUP all year and I can’t recall two years ago (sorry).
From Jake McVay:
Why did the Dolphins not just re-sign Ogbah if they felt they needed depth there? Judon is good, but Ogbah has done well and seems like a good team guy?
Hey Jake, Ogbah is a great team guy, but at their best I think Judon pretty clearly is the better player.
From The Halo Effect:
If the Dolphins are never able to produce a top 10 O-line, are they wasting Tua’s career? (With regards to going deep in the playoffs or getting to the Super Bowl)
Does every team that goes deep in the playoffs have a top 10 line? The answer is no. The Chiefs went to the Super Bowl in the 2020 season and then their O-line got exposed by the Bucs, but they still got there. And the Bengals went to the Super Bowl the following year and nobody ever accused that O-line of being good. So, no.
From Brandon Quinn:
Is Chris Grier as dumb as we all think? Like, when you speak with him, does it hurt? Our edge defenders, the expensive ones and the young ones, are the deepest part of the team, and we add Judon?! Over a veteran in the secondary? I hate Grier. I hate him I hate him I hate him.
Hey Brandon, so what you’re saying is you don’t like Grier? Look, all I’ll say about your comment is that I, too, questioned the idea of adding at perhaps your deepest position when there are major depth concerns elsewhere on the roster.
From Jeff:
Hello Alain! Not sure if this is mailbag worthy, but I wanted to ask about #34 Colbert and how he’s been doing in your view? I saw the highlights (that’s all I get here) and he seemed to be really putting in the effort as opposed to Goode, who was just going through the motions and very low enthusiasm. Maybe he’s just comfortable with his roster spot in comparison? Gordon II reminds me a bit of the former Rams RB Steven Jackson. Thank you for the detail in your game reports and after the game livestreams, it’s invaluable for displaced fans.
Thanks Jeff. First off, I really like Ollie Gordon II and his future prospects, but Steven Jackson? Whoa! I’d say let’s wait a bit for that one, shall we? Jordan Colbert actually has acquitted himself very well throughout the summer, though I question whether that’ll be enough for him to make the 53-man roster. But he’s definitely someone to watch for the practice squad. And I don’t get the shot at Cameron Goode at all.
From MD928:
Two part question: 1) Regarding trading Jaelan Phillips for a CB. Don’t you think it would make more sense to wait for a guy to have a career year to get highest compensation in return….like what KC did with Tyreek, Miami with Tunsil?
2) J.Phillips has 25 sacks in his first 4 years, JTaylor had 31 sacks his first 4 years, and 18.5 yr 6 alone. JT was drafted 22yrs, retired at 37yrs. JP drafted 21yrs. Do you think JP in Weaver defense can achieve JT yr 6 numbers and do you like his trajectory for the HOF?
Whoa! Hall of Fame?! Man, that’s bold. Jaelan Phillips is a very good player, but he’s unfortunately has had bad luck with injuries, which is why no team is giving you a king’s ransom for him in a trade and why it’s impossible to make grandiose predictions about his future. The shame of it is that it’s not that Phillips doesn’t take care of his body enough, he actually might do it too much (if that makes sense). The dude is so cut that it additional pressure on joints, tendons and ligaments. Jason Taylor also was strong, but he also was all sorts of flexible, almost like Gumby, and he rarely got hurt.
From NYCFinFan4Life:
Good day bud. Do you feel the defensive front can be disruptive enough to mask secondary issues? Do you foresee in your crystal ball us adding more position depth before start of season? Also, any darkhorse candidates to make final roster?
Man, there’s a lot to unpack here, so rapid fire for multiple questions: Yes, but there’s no guarantee the pass rush can mask; yes, the Dolphins will add more depth at certain spots, probably the O-line first; my darkhorse candidate to make the final 53 would be Jordan Colbert at safety.
From Mario:
Do Dolphins players get hurt/injured more than other teams? Or is it that we follow the team closely and are not in tune with injuries for other teams?
Hey Mario, bingo! Every team deals with injuries. I recall seeing a chart from last year where the Dolphins had more injuries than the average team but weren’t close to the top. I think the 49ers over the past five years have been hit worse by injuries and Tennessee as well.
From Mark Malbeck:
I have watched Cam Smith last year (times he was on the field), and I noticed he seems to be lost in coverage. Several times I have seen him looking around for his man or just leaving his man uncovered. Bad fit for defensive scheme or just slow to diagnose?
Hey Mark, interesting question and I’m not sure I can provide a great answer. But it doesn’t apply all the time because I’ve seen good coverage from him more often than not when he’s played this preseason.
From Lloyd Heilbrunn:
Are they really dumb enough to think this CB group is adequate, or are they just lying as they did about the OL last year? Or were they that dumb last year?
Hey Lloyd, the Dolphins always have more confidence in the players than fans seem to have, but no they’re not lying. Do you honestly think if they felt they were inadequate at cornerback they wouldn’t do anything about it? Come on.
From Robert Graupera:
Hello Alain, not much has been said or written about James Daniels. How does he look to you?
Hey Robert, he’s looked to me like a very solid pro. There’s been nothing special and, in fact, he’s not been very noticeable, which overall is a good thing. Unless we’re dealing with a pancake block, the only times you notice an offensive lineman is with a penalty or if he whiffs on a block. We haven’t seen that with Daniels. He’s just been very steady, though I should add the most success the Dolphins have had on the ground all summer has come to the left side of the offensive formation (opposite Daniels).
From nnya:
Why doesn’t Tua fully button his chinstrap? He looks like a WWII soldier out there.
That’s a very good question, and I noticed that for the first time Saturday night because you brought it to my attention. You’re right, though, this should be addressed.
From John K:
If it isn’t too late for your mailbag, a last-minute Q: Is it possible team is giving Wilson enough rope to hang himself by not playing Ewers, who I think can game-manage at minimum, but it’s debatable if Wilson can even pull that off, with his inconsistency?
Hey John, I hear what you’re saying, but exactly why would the Dolphins do that? Because it took them one preseason to decide Ewers is a better option after Mike McDaniel stuck out his neck to sign Zach Wilson? Yeah, no. Let’s also not forget that Quinn Ewers hasn’t faced an NFL defense in a regular season game and that’s a whole different ballgame than the preseason.
From Thomas Hudson:
I have seen a number of reports the NWI did not have a good camp. This leads to two questions: First, does not good mean not good at all, or just as a receiver? I think when he was first signed, you said he was a good blocker. Has he been blocking well in camp, because we know that is important for McDaniel? Second, people keep talking about how Miami needs receivers with size. But does Tua like big receivers that don’t get open? Tua does not seem to like throwing jump balls. It seems like if they don’t get separation, Tua doesn’t throw it to them. That kinda negates the size advantage. Anyway, thank you for all your hard work at camp. Can’t wait for the real games to begin.
Hey Thomas, you’re right on all counts. NWI’s camp wasn’t productive from a receiving standpoint, but he’s been fine, if not downright good, with his blocking. And Tua absolutely doesn’t throw 50-50 balls or very seldom.
From Toby Shea:
Hi Alain, a big fan of yours. What is your opinion on the suitability of Mike McDaniel’s personality for an NFL coach? I really like that he is innovative and a likable person, but is his image and personality just too soft for a sport that requires so much toughness?
Hey Toby, first off thanks for the kind words. Your question is very legitimate and one that was raised when he was hired and that has surfaced many times since. I will say I hate the word “soft,” but I understand where this is coming from. And the bottom line is it doesn’t matter what kind of personality a coach has if he can produce the proper results. And this is where somebody might say, was anybody complaining about his personality when the Dolphins were 8-3 in 2022? Or when they were 11-4 in 2023? I’m going to guess not. But I do understand the question.
