Dolphins mailbag: Miami’s contingency plans at left tackle, media perception of Tua and more
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many insightful and engaging mailbags on the Miami Dolphins throughout the 2021 season. Each Tuesday, I’ll post answers to a bevy of questions that you, Dolphins fans, have brought to me. The week is already off to a roaring start, with two players placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of the season opener against the New England Patriots.
In this week’s mailbag, I take a look at the Dolphins’ contingency plans at left tackle, matchups for Week 1 and more. And a reminder that if you have questions you’d like me to answer in future mailbags, you can ask me on Twitter or email me.
Here we go:
With Austin Jackson on the COVID list, who is most likely to start at LT if he can’t play? Could we see a return to LT for Eichenberg who played there in college? Or more likely someone like Greg Little? - @alexbrewtoful
What a way to kick off Week 1. First, let’s cover the bases with Jackson. We don’t know his vaccination status, but according to ProFootballTalk, he tested positive. So, if Jackson is vaccinated and tested positive, he can return after producing two negative tests within 24 hours. If he’s unvaccinated and tested positive, he can only return after a 10-day quarantine. And if he’s unvaccinated and is a close contact of someone who tested positive, he can return after a five-day quarantine.
Coach Brian Flores said the team has multiple options at left tackle. He also said his philosophy for shuffling the offensive line would be to get the five best players and go from there. With that being said, it appears the clear front-runners to start at left tackle if Jackson can’t go are Greg Little and Liam Eichenberg. For what it’s worth, the Dolphins’ Week 1 depth chart has Little as the backup left tackle and Eichenberg as the backup right tackle.
For as much as Jackson has struggled at times in training camp, neither backup choice is ideal. Little hasn’t been with the team for a month since the Dolphins got him in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. While he has done well to get up to speed, it would be a daunting task for him to start Week 1. The same could be said for Eichenberg, who started 38 games at left tackle at Notre Dame but practiced exclusively at left guard and right tackle this summer. He also just returned to practice Monday after missing multiple sessions with an injury. If the Dolphins really want to feel confident about left tackle, they could move right tackle Jesse Davis, who started multiple games at left tackle in 2020, to the left side. But you’re then messing around with Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side by inserting an inexperienced rookie who’s been in and out of practice.
Best-case scenario is Jackson can return midweek to get practice reps and this all becomes a moot point. That’s what the Dolphins are hoping for, at least.
The Patriots are known for taking away what teams do best. Who (or what) will the Patriots try to take away from the Dolphins in week 1? - @Real_sjl19
This is a really good question and like you, I’m also interested in the chess match between Bill Belichick and co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesville. New England not having cornerback Stephon Gilmore certainly handcuffs what it likes to do on defense, which is play man-to-man defense and blitz the quarterback, similar to the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have way more talented skill position players for Tagovailoa than in the teams’ last matchup and more potential to generate big plays. However, I still expect the short passing game and run-pass option to be the bread and butter of this offense, at least early on. If I had to guess, I would say the Patriots will try to keep everything in front of them, live with the Dolphins’ short passing game and force them into long 10-plus play drives. If New England can limit Miami’s yards after the catch and put them in some tough third-down situations, it plays right into the Patriots’ hands.
The X-factor for this game — and really, the season — could be how well the offensive line can run block and keep Miami in positive down and distances. The short passing game can be considered an extension of the run game but when you’re generating positive yards on the ground, it’ll open up more for Tagovailoa and receivers in play-action and RPOs.
Pats O-line seems to be pretty darn good, will we get enough pressure on Mac Jones to fluster him? - @BLives11
Who are we relying [on] to cover the Pats’ TE? and will [the Dolphins] be able to pressure Mac? - @elijts
New England definitely has the type of veteran and consistent offensive line that Dolphins fans hope their unit will eventually develop into. The Patriots’ offensive line versus Miami’s defensive front is certainly one of the matchups to watch. If we know anything, we know that Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer will blitz Mac Jones when possible and see if the rookie can make the right reads. Jones might be well prepared for it, seeing as Miami and New England run similar defenses. That’s why I think this chess match will also be worth watching. How often do the Dolphins show pressure then drop all but four into coverage and force Jones to complete passes through tight windows?
Free agent signings Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry figure to be big parts of the Patriots’ passing offense, and the Dolphins will have their hands full. Among the inside linebackers, Jerome Baker will likely see a lot of the duo. He’s Miami’s best coverage linebacker and half of his snaps in 2020 came in pass coverage. Safety Eric Rowe should also get a lot of snaps covering Smith and Henry and has been a reliable option covering tight ends in the past. I trust cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones to handle New England’s receivers so how well Miami’s linebackers and safeties can cover the Patriots tight ends will be really important for stopping their offense. I would take my chances blitzing early and often and trusting the secondary to hold up.
Why do you think the media has more confidence in Mac Jones than Tua, right now? Makes no sense to me. What am I missing? - @Dolfan2334
I’m not the biggest college football fan, so I didn’t watch a ton of Tagovailoa or Jones at Alabama. But like you, I have been a little confused by the apparent overconfidence in Jones and the lack of confidence in Tagovailoa.
I thought this over a bit and this is the best way I can put it: NFL draft picks, especially quarterbacks, are like new cars. Cars are extremely valuable when you’re going shopping at the dealership but as soon as you get the keys and drive them off the lot, their value plummets. This is just how the market goes but other times, you start to notice little flaws that you may not have picked up from the beginning.
The same goes for young quarterbacks. Tagovailoa, at one point, was that new car being driven off the lot. But we’ve gotten nine games worth of tape of Tagovailoa’s strengths, weaknesses and everything in between, and the people who get paid to write and talk about this game are entrenched in their takes. I think Jones, for lack of a better term, is still in that honeymoon phase with a lot of the media. He’s looked good in the preseason and performed well enough for the Patriots to cut Cam Newton. Is part of that confidence in Jones maybe also trust in Belichick? I have no doubt it is. But if Jones struggles in his first few games, I guarantee you the honeymoon phase will quickly end and the narrative will shift.
You covered the Ravens and now the Dolphins. How would you compare their training camps in terms of how they are organized, drills, etc.? - @FinPhan72
How are you enjoying covering the team so far? Any noticeable differences from Baltimore? - @KyleTheCommish
Perfect way to cap my first mailbag by tying my old stomping grounds with my new stomping grounds.
If there was one thing I was maybe nervous about in switching beats, it was learning the layout of a new team, from the players and coaches to the schedule. A little bit of background: I was born and raised in Maryland, Towson specifically, and grew up watching — and eventually covering — the Ravens.
Judging off the final two weeks of training camp I was able to watch, I don’t see much difference in how the Ravens operate. There might be a few changes in the positional drills and the order in which practice runs. However, I see a lot of similarities between the Ravens and Dolphins — and I think you would see this leaguewide — in terms of what is implemented. Across the board, coaching staffs want to give their teams opportunities to run through certain plays and situations that simulate game-day scenarios and there’s not much deviation there.
I have picked up on a few differences, such as when the head coaches address the media. Flores speaks before practices and Ravens coach John Harbaugh speaks after practices; I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both in terms of how it helps me as a journalist. With there being no locker room access, things are more streamlined and across NFL markets, life is pretty similar for all members of the media.
Each team also has its cast of personalities on the team — from the more reserved players to the outgoing and boisterous characters — and getting to know more about each of the players has probably been the most fun part of the new beat so far. I love to write in-depth features so it’s good to be on a beat with engaging players. They’re a nice group to be around and it should be a fun season, for me and all Dolphins fans alike.
