<\/p>\n
Part 1 of a Miami Dolphins On SI preseason opener mailbag:<\/p>\n
From Jack Dixon:<\/strong><\/p>\n Kion Smith? Heard very little about his camp and Borom at tackle?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey Jack, I\u2019ll start with Borom, who really didn\u2019t look all that impressive early on but has come on of late. As I wrote in my 10 players to watch in the season opener story, I\u2019m not at the point where I\u2019m totally comfortable with him as a backup swing tackle, but I\u2019m closer now than I was before. As for Smith, I\u2019d be inclined to think he\u2019ll make the 53-man roster and has looked serviceable.<\/p>\n From Prince Check Casher:<\/strong><\/p>\n Does McDaniel last the season?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey PCC, I would be shocked if that didn\u2019t happen. I don\u2019t see the Dolphins making a coaching change unless the season gets off to a horrendous start and the schedule is favorable in the early going with games at Indy and at home against New England (the Patriots will be much improved, but it\u2019s a September home game and the Pats could need time to jell).<\/p>\n From Jason Kirkland:<\/strong><\/p>\n Hi Alain, without factoring in draft position, or contracts, just based off the performance you’ve seen, who should: start inside with Brooks, be 3rd and 4th WR, starting CBs including slot, and S next to Minkah?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey Jason, so strictly based on camp performance so far, Willie Gay Jr. at ILB next to Brooks, though Dodson has outplayed Gay recently; the 3rd and 4th wide receivers would be Malik Washington and Dee Eskridge; the starting CBs would be Storm Duck and Kendall Sheffield with Mike Hilton as the nickel (though Cornell Armstrong has looked good too), and the safety next to Minkah would be John Saunders Jr. (though that\u2019s not happening in the real world).<\/p>\n From Jorge boyd:<\/strong><\/p>\n Hi Alain, I read somewhere that the Dolphins are planning to play three outside linebackers at the same time; if that is the case, who would be the front 7 and who would be on de DL?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey Jorge, yes, there absolutely will be (or should be) packages where the Dolphins will have three OLBs on the field at the same, if we\u2019re classifying Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson all as OLBs. This likely would come in obvious passing situations, so there would be at least five DBs on the field, so now we\u2019re talking about a front six. And that front six likely would have the three aforementioned players, along with Zach Sieler, Jordyn Brooks and either Willie Gay Jr. or Tyrel Dodson.<\/p>\n From Sal Cano:<\/strong><\/p>\n Why not poach a practice player from a team with a reputation of a good line: Philly, Baltimore, Buffalo\u2026 Omar is always saying they have depth, well, that should include practice players, too, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey Sal, that\u2019s kind of what the Dolphins tried to do last year when they signed Jack Driscoll as a free agent, but then they decided they liked rookie free agent Andrew Meyer better and released Driscoll. So it\u2019s not quite that simple. That said, yes, the Dolphins absolutely will scour the waiver wire for O-linemen and will be paying attention to those teams that have better depth than most, adding the he Detroit Lions to the list you provided.<\/p>\n From rjgrosso:<\/strong><\/p>\n Here goes … If the glowing camp reports about Willie Gay Jr. pan out, do we have a logjam at ILB? We haven’t heard much about Dodson, who seemingly played very well for us last year.<\/strong><\/p>\n Hey Richard, yes, the Dolphins do have a lot of depth at ILB and not necessarily a logjam. You mentioned those two players and they\u2019ll join Jordyn Brooks and K.J. Britt for what should be a solid foursome. And I would expect the snaps to be spread out beyond Brooks, who should be an every-down player.<\/p>\n