The Phinsider Mailbag: Do the Dolphins need to sign Calais Campbell?

It is time to open The Phinsider Mailbag to see what our readers are thinking. The Miami Dolphins are in the second period of organized team activities, closing them out at the end of the week. After the team’s minicamp next week, the offseason training program will end, and everyone will head off for some vacation time. Training camp will open in late July, with preseason games starting in August and the regular season beginning in September.

The Dolphins open the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars in just over 14 weeks. As we build toward the start of the year, we asked our readers to provide us with any questions they might have about the Dolphins in 2024. We collected them, and now it is time for me to share my thoughts and responses.

Feel free to discuss the questions or my answers in the comments at the bottom of the page.

First, I would caution anyone from making major assessments based on one organized team activity practice. It is May. The season begins in September. The heat and humidity are ramping up in Florida, and some of these guys will take a minute to get used to it. Come August and getting into training camp, then maybe we need to worry, but right now, this is much more about getting the foundation of the playbook installed than it is about players flashing or if they are in shape.

That said, Tart will not have much leeway when camp starts. The Tennessee Titans released Tart last year after the Dolphins game, with attitude and effort issues a significant factor in that decision. The coaches in Miami have to hope he is coming in with that cleaned up - but an early report that he is struggling with his conditioning is not the early signal they had to wish to receive.

Calais Campbell is a name every fan base wants their team to sign. At 37 years old, Campbell will not be a long-term signing for any team, but he could be a missing piece to reinforce a defense, which would be precisely why Miami would consider him. Campbell would be entering his 17th year in the league if he signs with someone, but he still tallied 56 tards, one pass defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 6.5 sacks last year, starting all 17 games for the Atlanta Falcons. Campbell, who played college football at the University of Miami, could be looking to return to South Florida to end his career on a team where he would immediately be a starter and has a chance to play on a team looking to win now.

I think Campbell would be a good fit for the Dolphins, especially when the Xavien Howard money comes off the books on June 2, but I am not sure the team feels they have to make a big move at the position either. They seem more inclined to rotate players this year than last year with Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, but having a player like Campbell added to the roster would not be a negative.

Plus, Campbell still owes the Dolphins for derailing Ryan Tannehill.

Mike McDaniel has said the next evolution of his offense includes the tight end. I do not think the team will make wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle less of a factor in the game plan, but there has to be a third option - whether that is wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., running backs Raheem Mostert or De’Von Achane, or tight end Jonnu Smith. Someone has to step up into that role. If McDaniel does want to evolve the offense as he has said, it will likely be Smith getting involved. Still, I see the Dolphins adding more targets for the running backs, especially as Achane settles into his second year in the league.

All that said, I still think McDaniel, at some point, returns to his experience as a run-game coordinator and, with Mostert and Achane leading the way, gets the ground attack moving. Suppose defensive coordinators have to game plan around slowing Hill and Waddle while covering the underneath passing game to Beckham, Mostert, Achane, or Smith, and then have the additional consideration of Mostert and Achane exploding out of the backfield on any down and distance. In that case, the Dolphins offense will repeat as the number one offense in the league in terms of yards per game and should be able to move up from second in the league in points per game.

Great question, but one we probably cannot answer right now. The Dolphins will face several quarterbacks who can gauge opposing defenses with their legs, but that will be true every year for the Dolphins until they do not have to face Josh Allen twice every season. If Miami is going to win the AFC East, they have to keep Allen from running all over them.

The problem is, we do not really know what kind of defense the new defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver, will run this year. How much of the system allows for a spy? When will linebacker Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb be available after major injuries last year? Could the team look to do something with rookie linebacker Chop Robinson as a spy if Phillips and Chubb are the primary pass rushers? What kind of role will Shaquil Barrett have on the defense? Or Anthony Walker? Jordyn Brooks? Several players could have the role, but I think I need to see more of the team before I can provide a true answer to the question.

This question is one of those funny one where the team is damned if they do, and damned if they do not. If the Dolphins speed up their offense, running an uptempo system, then lose because of time of possession issues, fans will be upset. If the Dolphins are deliberate with their offense, holding on to the ball and eating up clock, but they lose because they were not “aggressive” enough, fans will be upset. Winning is the answer - not necessarily how fast the offense operates.

That said, the speed of the offense can be a weapon for Miami, especially when they have the defense chasing Hill, Waddle, Mostert, Achane, etc. all over the field. Suppose you can keep the same defensive players on the field, with limited substitution opportunities or chances to catch their breath between snaps. In that case, you have an advantage - especially when the heat of Florida is factored into the formula.

I think what will pick up the tempo for the Dolphins in 2024 is simply familiarity, more than a conscious effort to speed up the offense. The longer the players are in the offensive system, the easier the pre-snap play calling and reads will be. The Dolphins should be ready to take a big step forward in the third year of Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme.

Asking and answering your own questions, huh? I will still give you my thoughts.

Question 1: I know everyone turns to the training staff and the strength and conditioning coaches/program for the Dolphins as to why they have injuries during the season, but I think that is just trying to find someone to blame. Some injuries just happen - ACL tears, hit in the knees by a teammate, etc. - that there is not a lot anyone can do to prevent. World-class sprinters pull hamstrings in races - is that a conditioning issue or did it just happen?

Aaron Schatz at FTN Fantasy compiled the adjusted games lost numbers for 2023 - using players who missed playing time or were not playing at 100 percent health to estimate the impact of injuries and compare teams and years. Miami ranked 21st this past year, with a 76.0 AGL rating. The league average was 68.9. The Houston Texans were 32nd at 159.1 AGL, while the Los Angeles Rams were first with 26.4 AGL. Could a look at the training program help Miami move up in the rankings? Maybe. But, it is also hard to say the Dolphins will be “dead” if they do not make massive changes to the staff.

Question 2: Was the passing game not dynamic in 2023? The Dolphins had the number-one passing game in the league, averaging 6.6 yards per game more than the second-place Detroit Lions. They had two 1,000 yard receivers, both averaging over 14 yards per reception - and they just added a receiver who averaged more than 16 yards per reception. That seems like there were and are set up to be a pretty dynamic passing attack.

Looking at your answer to the question, your point is more that the Dolphins need to hold on to the ball longer after the snap to create more of a dynamic passing attack. If the offensive line can block for more time, sure, they could allow for more slow-developing passing plays, but I do not know that it matters. Would you rather have half a second more to let Tyreek Hill get a couple more yards down field, or would you rather than the ball already in Hill’s hand and let him focus simply on making people miss? I do not know that the answer to not having a “twichy collapse from Tua” is that the plays need to have the ball in Tua’s hand longer. What will make the passing game more “dynamic” is really my answer to Gllmiaspr above.

Question 3: Answering Bull Pupp earlier probably answered most of this question.

Thanks everyone for the questions. We will request more submissions soon.