It’s another edition of Miami Dolphins Q&A, where South Florida Sun Sentinel writers David Furones and Chris Perkins answer questions from readers.
Q: Ross, worst owner in sports. — @happyevelyn on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
Respectfully, that’s not true, but I feel your pain. Dolphins owner Steve Ross must find the right general manager to run the team. That’s a good first step toward reversing your opinion, an opinion which is shared by a growing number of fans. Just as Miami Heat owner Micky Arison hired president Pat Riley and Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola hired general manager Bill Zito, Ross must find the guy to run his team. When the Dolphins start winning, Ross will become a better owner in the eyes of fans. Simply put, Ross does the two things you want from an owner — he opens his checkbook and he allows football people to make football decisions.
Q: The defense lost us the game but if Tua is the killer, don’t turn the ball over and give the team enough of a lead. YOU ARE THE HIGHEST PAID PLAYER! — @BeserkerFin on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (11 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 50.5 passer rating) led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to give the Dolphins a 27-26 lead with 46 seconds to go in Sunday’s 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. That should be enough of a lead. But you have a point when you consider Tagovailoa, who was 21 of 32 for 205 yards and one touchdown, also threw three interceptions.
The first interception, which glanced off wide receiver Jaylen Waddle’s hands, wasn’t Tagovailoa’s fault, and the last interception, which came with five seconds left and the Dolphins at their own 35-yard line, was hardly a factor in the game’s outcome. The second interception was hurtful, however. It came in the disastrous third quarter, during which the Chargers outscored the Dolphins, 14-0, turning a 13-9 halftime deficit into a 23-13 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Three-interception games seem to irritate fans a lot more after quarterbacks get their big-money contracts. Hey, it’s a rough sport in many ways.
Q: Chris Grier put the team in a horrible situation and players have to suffer through this. They are fighting and getting desperate. We were set up to fail from the get go and it leads to this tension. — @MrDorianSims on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
Yes, general manager Chris Grier is responsible for the talent on this talent-thin roster. However, despite what Tagovailoa said about players being late to player-led meetings, it’s tough to say with certainty that this team is fighting or feuding or internally unhappy. No one has seen evidence of that at this point. But you can be certain players are frustrated and unhappy because of the losing. They’ve said as much.
You could argue these players were set up to fail because there’s a philosophical change in the organization, authored by Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, to win with youth and draftees instead of winning with veterans and free agents.They recognized change was needed because, as Grier pointed out, winning with veterans and free agents is a finite existence due to finances and players aging. I don’t know if I’d go as far as saying this team was set up to fail. I’d say for many reasons (lack of quality depth, secondary essentially being put together at the last minute, etc…) they haven’t been given the best chance to win.
Q: Was it McDaniel or Grier that had a change of philosophy with playing all these rookies early? — @jeffpszenny4403 on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
Both. They decided they must win with youth and draftees. The plan was giving the youngsters playing time early. The risk, of course, is you’re fielding a lot of unproven talent against a lot of proven talent. And that’s how you start a season with a 1-5 record.
Q: Missing tackles means players don’t care. They only have been tackling their entire life. — @BillyBatsonMarvel on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
I disagree. It could mean the players aren’t very good. Or it could mean they haven’t done enough tackling in preseason or training camp. Or it could point to an issue with coaching. I think the players care greatly. I’ll lean on the first reason that I listed — they’re just not very good.
Q: What is your honest opinion on Chris Grier as GM? Oh, and when did he officially take over as GM? — @lennypena5587 on Dolphins Deep Dive w/Perk
Grier took over the draft in 2016, and took over the entire operation in 2019. I think he’s come up way short in the McDaniel era (since 2022). Grier and McDaniel did a good job acquiring talent, but they didn’t use it correctly and they didn’t tweak or change their strategy or philosophy (improving the running game, for example). That’s been a huge mistake. It allowed other teams to catch up with them and, in many cases, surpass them.
The Dolphins stayed with the speed/deep passing offense. They never got a power run game/power running back. They never adequately improved their starting offensive line or offensive line depth. They never developed a backup quarterback. They never put an emphasis on toughness or aggression. They stayed with a finesse game.
The Dolphins should have been as successful as Buffalo or Baltimore in the last few years, and they haven’t been nearly as successful as either the Bills or Ravens.