4 biggest Dolphins questions leading up to training camp

We just entered the month of July and you know what that means - training camp is around the corner for the Miami Dolphins. Until things get started, not much of note will really happen throughout the NFL. Although this is a 'boring' time of year, that doesn't mean Miami won't have any fireworks on the way.

Rookies will be reporting to camp on July 16 and everyone else will be showing up on July 23. The schedule has July 28 as the first day of sessions, while things will be wrapped up on Aug. 15 with a joint practice with the Commanders.

So, as you gear up for those vacations or if you're already three sheets to the wind sampling beverages with umbrellas in them, let's discuss some questions concerning the Miami Dolphins as training camp inches closer:

4. Will Tua Tagovailoa get extended or not?

Let's get the obvious out of the way. The No. 1 question for the Miami Dolphins and potentially the NFL at the moment is will the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa agree to a long-term deal before training camp starts?

Currently, it seems we're at a bit of a stalemate where, reportedly, the Dolphins have offered Tua a contract that is not at the ever-elusive "market value" sweet spot. That sweet spot appears to be at what Trevor Lawerence got extended to not long ago.

Is that 100 percent accurate? Who knows. Jeff Darlington said it one day and nobody has really refuted it. All that has been said is that the Dolphins are committed to signing Tagovailoa to a long-term deal and are still trying to reach an agreement.

It'd be nice if something got figured out sooner rather than later. I've contended from the beginning that Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will figure this out and get a deal done. However, could a holdout be on the way if Chris Grier doesn't put the right amount of money on the table?

Tagovailoa is a nice guy and has done everything asked of him in terms of getting his body to a place of playing every game and he has even lost weight this offseason to improve the offense. However, I don't see him accepting a reality where he gets franchised tagged or plays out the fifth-year option. It just wouldn't make sense for him. This adds pressure on Grier to get something done ASAP.

3. Will the Dolphins do anything with their remaining cap space?

On Xavien Howard being released day, the Dolphins picked up $18 million. As of this moment, the team has about $16 million remaining. So, will they do anything with it before training camp starts? If they extend Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, or anyone else, they will create even more cap space.

There are areas on the team that can be improved with a stroke of a pen. Positions such as guard and safety come to mind. Yes, I know Marcus Maye was signed, but I wouldn't be surprised if Grier was still big-game-hunting out there. Would someone like Justin Simmons make sense for Anthony Weaver's defense?

The most likely scenario is that the team decides to sit on their money and not do anything until camp begins and they get actual looks at what they have. They can still make moves in August if someone goes down or if their hope-and-pray players aren't working out. This will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.

2. How much faith do the coaches have in Chop Robinson?

Obviously, this is something that will play out when training camp starts. However, they had Chop Robinson in for rookie camp in May and have been around him since they drafted him in the first round back in April. This means they have to have some sort of feel for him and where he will begin on the depth chart.

Will Robinson be out there with the starting defense or will he be with the 2s? It's tough to think about this in absolutes due to Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips continuing their rehab. There is nothing that indicates that either of them will be ready for training camp. Honestly, there's nothing saying they will be ready for the beginning of the season and that's just fine. Let those guys get as healthy as they can.

The Dolphins seem to think we may not see Chubb or Philips for a bit with the signing of Calais Campbell. Currently, the Dolphins' depth chart that's on ESPN has Robinson penciled in as the starting weakside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

I'm all for Robinson getting the first crack at first-team reps at that position. It will be an adjustment for him due to not playing in that much space at Penn State. However, you have to imagine Weaver and Co. expected this. Robinson might be a guy they move all over the defensive line. That's something else fans should be excited about. Let him attack.

1. What is Mike McDaniel scheming up in the lab?

We'd like to think Mike McDaniel is up in the mountains in Tibet with all the monks in a massive room with torches on the wall by himself just thinking up ways to get his playmakers the ball and not just focus on fades at the goal line.

We won't find out if McDaniel has learned from his mistakes such as forcing the ball to Hill over and over again and refusing to run the ball in short yardage until the games begin. But, he can work on developing schemes on using his talented offense in the best ways possible.

Make no mistake, this unit is better than last year's offense. It's better because Odell Beckham Jr. is a legit No. 3 receiver, pending he's healthy, Jonnu Smith is a viable pass-catching tight end, and the backfield are all back. Raheem Mostert may be 32, but he has the wear and tear of a 28-year-old running back. De'Von Achane is bulked up - that makes him better. Even the rookie Jaylen Wright appears like a player that has no good reason not to be an effective player if he gets in there.

McDaniel needs to come up with several ways to incorporate everybody, thus taking the pressure off of Hill and Waddle, which naturally leads those guys to be healthier late in the season. It's on McDaniel to make that happen.