The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line was among the NFL’s worst in 2022. Despite drafting seven linemen between 2019 and 2021, the Dolphins were last in pass-block win rate (47%) and 31st in yards per carry (3.5). But with a league-high $61.3 million in salary cap space, a much-improved coaching staff, and intriguing options in free agency and the NFL Draft, a quick turnaround is very possible for the Dolphins.
Here is Pro Football Network’s four-step plan to dramatically improve Miami’s offensive line and still leave at least $45 million in cap space to address the team’s other needs.
Miami Dolphins Offensive Line Overhaul Step 1: Cut Jesse Davis
Jesse Davis is one of the good guys in the Dolphins’ locker room and their most veteran and versatile player. But unless the Dolphins believe he’s one of their two best guard options, they should move on after five seasons. Davis simply cannot play tackle at an acceptable level — he allowed 8 sacks and committed three penalties in 2021 — and he’s a progress-stopper on the interior.
Cutting Davis would free up $3.6 million in cap space. It would signal that the Mike McDaniel/Frank Smith/Matt Applebaum triumvirate is serious about turning the page on an unsuccessful era of Dolphins football. The Dolphins would also free up another $1.5 million in cap space by cutting Greg Little, who logged just 134 offensive snaps after joining Miami via trade in 2021.
Dolphins O-line Overhaul Step 2: Make Robert Hunt a tackle
With Davis gone, the Dolphins need a starting right tackle, but they already have one on their roster. Robert Hunt, a second-round pick in 2020, has shown flashes of being a dominant right guard, and that’s why the Dolphins were insistent on playing him there in 2021. That was probably a mistake and one that McDaniel doesn’t have to repeat.
Plug Hunt in at right tackle on the first day of the offseason program. Have him take every rep at that position throughout the spring and summer, and let him protect Tua Tagovailoa’s blindside for 17 games this fall. Hunt, for one, is open to the idea.
“Wherever the coaches need me,” Hunt said late in the season. “Wherever I’m at, wherever they need me, I’ll be available to go. Got some stuff to work on still, but I think I can be great at guard and tackle, in my opinion.”
Step 3: Sign Trent Brown, Laken Tomlinson
Now for the fun stuff. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier is not going to sit on the considerable resources he has, and there should be a number of intriguing options that hit the free agent market. While the Dolphins could be tempted to swing big for Saints left tackle Terron Armstead, his age (30) and injury history (has never played a full 16/17 game season in his nine-year career) should give them pause.
A younger, cheaper, and more versatile option? Trent Brown, who has extensive experience at both left and right tackle during a seven-year career spent with the 49ers, Patriots, and Raiders. Brown allowed 1 sack in 490 snaps for the Patriots in 2021, and while he has some injury history as well, the lower price point (Spotrac calculates his market value at four years, $42 million) should help mitigate some of that risk.
Brown projects as the Dolphins’ starting left tackle, but if Hunt struggles at right tackle or 2021 second-round pick Liam Eichenberg makes strides in Year 2, the Dolphins have the option of moving Brown to Tua’s blindside.
Now that tackle has been addressed, let’s focus on guard. The Dolphins have some in-house options (Eichenberg, Solomon Kindley, and Michael Deiter to name a few), but they need a veteran anchor on the interior. McDaniel won’t need to look very far to find one. He has had a front-row seat as left guard Laken Tomlinson blossomed in San Francisco and should be aggressive in pursuing the Pro Bowler in free agency. Spotrac didn’t calculate a market value for Tomlinson, but it’s fair to guess he’ll fetch a multi-year contract paying him in the neighborhood of $10-12 million.
Dolphins Offensive Line Overhaul Step 4: Draft Zion Johnson
There’s no prospect in the NFL Draft that Applebaum, the Dolphins’ new offensive line coach, knows better than Zion Johnson. Applebaum coached Johnson at both Davidson and Boston College and helped him develop into a potential first-round pick. The Dolphins pick 29th, and that could be the sweet spot for Johnson, who is largely viewed as a top-40 prospect.
Johnson, at an athletic and sturdy 6’3″, 314 pounds, brings position versatility. He projects as both a guard and a center in the NFL and would compete with Deiter at center as a rookie.
“There’s a certain level of athleticism needed to play in the run scheme we’re talking about running, like a twitchiness, suddenness, ability to bend, change directions,” Applebaum said last month.
“You obviously need a certain level of size, too. There’s a premium on a certain level of athlete. There’s a mental processing that I think is important regardless of scheme. And a physical toughness. This is a scheme where you have to try to get after your opponent consistently throughout the play. It’s not the kind of thing where you can wall a guy off and the play is over for you. That ball can go a lot of places and it happens later on in the play so you’ve really got to strain.”
What the Dolphins are saying about their offensive line
“We’ve invested in it. Draft picks. Those guys need to play better. They understand that. But I will say that Mike, Frank Smith coming over, [he] was an O-line coach with the Chargers and coach Applebaum have all talked, they’re very excited about the development of these young players. They said they all liked these young players coming out in the draft with their previous teams.
“They’re very excited about the potential, the developmental upside of them. Listening to Mike, too, talk about them, there’s talent there and we’ve just gotta find a way to unlock it and get these guys to play better. The good thing is all those guys, they’re good guys, they’re competitive, they’re tough, they want to be good. I think they’re looking forward to playing in this offense.” — Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier
