The Miami Dolphins went into the offseason with a huge need at the offensive line. The most glaring holes on the offensive line were each of the tackle spots. At left tackle, first-round pick Austin Jackson got moved to guard after struggling in his second season, and second-round pick Liam Eichenberg also struggled to regain the same success he had in college. At right tackle was Jessie Davis, a seasoned veteran who struggled mightily due to a knee injury throughout the season. Davis was arguably the worst lineman out of all five starters. His season was highlighted by getting beat off the edge versus Buffalo and getting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hurt and put on injured reserve.

The top priority in the Miami Dolphins offseason was to improve the offensive line through free agency. Free agency was the key because the Dolphins have not had recent success using early draft picks on offensive linemen. The front office and fans realized that the best possible plan of action was to get experienced veteran players to protect franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

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Pros

The Dolphins landed the top free agent of the 2022 offseason with veteran left tackle Terron Armstead. Armstead is arguably The best-left tackle in the entire league. Most of that is due to his consistent elite play. He has finished with a top-10 passing grade in each of the last seven seasons. His run blocking is equally as efficient as there are numerous hours of film of him clearing the way for Alvin Kamara. There aren’t offensive linemen in this day and age that can keep up that consistent level of play for that long anymore.

Cons

The one question about Armstead is his durability. He is known for having chronic knee issues. His injuries have caused him to miss over 38 games since 2014. Playing in only 71% of his career games is troubling because fans often believe that DeVante Parker is a very injury-plagued player, and even he has played a higher percentage of games than Armstead. There is a chance the Armstead also does not have that many prime years left due to injury history and age.

Bottom Line

Above all, this was a chance that Miami had to take due to the struggles through the offensive line during last season and the need to see the true potential of Tua when a good offensive line surrounds him. Armstead’s production is worth the risk, especially with the team-friendly contract that he got. The deal is five years worth 75 million, and it can reach up to 87.5 million with incentives. The contract includes 43.37 million guaranteed. This is great value for Miami as Armstead will not even be a top 10 paid offensive lineman even though he has given top five offensive lineman production when he was healthy throughout the last seven years. Miami has bid big on free agents in the past, such as Mike Wallace And Ndamukong Suh, but those were underwhelming. Miami is hoping for a different outcome with this signing. Above all, in my opinion, regardless of Armstead’s production in Miami, I know for a fact he will Help the young players such as Eichenberg and Jackson and give them guidance on how to become a great offensive lineman in this league.

Twitter @JaykwonJeff