The 2023 NFL off-season is well underway, and to say the Miami Dolphins have been one of the most active and aggressive teams during the free agency period would be an understatement. Despite stellar free agency additions such as Linebacker David Long, Safety DeShon Elliott, Linebacker Malik Reed, and most notably, the trade to acquire star Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, there is a loud segment of Miami Dolphin fans that are simply unsatisfied. While adding talent to the defensive side of the ball was necessary and welcomed by the fan base, the additions on the offensive side of the ball leave a lot to be desired, specifically as it pertains to the offensive line.

As I write this, the Miami Dolphins have only added one new offensive lineman, Dan Feeney, former offensive lineman of the New York Jets. All signs at the moment seem to indicate the intention to “run it back” with the same offensive line from a year ago. To be clear, most of the offensive line has “locked up” their spots; guys like Left Tackle Terron Armstead and Guard turned Center Connor Williams has shown to be elite when healthy, and Right Guard Robert Hunt has continued to improve year over year and has shown himself to be a solid piece of that line.

The big concerns from fans are the other two spots, Left Guard Liam Eichenberg and Right Tackle Austin Jackson. Both Jackson and Eichenberg are former high draft picks; Jackson was drafted in the first round in 2020 and is entering his 4th season with Miami, while Eichenberg was drafted in the second round in 2021 and is entering his 3rd season with the team. Both players have struggled to find a role for themselves on the offensive line, each of them having played multiple spots along that line in the years they’ve been with the team. Jackson has seen time at Left Tackle, Left Guard, and Right Tackle; while Eichenberg has been put in both at Left Guard and Right Tackle in the years, he’s been in the league. Between a variety of injuries that have kept them both out of the lineup at various times through the years and general unimpressive play when they are healthy, it’s no wonder that Miami fans aren’t excited about relying on those two again going into next season.

It is important to remember that the off-season is still very much in the early stages, with plenty of time for guys to be signed, drafted, cut, etc., and who knows just how many more additions are made between now and the start of the season. At the time of writing, Miami still has multiple linemen that haven’t been re-signed, and I expect at least one of either Brandon Shell, Eric Fisher, or Greg Little to return and compete for a spot. Brandon Shell started at Right Tackle while Austin Jackson was out with an injury, and he did a very respectable job. Eric Fisher has been a starter in this league for multiple years and has been a respectable Offensive Tackle over the course of his career. He was brought on in the middle of last season as offensive line injuries began to pile up for Miami; unfortunately, Fisher sustained an injury that landed him on IR almost immediately after signing with the Dolphins. Greg Little also remains unsigned, he was brought in via trade in 2021 from Carolina, and he’s shown some flashes in spots when called on due to injuries. I realize most of the names I’ve mentioned aren’t exactly “stars.” Still, I can envision at least one of those names being serviceable enough to start in the event that Austin Jackson and/or Liam Eichenberg don’t take another step in their development.

Multiple free-agent linemen can still be signed before the start of the season. Matt Feiler, who the LA Chargers recently cut, is available and has experience at both Left Guard and Right Tackle; plus Feiler has familiarity with Miami Dolphins Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith, who was the offensive line coach for the Chargers in 2021. Another option is free agent Guard Dalton Risner, Risner has familiarity with new Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio from their days in Denver together, and Risner possesses the skill set to play both Offensive Guard and Tackle. Neither Risner nor Feiler should break the bank in terms of cap hit, and there’s still plenty of cap space coming for Miami. The Byron Jones saving come post-June 1st, and if the team can sign Christian Wilkins to an extension this summer, it would open up even more cap space. With that extra cap space, the Dolphins could be in a prime position to sign or trade for a big name. Perhaps big-name free agents such as Ben Jones or Rodney Hudson could be signed on for a year to fill a need; Jones and Hudson are All-Pro Centers that can hold down Center responsibilities and would enable the Dolphins to move Connor Williams back to his natural Left Guard position. Dolphin fans would probably be ecstatic to see a line that consists of Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Ben Jones, Robert Hunt, and Brandon Shell; not saying it will happen, but it is a possibility.

I think, ultimately, the Dolphins’ offensive line won’t be very different from the 2022 lineup we saw a season ago. As things currently stand, the coaching staff and front office seem to be content with giving Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg another opportunity to live up to their draft hype and fit in with the rest of the line. That being said, I think it is highly likely that someone like Brandon Shell or Eric Fisher will be brought back and could very well take the starting Right Tackle job. I can also totally envision a scenario where newly added Guard Dan Feeney can win the Left Guard job. Brandon Shell played very respectably at Right Tackle a year ago, and Dan Feeney showed flashes last year for the Jets at Right Guard. If Mike McDaniel and the rest of the coaching staff can continue to help and develop, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that Feeney can beat out Eichenberg for a starting spot. While an offense line consisting of Terron Armstead, Dan Feeney, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, and Brandon Shell doesn’t sound very sexy, it can potentially be serviceable enough not to be a liability come the start of the season.