Dolphins alternatives to Evan Mathis
By Dan Heaning
Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Forget Pro Bowls, Boothe was a starting left guard for the New York Giants during their second championship in five seasons.
He signed a two-year deal with the Oakland Raiders before the 2014 season for $3.4 million and has since been cut.
At 32, Boothe is slightly younger than Mathis and has played on some big stages. He shares a 6’5 frame and weighs in at about 300 lbs, five less than Mathis.
He won’t cost the proverbial arm and a leg that Mathis will and may serve as a capable stop-gap.
If he, like Mathis, wanted to be made whole again that would cost Miami only $1.7 million for one season. That’s a reasonable sum.
Boothe didn’t start in a single game last season and only appeared in nine. After playing in 114 games, if he has any juice left, he’ll be hungry not to go out like he did in Oakland.
He’s a cheaper alternative, but he couldn’t hack it on the Raiders. The Raiders. Is that an indicator of his play from now on or could he muster together a better season with a guys like Mike Pouncey and Branden Albert on his side?
Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Sims has only missed two games since 2009 and has started in every one of his appearances since his rookie campaign in 2006. He was a durable left guard for the Detroit Lions.
However, he won’t come as cheap as a Boothe or Carimi. He’ll be cheaper than Mathis though. Last season, Sims carried a $3.75 million cap hit. He’ll likely want a similar deal wherever he goes.
Problem is, he’s on the wrong side of 30. Linemen older than 30 tend to break down and his 125 games and 114 starts may be a heavy weight to bear.
Sims has about 16 pounds on Mathis, but is about two inches shorter than the 6’5 Pro Bowl lineman.
On the list of free agent guards, Sims may be the second most intriguing. With that said, he may have to wait until the Mathis domino falls before he can find a new team.
He’s slightly younger than Boothe and Mathis and can cover the left side with Albert. He’s the most expensive alternative on this list.