Dolphins alternatives to Evan Mathis
By Dan Heaning
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Joseph is over 30 and played in a lot of games, but he remains an intriguing option.
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Joseph spent most of his career thus far in Tampa Bay. He played eight seasons with the Buccaneers starting in 99 of 100 games at right guard.
He signed with the St. Louis Rams before last season and started 13 of his 16 appearances.
Joseph was selected to Pro Bowls in 2008 and 2011. Then he suffered a knee injury in the preseason of 2012 and missed the entire season. Since then he started in 29 of his 32 games.
He carried a $1.75 million cap hit, so he seems to be the best balance of price and results on this list. At 31, he can serve as a stopgap while providing competent guard work.
At 6’2 and 305 lbs, Joseph is the smallest guard on the list, but may be the best deal.
Conclusion
The NFL is still early into training camps therefore it’s still very possible an experienced guard may become available after a round or two of cuts.
It’s a bit of a gamble to rummage through the maybe pile, but that’s worked out before for other positions (see Chad Pennington).
There are other guards available right now other then the ones listed, but many of them are as experienced as the likes of Dallas Thomas or aren’t a big improvement over the current crop of Dolphins guards.
If Miami signs Mathis, they’ll add an aging offensive guard who can help solidify the entire line. However, it will come with a hefty price.
The question the front office must answer is do they shell out the money? Or do they go after a cheaper alternative to fix the guard issue. Or do they continue to play the waiting game until something ideal comes along?
The answers to those questions will have huge ramifications for this upcoming season, one way or the other. But the Dolphins don’t need to be married to the idea of signing Mathis. If he signs elsewhere there are plenty of other offensive guards to consider if the upper brass believes they need outside help.