The Dolphins should be talking with Orlando Franklin
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins have a guard problem even if they want you to believe they don’t. The San Diego Chargers released a veteran guard and Miami seems to have no interest.
How does this make sense?
For starters the Dolphins refuse to overpay for an offensive guard and it’s because of that reason they still have a problem at the position. Last year Jermon Bushrod was slightly better than serviceable. Laremy Tunsil on the other hand played out of position.
Tunsil is on the outside left, Bushrod is back at right guard, and Ted Larsen is in line to start at left guard. Larsen however played poorly his last two seasons. But he is cheap. It is almost like the Dolphins don’t need guards. Through this past April’s draft Miami drafted one offensive lineman. Isaac Asiata, a guard. The team has hopes that he will develop into a starting caliber offensive lineman.
The key is hope. The problem is that they still have issues at the position. Aside from the players just mentioned, Anthony Steen and Kraig Urbik are the remaining guards on the roster.
Omar Kelly reported that Franklin’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus reached out to Miami.
"I called the Dolphins and really pushed it because I think that's one area they could use improvement,"@RosenhausSports on Orlando Franklin
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) May 19, 2017
The reply?
"Nothing is imminent at this time.... I don't think it's likely" @RosenhausSports on Orlando Franklin to Miami. Other teams more interested
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) May 19, 2017
To be fair we don’t know what Franklin is looking for contract wise. It could be in the $7 million range for all we know. Maybe not. What we do know is that it appears the Dolphins are passing on a player that could “help” bridge the gap between the need at guard now and the development of Asiata.
Franklin has started in every single game he has played since being drafted in the 2nd round by the Browns seven seasons ago. He played his last two with the Chargers. In all of those seasons, Franklin has missed 9 games total. Seven games two seasons ago and two games two seasons before that.
In other words, for the most part, he is reliable and consistent. So why are the Dolphins not looking in his direction?
The two reasons are either financial or the internal belief that the Dolphins guards are fine as they are. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to at least look in Franklin’s direction, predicated on his salary demands of course. It is entirely possible that when Rosenhaus reached out to Miami and they asked what the price tag was, the conversation ended right then and there.