Miami Dolphins must replace these five players in 2018

Mike Pouncey

Pouncey was a dominant pro-bowl center and a serviceable guard for one season but there is something wrong here. He isn’t calling the line assignments like he used to and there has to be a lingering issue with his hip. It’s an excuse, yes, but the only other answer is that Pouncey simply doesn’t have it anymore.

Some in the local media will point to Pouncey being the best rated player on the offensive line and that may be true but it also doesn’t say a whole lot for Pouncey. In addition, the other players on that line are not being paid $9 million a season. He is due $9 million in 2018 and releasing him would save $7 million in cap space.

Pouncey isn’t getting the same push that he used to off the ball. Maybe this is a residual issue from the hip problems, maybe it’s something else. Miami has tried to run the ball through the center guard gap but Jay Ajayi is consistently hit behind the line of scrimmage. Is it Pouncey or the lack of quality guards? Combination of them both is the likely answer but at $9 million, Miami needs to move on. The question is can they find someone? If there is one thing we know for certain, the Dolphins have had horrible luck at the offensive line for almost a decade.