Miami Dolphins have eight impending FA’s on Oline
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins may be rebuilding this year but eight members of their offensive line are set to become free agents and more could be cut.
When the league new year arrives in mid-March the Miami Dolphins will have already made decisions on several of their offensive lineman including seven who will are impending free agents. With Josh Sitton and Daniel Kilgore potential releases, the number could climb to ten before it is all said and done.
When 2018 ended the Miami Dolphins had 13 offensive lineman listed on their roster. Six are listed as centers. They include, Wesley Johnson, Travis Swanson, Connor Hilland, Daniel Kilgore, Jake Brendel, and Ted Larsen who is listed as both a guard and a center. At guard, Josh Sitton and Isaac Asiata are listed while Laremy Tunsil, Ja’Wuan James, Zach Sterup, Jesse Davis, and Sam Young round out the tackles.
The teams impending free agents on the offensive line include Ja’Waun James, Sam Young, Travis Swanson, Wesley Johnson, Jake Brendel, Isaac Asiata, Jesse Davis, and Zach Sterup. Of those nine players Sterup, Asiata, and Davis are exclusive rights free agents and Brendel is a restricted free agent. None of them are guaranteed contracts under the terms of their status.
It is likely that Sterup and Davis will return but there are questions about Brendel and especially Asiata who has made no impact since being drafted two years ago. In the case of Kilgore and Sitton, salary cap could come into play as both could be released with minimal dead cap money and more savings. Releasing Sitton would save $5 million in cap dollars while only $2 million would remain in dead money. Kilgore’s numbers are better with $2.4 million in savings and no dead money.
Kilgore is a cheap option at center but he needs to stay healthy and play more consistently. Sitton has been injured in some form the last three of his seasons. He was a big addition to the Dolphins offense last off-season but was injured in week two and placed on IR. Kilgore joined him a couple of weeks later.
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While unlikely, it is conceivable to see the bulk of the offensive line turn over this off-season depending on what new Oline coach Pat Flaherty sees in his evaluations of those players. Miami will likely sign a couple of the impending free agents who have been developing on the roster but it shows that Miami’s offensive line is in need of change.
Of the 13 players on the roster currently, only Tunsil and Ja’Wuan James are considered bona-fide starters at their positions. Jesse Davis was not able to ascend to another level in 2018 and Sterup is still developing. Brendel has been a depth player as has Larsen and Young.
The Dolphins are expected to address the line during the NFL Draft in April.