Miami Dolphins: Senior Bowl Presents Replacement for Ted Karras

The Miami Dolphins decided to completely revamp their offensive line in 2020. With two free-agent additions and three draft picks, there was a completely new unit out there compared to 2019. The unit took massive strides forward this year, but there is still work to be done.

The offensive line is far from finished. There were still games where this young group got pushed around in pass protection and struggled to generate any movement in the run game.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the offensive line is the center spot. Ted Karras signed a one-year deal back in March and he was an average center at best in 2020. He had some issues snapping, evident most in the week ten vs the Los Angeles Chargers. There were numerous bad snaps in that game, with one leading to a big fumble return, setting up a Chargers touchdown.

The Dolphins will certainly give consideration to bringing back Karras for another year, as he showed some great leadership and mentorship with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After Tagovailoa had a less than stellar debut statistically, Karras came over to help him put everything in perspective and give him words of encouragement. Karras is important to the locker room and there will be a dialogue about whether or not the team should bring him back.

A January riser for the Dolphins in Mobile

The Dolphins have a whole lot of draft picks. However, the center class is yielding middling results. Last year, Cesar Ruiz was a clear round one player and was selected as such. This year, Creed Humphrey and Josh Mayers are no longer round one prospects. Even if they were, there is a prospect out there who is turning heads at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl…which the Dolphins coaching staff is heavily involved in.

Wisconsin-Whitewater center Quinn Meinerz has been making waves in Mobile. A division three prospect, Meinerz was a complete unknown a few days ago. Now, with clips coming out from Senior Bowl practices, the unheralded center has taken the draft world by storm. He has been dominant in the drills and is rising up draft boards by the hour.

Many have compared his rise to the rise of Ali Marpet back when he was at the Senior Bowl. Meinerz is a big mauler in the middle, with center-guard versatility, who plays with a huge edge. There is no other player in the class who feels more like a Miami Dolphins than Quinn Meinerz. There will be a much bigger deep dive coming later, but for now, keep your eye on Meinerz.