Miami Dolphins: 10 most important players for the future of the franchise

Miami Dolphins’ important player #6: Terron Armstead

While he may differ greatly from the others on our list in the age category, Terron Armstead could end up being as important as anyone to the Dolphins’ future if he continues his dominance.

Much has been made of the poor play of Miami’s offensive line in 2021, and the front office made moves to help correct the issue for the coming year and beyond. The big acquisition was Armstead, who many figured to be the best available free agent lineman on the market.

If he is able to do for Tua Tagovailoa what he did for Drew Brees by creating a clean pocket for an undersized quarterback and is able to do so while aging gracefully into his mid-30s, then there is no reason to believe why Terron Armstead won’t be a franchise corner piece.

#5: Xavien Howard

If this were a list of “The best Miami Dolphins players” or “Players most critical to Dolphins success in 2022”, then Xavien Howard would undoubtedly be at or near the top. But given his age and the tendency of players at his position to decline rapidly when they begin to lose a step, it may only be another year or two that Howard is at the top of his game.

He has been arguably the franchise’s best player over the last two seasons, recording 15 interceptions and 36 passes defended during that span and entering conversations about who the best cornerback in the league is.

Howard’s cap hit will balloon over the next couple of years and may turn into a number that the Dolphins aren’t comfortable keeping around if they can find a way out. That is why he lands in the middle of this list and not any higher or lower.